5 Cutesy, Demure Nail Ideas We Love

If you've been wondering why people have been throwing around the words cutesy, demure, and mindful lately, then here's the 411: Jools Lebron. In early August of 2024, Lebron took to TikTok (@joolieannie) to create a video that has since gone viral and then some — for example, Jennifer Lopez is among the many celebrities to quote Lebron's now famous video.

In the video, Lebron gives a play-by-play as to how one should dress and do their makeup for work — and it's pure magic. "You see how I do my make-up for work? Very demure, very mindful," Lebron says in the video. "A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure... See my shirt? Only has a little chi-chi out, not my cho-cho," continues Lebron.

Although the video was created just for fun, it's taken Lebron to levels very few viral videos go. On August 14, Lebron posted a video saying, "Maybe you should make the videos. Because one day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break and now, I'm flying across [the] country to host events." Thanks to her new found fame, Lebron can afford the rest of her transition, which is the best part of all. Lebron may not have set out to create a trend this summer, but she sure as heck did and we're here for it. If you're looking to get in on one of the last summer 2024 nail trends, then here's your chance to master a very cutesy and very demure manicure.

When it comes to lasting nail trends, bows are it. It was summer 2023 when the coquette beauty trend started to take hold and everyone and their mother was wearing bows. Not just in their hair, but anywhere they could — so much so that coquette tattoos, ripe with bows upon more bows, actually became a thing in spring 2024. But why the movement toward bows and bunnies and similarly cute things? Because exactly that: cutesy. Not only are bows cutesy, but when you have a manicure in which cherries are part of the equation — a fruit that's often considered a sign of innocence — you've reached peak demure nails.

No matter how you choose to rock polka dots, with it comes this very "I'm so darling and sweet" vibe. Although polka dot patterns were once associated with various diseases because to those in the 1700s it was a reminder of the plagues of the time (think rashes here), the pattern eventually moved away from that association and into an era of fun and carefree. That mentality, thankfully, still remains, making polka dots spot on (get it?) for a cutesy manicure.

While the likelihood of anyone calling marble cutesy is fairly slim, it still gets the stamp of demure — and one out of two isn't bad. A marble manicure, especially if you choose the right colors, like muted pastels tones or something similar that reads "oh-so precious," will absolutely serve up everything that could possibly be cutesy and demure about marble.

If you ask any nutritionist, they'll tell you there are good sugars and bad sugars. Bad is obviously the white stuff you need to make cakes and cookies, while the good sugar is what we get when we eat fruit — it's just as sweet, but in a healthier and more refreshing way. Or, to be more precise, a demure way. A manicure with a natural base and mini fruit doesn't just fit the theme we're going for here, but it also covers the super fruity manicure trend of earlier this summer.

If Pablo Picasso can have a blue period, then so can you. We have hearts, stars, butterflies, smiley faces, flowers, polka dots, waves, and a little rebellious flame to give some edge to the whole manicure — all in various shades of blues. It's the perfect example of cutesy and demure, as well as mindful. This is clearly a manicure that was thought out and not a last-minute decision.

Even if you never saw the iconic '80s movie or heard the song by the Psychedelic Furs, you've certainly heard the phrase "pretty in pink;" a phrase that exists because it's true. Everyone, no matter gender or sexuality or age looks adorable in pink. That being said, and having already covered the fact that butterflies will forever be considered cutesy, once you add some pink sparkles, you've achieved exactly the look you want: demure at its finest.

Although no one is saying that you should only gift yourself one bouquet of flowers, what the demure manicure community is suggesting is, "if you have 10 nails, then why not 10 bouquets?" While some flowers, especially those that take the abstract route can be a little irritating on the eyes, tiny pink wildflowers are simple, beautiful, and absolutely making Jools Lebron very proud.

Although we know that cutesy means, well, cute, and demure means modest, that sometimes doesn't stop people from going overboard when trying to perfect this specific look. In fact, while all the ideas on our list are the pure embodiment of the theme, the one that takes the cake is simple and to the point: a neutral base with a couple rosettes on the ring finger. It doesn't try to steal the show, because it doesn't have to: it knows that it is the show to those who respect a cutesy and demure way of life.