Move Over Peach Fuzz—Lilac Will Be *The* Nail Color of Spring 2024

The nail pros have spoken.

A guest is seen with phone jewelery outside Fendi during the Milan Women's Fashion Week on September 23, 2020 in Milan, Italy.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Can I be honest? I'm not happy I wore a coat, sweater, and scarf to work today. It's technically the spring season, so the thought of bundling up is quite unsettling. Although it feels like we're in the throes of winter, I've decided to focus on warmer days and prepare for spring 2024's biggest trends. If you're looking for an easy way to refresh your look (yes, even that super cute Russian manicure), update your winter nails with a popping new spring nail color.

The nail trends of 2024 are all about the big and bold. The natural, naked nails of yesteryear are taking a backseat to the vibrant trends of now: Think 3D embellishments, chrome finishes, and fun art. As for the exact colors to reach for, we tapped two of the pros—celebrity manicurist and KISS brand ambassador Julie Kandalec and Aprés Nail brand director Eunice Park—for the scoop on spring 2024's trendiest colors. From candied hues to shimmery lilac, these are the spring nail colors to grab for your next manicure.

Jolly Rancher Jellies

For the uninitiated, jelly nail polish is essentially ultra-glossy, with semi-sheer washes of color, and the shades are already making waves overseas. "This trend came from Seoul which I visited last spring, and I interviewed a top nail artist there,” says Kandalec. “The color [looks] more subtle when the cuticle area is more gradual and delicate versus a crisp line of color as it grows out.” Try it out in shades like purple, orange, and red for a candy-hued manicure.

Sheer Nudes

While nude nail polishes are considered a classic shade in my book, Park says we’ll see more and more sheer versions as we head into the season. “Everyone is still very much feeling the clean girl aesthetic, and it’s an easy color to wear to make you feel done up without feeling overly done up,” she explains. Try to match the polish as close to your natural nail bed shade as possible for a true nude. For something a bit more interesting, go with a peachy shade or one with a slight shimmer.

Reigning Red

Maybe you’ve noticed how much red has been dominating as of late. The red color trend is everywhere in fashion from clothes, bags, and shoes to the 2024 Emmy’s red carpet and now it’s major in the beauty world as well. With Mob Wife makeup blowing up on TikTok, the trend is translating through nails with red nail polish, which goes to show the shade has serious staying power. Kandalec says the shade is a classic, whether you go with a poppy hue or a more traditional color.

Loving Lilacs

Maybe it’s because of the season’s blooming florals, but both Kandalec and Park agree that soft purple shades are making their return on nails for spring. “Light purples really are flattering on every skin tone, because lilac is a mix of cool (blue) and warm (pink),” explains Kandalec. For a shade that feels especially fresh for 2024, go with a metallic lilac, which Kandalec says “is in so many spring nail collections.”

Glittering Golds

Metallic shades have already had their spotlight as a 2023 winter nail trend, and while the mirror-like colors aren’t going anywhere in 2024, Kandalec says microglitters are where it’s at for spring. In fact, she recently used a shimmery rose gold shade (The Gel Bottle Rose Gold, to be exact) on Emily Blunt for her 2024 Golden Globes red carpet manicure. “A micro glitter is a bit more fun than a metallic but stays elevated with its tiny flecks of shimmer,” she adds.

Meet the Nail Pros

Julie Kandalec headshot
Julie Kandalec

From the young age of 12, Julie Kandalec knew her future was in nails. "When I grow up, I want to be a manicurist," she wrote in English class. Finishing beauty school at the top of her class at 17 was just the beginning of a prosperous career.

To Julie, nail care is far beyond just polish. Always the artist, she is also trained in painting, drawing, color, and dance. Known for her gentle touch, calm demeanor, and precise attention to detail, Julie's specialties vary from a clean, natural nail to elaborate, custom-designed nails. Julie's work can now be seen in major publications, beauty campaigns, and regularly on the fingertips of Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Rose Byrne, and many more.

Eunice Park Head Shot
Eunice Park

Eunice is a licensed nail tech and Brand Director of Aprés Nail. She has enjoyed working alongside the brand to develop some of the most innovative products on the market and sharing the brand’s mission with professional nail techs across the country. Aprés Nail is the pioneer in soft gel nail extension technology and creator of Gel-X®.

Brooke Knappenberger
Associate Commerce Editor

Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she writes across the board from fashion and beauty to books and celebrities. As a pop culture junkie, Brooke obsessively consumes and writes about the latest movie releases, streaming TV shows, and celebrity scandals. She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.