Flirty Coquette Nail Trend Ideas

Aesthetics as personal styles and branding have existed for a long time on the blogs of Tumblr, with users curating artsy photos and cataloging niche interests to create visually-pleasing webpages devoted to their own particular tastes in beauty. Though it has recently seen popularity on TikTok, coquette-core is a fashion style that is heavily associated with 2010s Tumblr, as it has roots in Lolita and nymphet aesthetics.

While there are admittedly problematic concepts at the root of the coquette style, it can also be viewed as simply an expression of flirty and ultra-soft femininity. All about girly fabrics and textures, vintage vibes, and romance, this trend has given way to a host of fashion, makeup, and design posts on TikTok and Instagram.

Nail art is one area where this aesthetic can provide you with plenty of fun ideas. Typically featuring soft designs, feminine colors, and cutesy charms, coquette-inspired nails offer you the perfect avenue to explore youthful and romantic looks. If you're wanting to channel your inner soft girl with coquette-core nails, then we have just the inspiration pics for you.

Dainty charms

A quick search for coquette-inspired nails will turn up many photos of sets adorned with charms, making the accessories a great go-to for looks channeling this aesthetic. Just like within the fashion of this style, bows are particularly common for coquette-core nail designs.

A great example of this can be seen in the Instagram photo from @pe4cenails_____, who pairs a white ribbon charm and pearl accents with nude nail polish. The resulting design is both girly and soft, making it the perfect inspiration for your own coquette nail look.

Pearly hearts

Whether they're used in a pattern or as a charm, hearts are another common motif among coquette-core nail looks. We love how @alyssanaileddat incorporates hearts into the featured design, using pink pearls to create the lovey-dovey shape on two nails of the set. Not only does the heart capture the flirty nature of this aesthetic, but the pearl charms add a femme, soft touch. For your own coquette nail look, try playing around with heart designs and accents to create a look that is just as flirtatious and sweet.

Square-shaped nails

While almond-shaped nails are common in the coquette aesthetic, you can play around with the shape of your own nails to really customize your design. An example of how squared nails work with this style comes from @nailedbyyei, who features a peachy-pink ombre look with delicate gold butterfly stickers. We particularly love the softness that the marble-inspired texture on the accent nail brings to the entire look. 

For more coquette-inspired nail shape ideas, check out the coffin set from @kmacrylics.tt or the stiletto-shaped look from @nails.design.majka.

Cloud nine-inspired

The softness of cloud patterns on your nails works well with the delicate vibes associated with coquette-core, as can be seen in the ethereal nail look from @nailsby_jess.s. We love how well the white, fluffy design pairs with the transparent pink base color, creating the perfect coquette vibes. 

While this is definitely a fitting look for this aesthetic, there are many ways you can approach the heavenly cloud style. For additional inspiration, check out the sets from @nailedbynaoo and @morning.glory_nails.

French with a pink twist

Classic French tips are an iconic, elegant nail look that translates really well into the coquette style. In recent years, there have been many modernized twists on this design, such as the glass French manicure trend, and you can similarly put your own spin on the style to really incorporate elements of this aesthetic. 

An example of this comes from @23nailss, who shows baby pink French tips underlined by an eye-catching gold. The resulting look is soft, feminine, and definitely coquette.

Jelly nails

Jelly nails are a revitalized Y2K trend popular in the coquette aesthetic, providing the perfect base for all the girly charms and accents. For those who are unfamiliar, jelly nails have a transparent but tinted color that creates a sheer, simple look on the nail. The style can be created at home by mixing regular and clear nail polish, but there are also specific jelly polishes available now. For some inspiration, check out this set from @nailedbycris, which features cutesy hearts on a pink jelly polish.

Daringly red colored

If you're familiar with the coquette-core community, then you might know that fans of the style take much of their inspiration from Lana Del Rey (via Seventeen). In this way, the celebrity's iconic red manicure, pictured by Nail Pro, serves as a great model for your own coquette look. 

The nail set from @prissyjnails matches Del Rey's vibes perfectly, capturing the boldly feminine burgundy color worn by the star. For your own nails, any daring, dark red color will work perfectly for this style.

Pretty in pastel

As you can tell, pinks and reds are common coquette colors, but they aren't the only shades that can be used to achieve feminine and flirty designs. Pairing any of the nail accessories or elements we've mentioned with pastel colors will invoke a similar coquette vibe. We particularly love how this baby blue hue from @lavnderwitch pairs with heart-shaped accessories and patterns to create a cutesy, soft design. Other examples of assuredly coquette nail designs in pastel colors come from @nailsbykirstenchanel and @glammedwithjulia.