The 10 Best Nail Looks of the Week Reaffirmed My Love for All Things Animal Print
Deer, cheetah, tiger—I love them all.
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If this January has taught me anything, it’s that I want to start my new year in February. That’s when Lunar New Year starts anyway and February is my birthday month, so the vibes just immediately sound better. It’s been chaotic, sad, and heavy. But at least my favorite nail looks of this week are anything but, and are proving to be a very much needed bright spot.
As I try to disassociate with *gestures at everything,* I’ve found a lot of fun designs and prints that I can’t wait to try the next time I book my nail appointment. This week reaffirmed my belief that animal print will be the biggest nail trend of 2026. There’s textured, calf hair-like cheetah designs and the ever popular deer print that earned an instant save on my IG. I don’t think it’s too early to think about summer and there’s some bright nail art inspired by some classic summer desserts that caught my eye. And for everyone who can’t wait to celebrate the one they love this Valentine’s Day, there is a lot of pink nail art that you should definitely consider for your V-Day mani.
With that, below are the 10 best nail looks of the week.
Textured Cheetah
My current texture obsession is calf hair everything, and this nail just speaks to my soul. Taking inspo from the beloved Tory Burch pierced calf hair handbag, celebrity nail artist and Chanel ambassador Betina Goldstein paints on a textured cheetah nail that’s super chic (and probably fun to feel too).
Deer Print
I’m telling you: deer print is the next “t” animal print that everyone will be wearing this year. Celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen uses different shades of light brown as a base for each nail and paints on strokes of white dots to get that soft deer design that everyone is obsessing over.
Delicate Lace
These lace nails by celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt strikes the perfect balance between intricate detail and soft feels. Much like every vintage lace piece that’s on my wish list, they’re just absolutely stunning.
Shortcake Creme
For Rachel McAdams's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, celebrity nail artist Julie Kandalec created this lovely French ombré look that she’s coined the "shortcake creme.” It’s a fun spin to the classic French mani and I’m all for the frosted tips that look so cool.
Alien Chrome
Celebrity nail artist Brittney Boyce creates some of the coolest nails, especially when she pairs up with Megan Fox. This silver and turquoise chrome look is one of my favorites. “The design was inspired by a Pinterest reference Megan sent over,” Boyce tells Marie Claire. “We went with a turquoise stone chrome set finished with rhinestones. I used Aprés long sculpted almond tips and Kiara Sky chrome to create the look.”
Summer Sherbet
My plans for the impending snow storm include dreaming about summer. These nails, which nail artist Ruby Hardcastle calls “sherbet nails,” are a fun mix of soft pastel colors. Peach, lavender, and pink shades have me ready for when it’s warm enough to start thinking about cold dessert again.
Love Garden
The only throwback I’m allowing (yes, I’m a hater of the 2016 trend that took over my feed). Nail artist San Sung Kim reposted this lovely Valentine’s Day nail. Small, detailed flowers and butterflies dressed up a pink nail for something really stunning.
Wild Black & Gold
Everyone seems to be channeling their inner wild child and I am here for it. Celebrity nail artist Erica De Los Santos created this fun shimmer animal print manicure that mixes gold and black for a bold combo that’s perfect for a night out.
Victoria’s Secret Jelly
With Valentine’s Day approaching, these iconic pink stripes do make for a playful nail look. Nail artist Cerise Carvalho used a mix of jelly and velvet pink to add some depth and a subtle black bow for a nice added touch.
Pucci Combo
While everyone had a Pucci summer last year, I first loved Pucci when I first watched Lauren Conrad expertly tie those bold kaleidoscope-printed scarves in her hair on The Hills (proud to say 12-year-old me had great taste). Vanity Project’s nail artist Kitty mixed black, yellow, pink, and orange to get a Pucci-inspired design for singer and model Alabama Luella Baker. It’s stunning and just makes me super happy.
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