Linen Nails Are Bringing The Breezy, Neutral Summer Trend To Your Manicure
Minimalist manicure lovers have a new luxe nail trend to try: linen nails. The name already sounds sumptuous and expensive, so it's no surprise that these nails look effortlessly classy. The linen nail trend doesn't refer to one specific nail color but rather a nail aesthetic. To get the look, choose a neutral or nude color and opt for a matte finish.
Linen nails are perfect if you love a neutral aesthetic — choose from white, off-white, cream, beige, and brown hues to get this sophisticated nail style. Plain linen nails are a good choice for those with minimalist mood boards, but it doesn't mean your nails have to be boring. You can play with colors by combining neutral hues, creating gradients from white, beige, and brown, and adding patterns in both nude or bright colors.
Of course, if all else fails, a creamy off-white or beige nail polish with a matte finish is the classic linen nail. You can use matte nail polish, a DIY mattifying strategy, or a matte topcoat to get this look. Read on for some linen nail inspiration to make your next manicure look as elegant as ever.
White linen nails
These white linen nails are crisp and clean, like sun-dried white linen bed sheets that you just pulled off the washing line. While white sounds basic, a luxe matte topcoat elevates the look. Plus, there are actually a few shades to choose from, from bright white to cream. As a true neutral color, white nails pair beautifully with gold or silver jewelry, so they'll work for almost everyone.
Warm terracotta linen nails
Warm-hued linen nails are perfect for both summer and fall. This toasty terracotta brown color is still nude but feels distinctly different from the bright white linen nails above. There's something cozy and mellow about this warmer hue while still providing the same minimalist vibe. With the matte finish, these nails remind us of homey terracotta clay pots in the best way possible.
Add some gems
With their neutral color, linen nails make the perfect base for a range of nail designs. One that's easy to do at home but super eye-catching is a bedazzled nail design. To get this look, start with a linen nail base and glue on a few nail gems. You can experiment with different gem placements and, optionally, use white nail polish to create a sparkle decal like in this photo. These sparkly details add a bit of glam to make linen nails more suitable for a nighttime or event look.
Speckled linen nails
Speckles are one of those chic minimalist nail designs that add a little more interest to otherwise plain linen nails; plus, they're another easy design to recreate at home. Start with a neutral base. There are plenty of ways to create a speckly design with items you have at home, including a fan brush, a toothpick, a toothbrush, or even scrunched-up plastic wrap to create speckles of different sizes. For the speckles, you can opt for another nude color to keep it more subdued or a different bright color if you want to add a pop of vibrancy.
Different shades of nude
This mani is a love child between the Skittles nails trend and linen nails. Nude nail tones look so beautiful in a gradient pattern; the white-to-brown hues from finger to finger just work. To cover the full-color spectrum, go from white to dark brown or black. You can also go for a lighter look by creating a gradient from beige and brown tones.
Two-toned nude
Two-toned nude nails stick with the neutral color scheme of linen nails but add a bit of pattern. Stick with two similar-toned colors for a more subdued look. The closer the color shades, the more subtle your nail look will be. For a bolder look, go for contrasting shades, like white and deep brown.
Light pink hue
While linen nails usually go with nude hues, there's still some wiggle room for color. This light pink color is a far-distant cousin of cream white, a classic linen nail color. Choose colors that are neutral in tone and almost white (and perhaps even include a white accent nail like the photo above) to include just a little touch of color in a linen nail look.
Neutral heart nails
Heart nail designs will always have, well, our hearts. And for good reason; they're just so cute! To get a more minimalist look, draw your heart design small and use nude colors rather than the classic red or pink to hone in on the linen trend. These beige hearts on a matte white linen nail is a pretty example of taking a common nail design and making it fit nicely with a neutral aesthetic.
Linen nails with colorful hearts
Just because you're working with linen nails doesn't mean you have to rule out color! If you want a more colorful design for spring or summer, choose a classic heart color instead of nude. These red hearts really pop against the milky white linen nail. The matte white base gives it a more dreamy quality compared to traditional shiny topcoats.
Sparkly accent nails
If you want to try linen nails around the time of a big event, try a manicure with a sparkly accent. The sparkles change the vibe entirely, from cozy and muted to bright and glamorous, which is perfect for the summer months. The subdued undertone of these classic beige linen nails gives this manicure a sophisticated look with a fun and festive energy.
Neutral and neon
By mixing a neutral linen nail base and bright neon squiggles, this nail look manages to be muted but colorful at the same time. Beige or brown and neon might sound like a funny combination, but it works in practice. Nude tones make a great plain base for all types of designs, including the neon variety.
Linen French tip
A white French tip is always elegant, but to put an updated twist on the classic French mani, opt for a soft neutral-toned yellow instead. This manicure fits right in with a cozy neutral mood board, and it's a simple one to do at home, as long as you know how to do your own French mani. Don't forget the matte topcoat!
Linen nails with playful abstract swirls
An abstract swirl nail design takes a linen nail from elegant to cheerful. This design isn't too detailed, so it's relatively easy to freehand with a thin nail brush. To keep the soft and muted overall look, choose a color that is similar to your base tone, for example, a bright white base with cream-white squiggles or a beige base with warm red lines like in this photo.
Linen nail leopard print
Leopard print usually doesn't fit in with minimalist styling, but with leopard print French tips, this is one way to make it work. This nail design works best with long nails — you'll need enough space to draw out the leopard print design. By opting for a beige base and matte top coat, these nails capture the linen nail style while displaying a fun pattern.
Artistic linen nails
As a lovely neutral base, linen nails are perfect for all sorts of artistic designs. This is one that you'll probably want to take to your nail tech due to its intricate details. You can stick with nude colors, like different shades of brown and white over beige nails, or opt for color like in this photo example.
Patterned linen nails
These nails use linen nail colors, but they're far from plain. You can use shades of white, beige, and brown to create any type of patterned nail. These fun designs give it a different vibe from muted linen nails but still use the same neutral color palette and matte finish.