Nails

13 Best Nail Designs (For the 30+ Set)

There's more to nail art than rhinestone flowers and glittery tips. Proof: These nail designs are perfect for grown-ups and suitable for even the stuffiest offices

by Sarah Carrillo

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Lie detector nails These are definitely eye-catching (don't they remind you of the squiggles on a lie detector test?), but the dark base color keeps it chic. And while it looks complicated, this design is actually pretty easy to execute. Paint a base coat (you could do a dark shade like this or a more muted one if you want less of a contrast). Then, use a small brush, like the Orly Detailer Brush, $15, to paint squiggly lines across your nail. Vary the size of the squiggles and number of lines to keep the pattern interesting. And don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, that's kind of the point.

Source: The Illustrated Nail blog

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Older comments

i'm over 30 and i only like the " single standout",hate the rest :(

by luxe Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 08:54AM Report as inappropriate

Love these

by Mollysunshine Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 03:44AM Report as inappropriate

Some of these are really interesting.

by Lili04 Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 11:54PM Report as inappropriate

Loved almost all of these :) But my favorite by far is the Jade Camo one. I LOVE how it looks!!! FYI I am in my late 30's and still do a lot of nali art.

by kodyndee Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 05:53PM Report as inappropriate

Very nice. Why can't you be over 30 and wear it? Just because you're older, doesn't mean you're dead!

by lori_testy Friday, February 8, 2013 at 08:15PM Report as inappropriate

You are never too old for nail art, but keep it fun and not all crazy looking!!!

by darkangel81 Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 10:08AM Report as inappropriate

I could see some of these working but I am not a big fan of nail art at the office.

by Sari Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 03:03PM Report as inappropriate

Nice! I really liked a lot of these. I'm definitely going to be trying some of these out!

by NillaButterfly Friday, January 25, 2013 at 06:52PM Report as inappropriate

Good info, especially since I'm in my 30's.

by MissPurple Friday, January 25, 2013 at 01:07PM Report as inappropriate

The single stand out would have to be my favorite very classy!

by allison_rodriguez Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 02:10PM Report as inappropriate