15 Purple Swirl Nail Ideas That Put a Playful Spin on a Regal Color (2024)

ByTaylor Augustin

50 Shades of Purple

If you want to take your manicure to the next level, go for multiple shades of purple. It's fun and unexpected and works perfectly for swirly designs. To create this same look, follow Lauren's exact method and go in with OPI's Baby, Take a Vow ($12) for the base. Then, for the fun purple swirl moment, switch off between OPI's Abstract After Dark, Violet Visionary, and OPI ❤️ DTLA ($12 each).

Minimalistic Purple

Seeking a purple moment that's more on the minimalistic side? Look no further than this masterpiece created by Alexandra Teleki. Go for a pinky-neutral base and choose two shades of purple, using them to draw swirls on the bottom corner and top corner of each nail. Keep the base visible in the center, and outline your purple with two thin, white, squiggly lines.

Pastel Swirls

Pastel shades will always be in style, and we love how these lighter hues look together. To copy this mani, start with a base coat (stick to something neutral). Then, grab purple, white, and blue polishes, painting swirls on each nail.

Revolving Violet

Turn heads with a revolving violet manicure. We think the matte base and chic white squiggles are what really makes this set stand out.

Retro Waves

We're always here for a retro moment, and when we saw these wavy nails, we immediately wanted to recreate them. All you need to do is go in with your favorite nude base color. Then, create French tips, alternating between purple and pink. To complete the look, take those same purple and pink shades and swipe on thick waves.

Purple Squiggles

You can't go wrong mixing and matching purple hues, and that's exactly what Phoebe Summer did with this fab mani. Unless you're confident in your nail art skills, we suggest heading to a pro to emulate this look. They'll be able to freehand the starry details with ease.

Shimmery Purple Ripples

Make the whole place shimmer with a sparkly mani. To copy this purple ripple effect, all you need is a sparkly purple polish and another satin purple shade that's a touch lighter. Coat your nails with the sparkle shade, cure it, then top it with swirls in the lighter hue.

French Spirals

Simple and chic, this set puts a playful twist on the classic French manicure. After creating a traditional French mani and letting it cure, go in with purple and two other polish shades. Paint them in swirly motions next to each other, going over the white tips and even the base.

Billowing Purple Velvet

One thing we like about purple is its versatility—it looks good on just about anyone and can be worn year-round. And this billowing purple velvet design might be one of the most beautiful on this list. Opt for a neutral base coat on the middle three nails and top with a swirly purple velvet polish. (Creator Brittney Ellen used Cirque Colors' Dream Within a Dream, $15, for this set.) Then, paint your outer two nails entirely purple.

Periwinkle Swirls

Who knew there were so many shades of purple? We're swooning over the subtle flow of this purple and periwinkle mani, and it's all too easy to do yourself. Start with a neutral base—like OPI's Put It In Neutral ($12)—then grab five purple shades for each nail, drawing them on in swirls.

Purple Swoosh

If you're drawn to abstract shapes and designs, this purple swoosh manicure is for you. We love how each nail is a touch different, but the color palette remains the same. Choose a purple, pink, orange, blue, and cream, then get to work, alternating your bases and swirls. (And tbh, we think this could work with any color palette.)

Cartoony Purple

This cartoony purple mani is giving pop art in the best way. If you love the look of these nails, all you need is a neutral-pink base coat to kick things off. Then, for the fun part, alternate between purple and two other shades of your choice in a swirly motion. Finish up by outlining the swirls with a thin layer of black.

Abstract Purple

Life is short—go for the abstract nails. We can't get over this abstract purple manicure (and think it especially looks great on the almond shape).

Gradient Squiggles

You can achieve this gradient mani in just a few simple steps. After coating your nails in a base color reminiscent of your natural nails, draw on horizontal squiggles in five shades of purple, going from darkest to lightest to create a gradient.

Purple Whirls

For this whirly mani, all you need are two shades of purple and a steady hand. Paint one hand in a darker purple and the other in a lighter hue. Then, draw some swirls in the opposite color on each, and you're done.