22 DIY Minimalist Monochrome Manicures

To complement your fall wardrobe of black, black, and more black.

1. Polka Dot Party Nails

heidiklum.aol.com

With accent nails, aim for 2 on one hand and 1 on the other. Paint the black first and let dry, then with the back of an eyeshadow brush, carefully dot the white on top.

2. Random Chevrons

lacquer-crat.tumblr.com

Paint the white background first and let dry. Then, cut small triangles from tape, framing them with straight tape pieces and filling in the center to make your chevron. Or, use a nail art brush and try not to jiggle!

3. The Half Moon

necolebitchie.com

Paint the white first, and let it dry. Then, use circular stickers to block off the white, or a steady hand to paint the outline with a nail art brush and fill in the rest with black.

4. Plain Punctuation

lacquer-crat.tumblr.com

For grammar nerds and English majors! This one can only be done with a steady hand and some patience. Try a toothpick for the dots and a nail art brush for larger symbols.

5. The Simple Split

nailsbymh.tumblr.com

Paint the nails white and let dry fully. Then use painter's tape or a steady hand to create the diagonal design in black.

6. Dual Dots

fashiondivadesign.com

Try these with a toothpick for the smaller dots and the back end of an eyeshadow brush for the larger

7. The Basic Border

spellboundnails.blogspot.com

A bit long to explain here, please check out the link!

8. The Black and White French

pamperedandpolished.co.uk

Paint your base black. Let dry, and with a steady hand apply a thick coat of white. If you need help, tape or store-bought French Manicure guides can help you keep your line on track.

9. The Dotted Ombre

polishandpearls.com

Achieve this great look by painting your base color, letting it dry, and using a toothpick to stipple on the contrasting color. Go heavier on the dots at the nail tip, fading to smaller, lighter dots as you move toward the cuticle.

10. The Racing Stripe

jewellcode.com

Freehand this one with a nail art brush, or use tape cut into thin strips to paint your contrast color on.

11. The Jailbird

mllsdemode.be

Try this one with a white base, then use thin cut strips of tape to block out stripes for the black accents. Let the white dry COMPLETELY before adding the black for a sleek and clean stripe.

12. Roll The Dice

xoxosri.wordpress.com

Great for a night out in Vegas, or whenever you're feeling lucky. Paint the white base, then use the back of an eyeshadow brush, or the tip of an old-school wooden pencil to make the black dots.

13. Line Up

msdailylife.blogspot.com

Paint the white base, then use tape to block off alternating lines and clean triangles to fill in with black.

14. Beautiful Bows

favnails.com

These were probably done with nail striping tape, but you can achieve a more natural look (where the bows don't end mid-nail) with a striping brush and a steady hand!

15. Color Blocking

polishpedia.com

Paint the lighter base first, and let dry. Then do two rounds of taping-off to fill in the black squares (bottom squares, then top. This requires 3 rounds of polish drying, so be sure you have some time on your hands. No pun intended)

16. Fractions

nail-swag.com

Your nails don't need to be THIS long to get the look. Paint the white base color, then use tape to block off 1/3, 1/4, or 1/2 of each nail for a varied and clean look.

17. Clean Chevrons

cuteneasynaildesigns.com

Paint the black base coat, then use masking tape or a striping brush for the white chevrons.

18. Open O's

stephscloset.com

Use a toothpick to hand-draw these cute open O's and dainty dots

19. The Simple Accent, AKA The Reverse Kendall Jenner

doyouspeakgossip.com

Self explanatory- and super easy!

20. Hot Cross Buns

beautyhigh.com

Use a toothpick or striping brush for these easy criss-crosses

21. Elegant V

incoco.com

Paint your white base and use clean-cut tape wedges to block it out for your black top coat.

22. Yin Yang Redux

nailartgallery.nailsmag.com

This one takes a few drying cycles. Paint the white base, let dry. Use tape to mark off the black diagonal side, paint and let dry. Use a toothpick to dot the contrasting colors, let dry and top off with a shiny clear top coat.