25 Insanely Cool Matte Nail Designs to Impress Your Friends With

written by

Ruby Buddemeyer & Rebecca Norris

updated Feb 28, 2020

Even though glossy finishes will always have a place in our hearts, a spike in cool, understated matte designs has completely converted us. Between the weirdly satisfying feeling of having a crisp, smooth base and the fact that mattes can be accented with the most subtle of designs, we’re not sure what took us so long to give this trend a whirl. And to prove it to you, we combed through Instagram to find the most inspo-worthy matte nail designs to experiment with this season. Take them to your manicurist or enlist the help of your favorite polish and try them out yourself.

Click through for our 25 favorite looks, including a tonal manicure and a chrome-and-matte combo.

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Metallic Gold Tips

Bring a clean matte nail to life with an eye-catching chrome tip. Madeline Poole’s design is equal parts neutral and exciting.

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Lacey Details

These simple matte nude nail looks are elevated thanks to a lace-like detail that's intricate and demure.

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Charcoal and Nude

Who knew that single nude dots on top of matte charcoal nails could be such a hit? We don't know about you, but we want to copy this manicure ASAP.

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Neon Tips

Matte is major and neon is never not popular, making this negative-space, melon-colored mani a must in our books.

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Seafoam Nails

Glossy French tips atop a smooth, matte base make for an interesting (albeit subtle) mani.

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Half Cow

It's no secret that cow-print manicures are on the up and up (Kendall Jenner says so, too). If you're not ready to fully rock the barnyard-chic nail look, consider this negative space option that leaves only covers half the nail.

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Baby Blue Beauts

Another way to embrace a clean, fresh feel for your mani is by sticking to a cool palette of blue and white. Plus, this one's super simple to DIY.

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Mint Green Tips

If you want to hop on the matte nail trend without covering your nails entirely in polish, check out this mint negative space option. To create the look, use striping tape to section off your nails and confine the polish from the tape to the tip. Once dry, remove the tape and finish with matte topcoat.

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Matte Blue and Metallic Gold

We're all about mixing finishes. Fortunately for us, this matte blue and metallic gold combo is a cinch to recreate. Start by painting on a matte blue base, then use a detailing brush to swipe a gold arc across the bottom of each nail to create the cuticle half-moon accent.

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Monochrome Shades

Sure, burgundy and red are from the same color family, but pair them together and you have yourself a high-contrast nail look that's even better matte.

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All Wrapped Up

This white and nude nail design makes us think of ballet slippers and mummies. Either way, we're matte about it. (See what we did there?)

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Metallic Chevron

Accent a skin-flattering pale pink with sharp gold lines for a ridiculously pretty look.

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Split Blue

If you blush over blues, check out this simple DIY. Start with a matte blue base and use a striping brush to delicately draw a thin white line down the center of each nail.

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Café au Lait

This creamy brown manicure combines our love of coffee and negative space. What more could you ask for?

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Mix and Match

Combine turquoise and nude bases with shimmery, silver accents for an intricate yet wearable look.

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Glossy and Matte

All-black manicures make an eye-catching statement: glossy-and-matte-black nails demand a head-turning moment. To create the look, start with a matte black base and top it off with glossy circle details.

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Green Fade

Seaweed, Caribbean waters, spirulina—whatever earthy vibe you're getting from this mani, we hear you and support you.

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Wine Time

Wine lovers, rejoice! With this burgundy manicure, you can pay homage to your favorite vino in a minimalist way that's oh-so-chic.

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Negative White

Feeling a fresh mani vibe? This negative-space nail look gives us clean, Art Deco vibes.

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Purple and Red Details

Try creating graphic, angular lines for a look that reads colorful but mod. If you can't find three matte colors for the look, rely on your fave glossies and top the entire look off with a matte topcoat.

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Half and Half

Can't decide on one color (or even five)? With this half-and-half manicure, you'll be able to rock 10 colors on each hand.

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Silver, Nude, and Blue

We swoon over a negative-space moment, and this nail design is no exception. With a clear coat over the bottom of each nail, crisp sections of cerulean, and light-reflecting silver tips, we're in love.

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Dusty Hues

Subdued purple, pink, and tangerine combine for a dusty negative space manicure that's subtle and stylish. To create the look, simply paint from mid nail to tip on each finger and finish with a matte topcoat.

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