16 March Nail Ideas & Art That Celebrate Sunnier Skies

Let the earliest signs of spring be your inspo for March manis that celebrate everything from longer hours of daylight to the first flowers of spring..

Updated March 1, 2024
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Every year, we eagerly welcome the official start in spring in late March. And we don't know about you, but when the calendar flips to March 1, even though it's technically still winter, it's spring in our hearts.

Our March nail ideas are all about the inspo of early spring, from sweet ladybugs and flower petals to longer days with more sunlight. Give yourself a spring-worthy mani with our March nail art, ideas, and inspo. 

Cherry Blossom

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival begins in late March as the trees drip with gorgeous pink blooms. Even if you can't be in Washington, D.C. this March, you can celebrate with pretty pink nails painted with cherry blossom nail art. 

To get the look, start with a coat of sweet pink like OPI's Infinite Shine Nail Lacquer in Sweet Heart, swipe on some brown branches using OPI's Nail Lacquer in Espresso Your Inner Self, and dot on some deeper shades of pink for the blossoms like OPI's Nail Lacquer in Racing for Pink and Pink on Canvas. Finish with a coat of OPI RapiDry to protect your mani and help your March nail art dry quickly so you can get on with your day. 

Related: 11 Easter Nail Ideas That'll Put a Spring in Your Step

Hello, Sunshine!

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We don't know about you, but we absolutely love the longer days and the more frequent sunshine we see in March, particularly when we spring forward to Daylight Savings Time. And what better way to celebrate the sun than with sunny-colored nail tips that welcome the longer hours of daylight? 

To get this sunny look, start with a barely-there pink like Essie's Ballet Slippers. Paint the tips in a sunny yellow like Sunshine Be Mine, and finish with Speed Setter Top Coat for a quick dry and protection for your look. One peek at your mani, and everyone will know you're filled with sunshine. 

Luck o' the Irish

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Wear your green proudly this St. Patrick's Day (March 17) with lucky nail art. We love the bright green shamrocks, sweet white dots, and soft green background of these nails that definitely tell the world you've got the luck of the Irish.

To get the look, start with a soft green like OPI's How Does Your Garden Grow. Add brighter green shamrocks with a polish like Essie's Grass Never Greener, and finish with some soft white dots and a glossy top coat. 

French Tips + Flowers

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We love a gorgeous nail transfer, and these simple black floral nail stickers layer perfectly over a traditional French-tipped mani. An all-in-one solution like Essie's Ballet French Manicure Kit makes getting the look super simple. 

Helpful Hack

Can't find the exact look you want in a nail sticker? Nail art pens (like these from Saviland) allow you to let your creativity flow right onto your nails. 

Sweet Posies

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It's a sure sign that winter is ending when March flowers start peeking through the thawing ground. Show your affinity for spring florals with blossom-inspired tips and cute paint-on posies. 

Start with a soft petal pink like Cherry Blossom Pink from Londontown. Add different colors of pastel tips (we love the Candy Pastels from Eternal Collections). Dot on some cute posies in colors you love, and finish with a shiny, protective top coat. 

Helpful Hack

Use nail-dotting pens to make picture-perfect posies. 

Rainbow Tips

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Showers at the same time the sun shines? Sounds like March weather to us! And while the weather in March can be a skosh unstable, it leaves behind all kinds of beautiful rainbows. Salute this March phenomenon with adorable rainbow-tipped nails.

Get the look by starting with a soft pink like Londontown's Rosewater. Then, use bright colors to paint on rainbow tips (we love the bright neon-colored rainbow polish set from modelones). Finally, finish with a clear top coat for long-lasting shine. 

Soft Spring Petals

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We just can't get enough of the tulips that pop up in March, with their rainbow of colors ranging from super soft to vivid. And we especially love a delicate pink, like Pink Pursuit from Sally Hansen's InstaDry line. You can leave it at blushing pink nails or add a simple, soft tulip on one finger. It's super easy to do if you use soft, pastel-colored nail art pens from Saviland. Finish the look with Sally Hansen's Dry Instantly top coat

Stormy Skies

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We'd be in denial if we said March was all sunshine and rainbows. But March storms bring the promise of sunny days ahead, and we're all about those.

A stormy matte mani in mauve and plum shows the darker side of March beautifully. To get the look, paint one hand with a dark mauve like Essie Expressie's Get a Mauve On. Paint the other hand with a dark plum, like OPI's O Suzi Mio. Add a stormy white swirl to one nail, if you want, and finish with a matte top coat like Essie's Matte About You top coat or OPI's Matte Top Coat

Shades of Lilac

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March may be a little early for fragrant lilacs to bloom, but it doesn't hurt to give your nails a head-start. We adore Beetles gel nail polish in 1-5-6 Grapvevine with six purple shades to give you this lovely lilac look. 

Peony Pink

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Of all the spring flowers we're excited to see starting to bud in March, peonies top the list. And we love a super simple peony pink manicure to help us anticipate when our shrubs are in full flower. We think Sally Hansen's Good.Kind.Pure. nail polish in Peony for Your Thoughts perfectly captures the pink of one of our favorite flowers. 

What's Up, Buttercup?

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You know it's spring when yellow buttercups begin to poke through the grass. We adore them, and their pretty yellow color makes a perfect March mani. OPI's Sun, Sea, and Sand in My Pants nail lacquer is nearly the ideal buttercup-yellow shade. 

The Green, Green Grass of Spring

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Our grass is always a little worse for the wear after the ground freezes in winter, but as soon as the ground warms in March and rain starts to fall, it returns to its former glorious green. Celebrate the return of grass with a menu of vibrant green shades, like those you'll find in Beetles Carnival Evergreen gel nail polish set

Cloudy Days

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March has its share of grey days, but we all know that clouds bring the rain that gives way to flowers as the month progresses. Celebrate the stormy skies with a soft grey like OPI's Dawn of a New Gray. But don't let that grey get you down... jazz it up with some bling on one finger like you'll find in Belleboost's nail rhinestone kit. Your nails will look like March — stormy skies with a hint of optimism. 

Sweet Simplicity

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If it's a low-fuss nail with a spring theme you're looking for, then this simple French mani with pastel tips is pretty and easy. Start with a sweet pink like Londontown's Afternoon Tea Lakur. Paint on tips in soft pastels, like Born Pretty's Candy Paradise nail polish set, and finish with a protective top coat. 

Dramatic Iris

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If super soft springy colors aren't your thing, these dramatic iris nails will definitely make a statement. For these, we love a vivid, deep purple like OPI's Purple With a Purpose nail lacquer and a bright yellow like OPI's Exotic Birds Do Not Tweet. Add some details using vibrantly colored nail art pens and finish with a shimmering top coat

Lovely Ladybug

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As March progresses, lucky ladybugs return, and we're always so happy to see them. And these ladybug-themed nails are the perfect March mani. We love Beetles vibrant red polish for the tips and ladybugs. Get creative and add a few painted-on ladybugs with black spots and a couple of yellow tips using Beetles Canary Yellow. Paint your details and spots with Beetles Gel Polish Liner in Black

Welcome Back, Sunshine

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While a lot of the sunshine in March is liquid sunshine, there are also longer hours of daylight and sunnier skies. Our March nail ideas help you celebrate making it through yet another long, dark winter with warmer days ahead. 

16 March Nail Ideas & Art That Celebrate Sunnier Skies