The 14 Best Textured Nail Designs 2024
We’re obsessed with 3D nails. It’s not just the way they look, but also the way they feel. That’s why we want to share the best textured nail designs in 2024.
If you search for textured nail art ideas, you’ll see nails that look like cable knit sweaters and velvet. There are ones with raindrops and others with iridescent pearls. But there’s so much more to try! Let’s see if we can help you decide on the best textured nail design for your next manicure.
Top 14 Textured Nail Designs
Cozy Sweaters
The year began with cable knit patterns on sweater nails. The raised, matte texture looks warm and inviting. When paired with argyle accents, the look is both cozy and attractive.
If you want to try it yourself, we suggest using nude and creamy shades with gold or bronze accents. You can get the touchable look with gel polish and a matte top coat. A little dipping powder or builder gel can help you shape the raised cable knit texture.
Tweed Nails
Did you know that doing tweed nails is easy? Start with a base coat and a layer of gray gel polish. Apply a matte top coat to get the fabric-like finish. Then use a soft makeup brush to grace the surface with a second color like purple or scarlet. Before curing the polish, sprinkle the stripes with clear dipping or acrylic powder. Cure that and brush off the excess powder. Repeat with a third color of your choice, preferably a lighter shade.
Matte but Not Flat
Think of it as a toned-down version of casino carpet or maybe a jazzed-up version of a throw rug. The bright colors and abstract shapes make the manicure mesmerizing. Again, a matte top coat, gel polish, and dipping powder make it all possible.
Velvet Nails
If you’d rather have a smooth texture with only the illusion of depth, velvet nails are the answer. And the simplest way to get the look is to use magnetic polish. The magnet manipulates the sparkles into any pattern you wish to mimic the luxurious texture and glossy shimmer of velvet.
We recommend:
Lavis Cat Eyes CE1 - Gel Polish - Cozy Cashmere Collection
This is no ordinary glitter gel – it’s glossier and flashier! Its appearance changes depending on the lighting and viewing angle. Be careful, you might hypnotize yourself!
Like other gels from Lavis, the professional formula is easy for beginners to use. It won’t shrink or bubble and it lasts up to 21 days.
Pearl Accents
If you want textured nails but feel like you don't have enough artistic skill yet, we have a solution. Take a basic French manicure and make it fabulous with pearl accents. We found flat-back half-pearls that are perfect for this purpose.
Jelly Bellies and Gumdrops
Builder gel and a nail art brush are the tools to make realistic-looking candy on your nails. It's like 3D jelly nails! Instead of diluting a colored polish with a top coat, save a step with translucent and colorful jelly gel polish.
Bedazzled
Take a jump back in time and bedazzle those nails! Use gem sealer to stick on your favorite nail charms and rhinestones. The only skill needed is patience and the main tool is a nail lamp.
Lavis UV/LED Nail Lamp
Cure gel polish, builder gel, and gem sealer in seconds with this powerful, professional tool. If you do a lot of manicures, you deserve a better nail lamp. This one runs for hours off a single charge. The interior has strategically placed LEDs and a mirror finish for a perfect cure every time. You don’t even need to smudge your polish to use it. Select a timer setting and let the motion sensor turn on the light when you need it.
Jewelry Nails
Dress up nail tips with jewelry. It makes for an eye-catching, elegant manicure that doesn’t take long to complete.
Bubbles and Drops
Who can resist the 3D raindrop effect? Bubbles, droplets, and teardrops are super customizable in size, shape, and color. Grab your trusty builder gel and practice. The nice part about hard gel is that it won’t dry until you cure it. If you’re not satisfied with how it looks, wipe it off and try again.
Crocodile Skin
You’ll need builder gel or monomer and acrylic powder for textured crocodile skin. This takes a little more practice with the brush or a mold to sculpt the shape. Remember, if you don’t go to the salon to remove hard gel or acrylics, you’ll definitely want a nail drill to make the job easier.
Gold Drips
Don’t do a boring French manicure. Dress it up with gold drips on the tips. If you use emboss gel, the texture makes it more realistic. Moreover, embossing gel comes in various colors like gold, rose gold, silver, and black.
Seashells
Imitating seashells on your nails isn’t as hard as you’d think. You’ll need a thin brush and gel polish or liner gel. You can add texture by sprinkling dipping powder on the wet polish. You’ll probably have to go over the lines a few times to make it even more touchable.
Steel Plate
What’s the secret to imitating steel plate on your nails? An Australian nail artist created the look with a chrome polish base and alternating stripes of gel polish.
Acrylic Flowers or Dried Flowers
It’s enchanting to watch an artist sculpt acrylic flowers, especially 3D rose nails. If you’re not ready to take on that task, you can still enjoy dried flowers and floral charms on your nails. It’s also fun to encapsulate flowers in nail extensions.
Conclusion
Are you ready to have fun with textured nail designs? There are so many different ideas to try! It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner because many of these looks aren’t as complicated as they appear. Watch a few videos to get motivated and then practice. In time, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.
You might also find that browsing nail art supplies will get you inspired. Don’t miss out on our deals, either. Remember, we offer free shipping on orders over $100.
