10 DIY Valentines Day Nail Art Options Under $20

Though I love the magic and celebration of certain holidays, I am not an outwardly festive person. You will not catch me wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas ornament bobble earrings in the winter. There is one small place where you will see occasional nods to the seasons or celebrations: my nails. 

I am searching for my Valentine’s Day nails and suspect others are, too, so I have created this master list of 10 products, all of which are under $20. These DIY options cover a range of skill levels and go from demure and subtle to opulent and kitsch (the latter is more my speed), and fit into five categories: press-on nails and manicures, nail art stickers, festive topcoats, treatment-infused polishes, and regular single-color polish. See below to dive into some of my standouts.

• A non-pink or -red option: ManiMe Heart of Gold Nail Wraps, $19; manime.co
• Classic heart press-ons: PaintLab Red Hearts Press-On Nails, $15; paintlabbeauty.com
• A shimmery pink editor-favorite: KBShimmer Stop and Smell the Rosé Nail Polish, $11; amazon.com
• A subtle nod to the holiday: Ohora Semi-Cured Gel Nail Strips; $16; amazon.com
• A transformative sequin top coat: Nails Inc. Romancing in Regents Park Pink Holographic Heart Topper, $8; target.com
• Hearts stickers you can add to any manicure: Ihukeit Glitter Heart Nail Stickers, $9; amazon.com
• A nostalgic throwback: Xqumoi Heart Candy Nail Stickers, $7 (Originally $9); amazon.com
• A classic red: Essie Spice It Up Nail Polish, $8 (Originally $9); amazon.com
• An editor-favorite serum-infused sheer pink: Dermelect Makeover Nail Concealer, $15 with code LOVE (Originally $18); dermelect.com
• A soft light pink with a twist: Olive and June Pink Goldfish Nail Polish, $9; oliveandjune.com

PaintLab Red Hearts Press-On Nails

Shop now: $15; paintlabbeauty.com

Pink and red hearts over a light pink base color is as classic of a nail art manicure as it gets. This is a great option when your natural nails are not manicure-ready or when you only want the festive manicure for a day or two. The set comes with glue, a file/buffer, cuticle stick, and 24 nails, so you can find your perfect size match. 

Nails Inc. Romancing in Regents Park Pink Holographic Heart Topper

Shop now: $8; target.com

Yes, you can turn your regular manicure into a work of nail art with a simple $8 product. Nails Inc.’s Heart Topper is a regular top coat that’s jam-packed with light pink iridescent hearts. Although it’s great for the holiday of love, I’d use it year-round to zhuzh up my manicures. 

Xqumoi Heart Candy Nail Stickers

Shop now: $7 (Originally $9); amazon.com

These Heart Candy Nail Stickers tug at my heartstrings more than anything else in this roundup. They remind me of the bowls of heart candy I remember from my childhood that I’d pick through looking for the one with the right message. These candies did taste pretty gross — like styrofoam and spackle — so this is a much-preferred way to channel that nostalgia and cuteness.

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