25 Nail Designs That Ace The Royally Good Coquette Aesthetic

The coquette aesthetic is hyper-feminine and romantic, with a dream-like and idyllic quality. The coquette style has a vintage flare, wrapping traditionally feminine nostalgia into elements like bows, ribbons, lace, and frills. Other iconography includes hearts, pearls, cute cartoon characters, clouds, and ditsy flowers. This aesthetic also has a distinctive color palette, usually using muted tones of soft pink or other pale pastel colors. Delicate and just plain pretty, it's hard not to see the appeal of the coquette style.

Coquette nails are just as syrupy sweet as coquette clothing, using many of the same elements to create a super femme nail design. Soft, light-toned colors are a go-to (expect to see a lot of pink manicures on this list), though it's possible to create a coquette nail look with dark shades as well. Still, feminine details set a coquette manicure apart from your regular nail polish. These nails are often maximalist in nature and are almost always adorned with nail stickers or painted-on ribbons, bows, flowers, fruits, characters or animals, and other images that have a cutesy or romantic feel. Pearls, gems, bows, and other 3D details can give coquette nails a bit of bling, while still fitting in with the fairy-tale vibe. Longer nails give you more space for decoration, but coquette nails can look just as adorable on short nails, too. The possibilities are nearly limitless.

While a rosy pale pink is popular for coquette manicures, it doesn't mean you can't expand to other hues. To stick with the coquette color palette, opt for other pastel shades, like light yellow, baby blue, and soft lavender. These pastel lavender nails are a gorgeous example. The color is just right, and the small hearts and gems give it that coquette vibe.

Another gorgeous French manicure look, these pink French tips are even more coquette than their classic white counterpart. The ballerina pink shade is right on trend with coquette colors. Even without the addition of the tiny hearts, a pale pink French manicure can pass as a coquette nail look, but the hearts really seal the deal.

Strawberry milk nails are a great base for coquette nails. Created by layering a semi-sheer pale pink over a white base and then finishing with a glossy topcoat, this nail look really captures that light but bright blush pink tone. It's the best manicure idea for those who want plain coquette nails since it's suitable for almost any situation. To take it to the next level, add bows, hearts, or 3D nail art.

Jelly nails are another '90s trend that's made it back into our hearts (and our nail inspo Pinterest boards). These nails have a transparent quality to them that makes them look like jelly. To take the translucent look to a new level, use translucent fake nails to get an even more see-through appearance. As is common with other coquette nails, add some little heart decals to bring the romance.

If you want to add a brighter pop of color to your coquette nails, go for red hearts instead of pink. The bolder color really highlights the adorable pattern and makes your nails more eye-catching overall, but without having to use 3D decals. That's not to say that blingy nail art isn't an option here — little nail gems are an easy way to make your nails pop without the hassle of larger nail bows and other bigger decals that might get in the way.

Cartoon nails and coquette manicures share a very similar aesthetic, and the line often blurs between the two. In fact, as the name implies, they often feature cartoon characters — Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty and My Melody are popular choices — but otherwise, they're quite similar aesthetically with their pink tones, bows, and sparkles.

If you look at social media, coquette aesthetic has a dreamy quality to it, with softly lit photos filled with romantic iconography. Dreamy and fluffy clouds fit right in with the coquette style, and the best place to include cloud details is on your nails. This manicure looks just plain ethereal with the wispy white clouds, and, of course, the bow on top brings even more elegance to the overall look.

This manicure has a couple of small details that make it coquette, even though its basic elements are pretty plain and traditional, and it's another nail look that plays with the French manicure. By using pink for most of the tips, this look is even more feminine. What's more, the pink gems add a touch of glam to really elevate the look.

You don't only have to include well-known characters on your nails. Other cutesy characters and animals are a popular pick for coquette nails, including drawn-on cats, bunnies, and doves. For a more unique spin, try hearts with little eyes like in this inspirational manicure. This aesthetic strays a little bit from the usual coquette themes, but its soft colors, hearts, and ditsy florals still match the overall coquette style.

Another lavender look, this coquette manicure is our favorite pick for spring. Using pastel lavender shades and itty-bitty floral patterns, it's a lovely alternative to the usual coquette pink nails. A sparkly accent nail makes this manicure look a little more luxe without distracting from the slightly vintage feel.

For centuries, lace has been associated with feminine clothing. It's no surprise, then, that it's the perfect pattern for coquette nails. This is a very tough pattern for most people to draw themselves, so you'll want to use fake nails and nail stickers or visit a manicurist for this one. The finished design is worth it, appearing very intricate and show-stopping.

If you want to stray from pastel tones (or if Valentine's day is coming up), you might be looking for a brighter pop of color. Red is a stunning pick for a coquette manicure since it still has a warm blushy tone and is associated with passion and love. To keep it simple, opt for a red French manicure with a glossy finish.