9 Pretty Valentine's Day Manicure Ideas That Aren't Cheesy

Valentine's Day is usually equated with various cheesy traditions: red roses, chocolates, champagne, extravagant dinner plans and manicured nails with mini-heart designs all over them. If heart nails are your thing, that's perfectly all right, but if we're being honest, they're not really ours. 

So this year, we went on a mission to find a way to participate in Valentine's Day festivities while still feeling like ourselves. That means a cool, polished outfit for whatever our V-Day plans will entail and an equally elevated manicure to go with it. We're talking about eye-catching hues of satiny red, glossy baby pink and bold variations of purple that are appropriate for the occasion without feeling like they're trying too hard. Below are nine of the coolest Valentine's Day nail colour ideas we currently have on our "to paint ASAP" list. Keep scrolling!

Classic Red

A classic wash of red is perfectly chic all year round, but it's especially cute once Valentine's Day rolls around. Plus, it's probably one of the most universally flattering shades you can wear on your nails, no questions asked. Essie's Lady in Red is a cult-favourite blue-red, and it's guaranteed to stay chip-free and glossy for at least one full week. 

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Silver Shimmer

Let's retire the notion that the prettiest Valentine's Day nail colours automatically fall into the red, pink and purple camps. We've been obsessing over sparkling polishes since Christmas, and you can bet we'll be carrying these pretty light-silver numbers right through February and beyond. (We'll take a side of these feathers, too!) 

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Baby (Hot) Pink

We always think of hot pink as red's slightly more fun, slightly wilder sister. No, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's attention-grabbing and mood-boosting (we dare you not to feel happy the instant you look down at your nails!), and it's one cliché we feel fine with imbibing in come February. 

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Juicy Plum

It's still winter, and yes, the days are short and dark, so we're still very much on the "dark and moody nail polish" train. That said, we love something that's more purple than black, and this fairytale plum is one colour we just can't quit. Plus, we love that it's way less expected than your normal pinks and reds. 

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Fuchsia

Can't decide between hot pink and purple this Valentine's Day? Fuchsia is the prettiest compromise. (We'll be forever obsessed with the below formula from Mavala—be it February or July.) 

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Red Satin

This muted shade of red still feels festive and Valentine's Day–esque, but it's a subtler option if a flaming shade or tamale red isn't your jam. 

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Dreamy Mauve

A two-for-one Valentine's gift from you to you: Dior (because duh) and a whimsical mauve paint job. (FYI: We've heard through the grapevine that mauve is going to be the It nail colour of 2022.)

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Marshmallow Pink

Predictable? Perhaps. Alas, nothing says Valentine's Day like a wispy shade of plush pink. You really can't go wrong with the classics, and Ballet Slippers is a universally flattering option we recommend again and again. 

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Coconut Crème

We'd take a creamy white mani over white roses any day. Plus, an opaque shade of white is the perfect glossy neutral that still feels Valentine's-esque sans bright colours if that's not really your thing. 

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Next up, the experts have spoken—these six nail trends are set to be huge in 2022.