The Cherry Manicure Trend Is Here For Everyone's Whimsical Nail Art Eras
When it comes to fruits, cherries are the "it girl" of the fashion world, and if you want to incorporate them into your look, one easy way is via a cherry manicure. After all, fruit-inspired nails are always a hit. Cherry nails, specifically, are endlessly cute, and though relatively simple, they're versatile, too. You can take this fruity design in a number of different ways, drawing on the inspiration of cherries throughout fashion and pop culture.
Cherry print blouses and dresses are strongly associated with retro fashion, so with the right color scheme or patterned background (think polka dots or stripes), you can create a nostalgic cherry manicure. Furthermore, bedazzled cherry motifs and accessories had their moment in the spotlight in the early 2000s, so go for rhinestone cherries to get a Y2K look. Or, replace ditsy daisies on your nails with itty-bitty cherries, which are bright and whimsical. If all else fails, fall back on a cherry red color (a nail and lip shade that is always in style) and a few fruity motifs. Any of these designs are bound to leave you tongue-tied.
Cherry French manicure
Cherry motifs and French manicures are each iconic in their own right — they have so much style history behind them. It makes sense that combining the two results in a classy and fashionable manicure. This is one way to style cherry nails that doesn't look too cutesy. The classic, white French tip base gives this look a simple air of elegance that can be hard to achieve with fruity nails, which tend to lean toward innate playfulness.
Cherry drip
Speaking of playful designs, we'd say this drippy cherry manicure falls into this category. It slightly resembles a French manicure but with a melting effect, as if the French tip dripped down the rest of your nail. This makes the nails reminiscent of ice cream dripping down a cone, making us nostalgic for warm, summer days.
Cherry sparkle
With a little cherry and a little glam, this sparkly manicure is the perfect girly nail design for a concert night. And that's exactly how the creator planned it, rocking this nail look to a Harry Styles concert. It's a manicure that fits right in with happy dancing and feather boas — you can't help but feel cheerful when you look at these adorable nails.
Cherries and baby blue
Pastel baby blue has a vintage feel to it, and when combined with polka dots and cherries in this mani, it brings all sorts of retro nostalgia vibes, as well as hitting on the blueberry mani trend. This nail look would pair beautifully with a 1950s-inspired dress, but, of course, it will work with your modern closet, too. It's the right choice for an extra bright cherry mani.
Cherry French tip
This manicure elevates French tips in a creative way, opting for a fun pattern on each nail instead of a solid wash of color. By concentrating the pattern at the tip, it's more minimalist than fully multi-patterned nails; still, it feels totally different than a plain French mani. There are a lot of patterns you can choose from to create a similar nail look, but using little red cherries on a pink background is one of our favorites.
Disjointed cherries
These disjointed cherries have a minimalist feel to them and look effortlessly cool. The little patch of empty space between each cherry and its stem gives it a distinctive look, almost reminiscent of abstract art rather than your typical cutesy cherry manicure. Since it's so simple, this nail look is also easy for you to recreate at home with a dotting tool and a thin nail brush.
Metallic cherry manicure
It's such a simple switch but adds so much to this manicure: Use metallic red nail polish instead of regular nail polish. The slightly shimmery metallic effect gives these nails more dimension despite the simpler French manicure design. Your nails will catch the light beautifully, and with an extra white stripe, they look bright and highlighted.
Cherry hearts
This manicure cleverly combines two nail art trends: cherries and hearts. The finished look is one that's equal parts romantic and adorable. Turning cherries into hearts makes a lot of sense since they're the right color and shape. This design is one way to make a cherry manicure more distinctive while sticking to a classic theme.
Cherry gems
Bedazzled everything is oh-so 2000s, and you can bring the same vibe to your nails with a cherry gem nail design. 3D details always make a manicure look cooler, and this design is no exception. A relatively plain base is a good choice with cherry gems to really let the fruits shine. These baby blue French tips add a vintage touch to the overall glam nails.
Gold-lined cherries
Another way to add a bit of glimmer to cherry nails is with metallic outlining. It will give you the same eye-catching effect as metallic cherries or cherry gems, but is an excellent way to add more color. Gold outlining makes these cherries look luxe, while the baby blue background leans into the nostalgia of the fruity design.
Red outline and cherries
Stick with a more classic cherry-inspired color scheme by using red outlining. A bit of outlining adds more detail to plain cherry nails, and if you have a French manicure base, the bottom of the French tip is an excellent place to add more color. Matching the outline to the cherry nail art color makes this manicure cohesive and, dare we say, professional.
Cherries and gems
Gems turn this cherry manicure from regular to glam. This is a stunning nail design for a special event, especially if you're sporting an old-fashioned outfit, like a vintage gown. They're also a perfect short nail design, which we all need sometimes. (As much as we'd love them to be, long nails aren't always the most useful.) The hot pink base coat is cheery and fun, making these the cutest party nails on our list.
Scattered cherries
There have been quite a few rather uniform cherry patterns on this list, but there's no need to make your cherry nails so exact. A scattered cherry pattern makes these nails look informal and charming. Plus, it makes the look easy to recreate since you can place the cherries wherever you'd like.
Chrome cherries
Similar to metallic nails, chrome cherries take your usual cherry design and bump it up a notch. Best of all, there's no extra artistry needed since it only involves switching out your nail polish type. These chrome cherries have an irresistible subtle shine that makes them attention-grabbing despite the basic design.
Cherry red
It's hard to get more classic than cherry red nails, which look both elegant and sultry. Of course, this bright red is the perfect companion to any cherry nail design. If you're at a loss for what to do for your next cherry nail look, deep red and a few cherry motifs make a hard-to-beat design.
Pink and red cherry nails
Cherry nails are fantastically feminine, so it makes sense to pair them with a traditionally feminine color like pink. As Barbiecore takes over our socials, we can't help but gravitate to hot pink hues, either. Luckily, these shades make the perfect base for cherry nails and make them almost impossible to miss.
Retro pattern with a cherry
While cherries often make us think of old-timey fashion, they make appearances in other decades, too. These nails have a fun, retro pattern that feels more out of the 1960s or '70s than the '50s; the checkerboard, daisies, and smiley faces give it a hippyish vibe. The cherry also fits right in with these other motifs, showing how versatile this stone fruit can be.
Cartoonish cherries
Cherry drawings already have a cartoonish element to them; they're so popular in media and culture that we're used to seeing drawn versions. Play up the animated design with a few details, like white highlighting, to make the cherries look extra round and juicy. A grid background and scattered sparkles lend to their cartoonish feel.
Cherries and strawberries
Cherries and strawberries are like two peas in a pod (or fruit basket). Both fruits have gorgeous colors and adorable looks that make them perfect for nail art. This manicure goes all-out on the detailed patterns, so it's almost easy to miss the fruits, but they undoubtedly contribute to the overall fun nature of this nail look.
Tiny cherry French tips
French tips and cherry motifs really are a stunning match. They're both classic in their own way, so it makes sense to put them together. If you want a subtle cherry manicure, take inspiration from these tiny cherry French tips, which are very detailed but never at the expense of the overall manicure.