- Beauty
- Nails
ByJasmine Harding
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.
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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.
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Feminine French manicure
Simple but oh-so-femme, this decorated French manicure is one way to get the coquette nail look in a relatively subtle way. Coquette nails usually start with a neutral base, and with their ties to old-school femininity, a classic French manicure is a perfect choice. Tiny pink hearts and bows take these nails from traditional to coquette effortlessly.
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Pastel lavender nails
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.
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Satin bows
Satin bows are pretty much iconic to the coquette aesthetic, so it makes sense to incorporate them into your manicure. 3D details are popular for ultra-femme coquette nails. It makes sense to go for drawn-on bows if the 3D version will get in the way of your daily life, but real mini satin bows have a maximalist feel that is true to the aesthetic.
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Pink French tips
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.
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Pearls and bows
It doesn't get much more romantic than pearls and bows. These two items are wedding decoration staples; they're just so closely associated with the celebration of love. Use a white bow to match this detail to the glossy white pearl color. These nails work both as coquette nails and wedding nails because of these delightful pearls accents.
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Pale pink strawberry milk nails
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.
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Pink blush coquette nails
These nails have a gorgeous blushy gradient, with pink in the center radiating out to a soft cream color. The easiest way to recreate this manicure is by starting with a neutral light base, making sure it's dry before the next step. Then, place a dot of pink nail polish in the middle and use a makeup sponge to blend out the edges and create the gradient. Once this layer is dry, you can add coquette art and details.
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Translucent base with coquette details
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.
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Baby blue coquette manicure
If pink isn't your usual color, this baby blue coquette manicure might be right up your alley. It's the right choice if you prefer cool tones or if pink nails might clash with your closet staples. These nails have elements common in many coquette nails, including hearts and pearls. Gingham is another well-loved vintage pattern of the coquette aesthetic, so it's an adorable addition to this manicure.
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Romantic red Valentine's hearts
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.
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Little black bows
The coquette style has similarities with plenty of other popular aesthetics — ones that aren't so pink but still embrace feminine elements. Whether you want nails that also work for your fairycore, grunge, or dark academia outfits, these little black bow nails will do the trick. Less pink than other options on this list but equally as cutesy, this manicure is an easy one to style with a range of outfits.
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Cartoon nails
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.
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Vintage pearl touches
The coquette style takes inspiration from traditional ideas of feminine style, using vintage fashion to express an idyllic version of femininity. To complement the frills and lace of coquette clothing, pearl accessories just make sense. If a pearl necklace or bracelet isn't dramatic enough, you can add pearls to your nails. Any type of pearl nail gems will make your manicure look more coquette, but when combined with bows, the style is unmistakable.
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Dreamy coquette clouds
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.
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Romantic kiss coquette nails
It's hard not to associate a lipstick kiss with romance, which means it's the perfect detail for coquette nails. Use kiss nail stickers or take a photo to your nail technician to get this look, as it might be a bit hard to freehand unless you have an artistic streak. A classic red makes the most sense for this kiss detail, though you can go for paler pink shades as well.
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A little gem detail
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.
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Hello Kitty coquette mani
Another cartoon-inspired nail that's just too cute, a 3D Hello Kitty nail decal is almost impossible to miss and instantly recognizable. It might be hard to put Hello Kitty on a manicure and not have it turn out adorable, which is pretty much exactly what you want out of a coquette nail look. Since this manicure uses a few 3D nail decals, it's one that you'll want to save for a special event or for a time when you can handle having ornate nails.
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Coquette heart characters
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.
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Frosty ombré
Make your coquette nails look wintery and frosty with these ice queen nails. Fading from a usual coquette ballet slipper pink into a frosty white, these snowy nails are stunning for the cold season. Make sure to use a shimmery white color or a glittery topcoat to give it that snow-inspired look. Gems give this manicure a bit more glam and sparkle.
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Lavender florals with sparkles
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.
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Negative space hearts
If you're feeling a bit uninspired by the usual drawn-on hearts, create a more distinctive look by creating a negative space heart. Start with a light pink base and paint French manicure tips on most of your nails — this manicure looks more charming with the hearts on one or two accent nails. Then, use the white polish to create a heart outline, integrating it with the French tip to get this unique nail design.
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Lace-inspired details
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.
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Pretty pink gemstones
So simple but absolutely stunning, this manicure is one of the easiest on this list to recreate at home. It starts with a soft pink base. You can use sheer pink polish, layer pink over white nail polish, or use a pink jelly nail or French manicure as the base for this look. Once the base is dried, just glue on a smattering of pink nail gems, which will instantly take these nails from plain to magical.
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Red French mani
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.
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Itty bitty heart
We love an accent nail; after all, it's a pretty low-effort way to give a plain manicure more personality. For a dash of the coquette vibe, but one that still looks professional and works with a range of other styles, opt for an accent heart on your ring fingernail. While a plain heart will do, a dotted border makes this design even more adorable.
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