St Patrick's Day nails: green press-on ideas
St Patrick’s Day nails start with green: a glossy emerald, a soft sage or a green French tip, worn short so you can still clap at the parade and hold a cup of tea. Add one shamrock or a touch of gold if you want more, and keep the rest simple.
We design and make our press-on nails by hand in Dublin, so this one is close to home. Below are the St Patrick’s Day press-on nails ideas worth knowing, by shade, length, motif and plan. They are style ideas to help you choose, not a list of what is in stock.
Pick your green first
Green covers a wide range, and the shade sets the mood of the whole set.
- Emerald: a deep, jewel green. Glossy emerald on short nails looks polished enough for work.
- Shamrock or kelly green: the bright, true green of the flags and face paint on the day. Loud and cheerful.
- Sage and pistachio: soft, muted greens. A quieter way to join in, and easy to keep wearing after the 17th.
- Forest or bottle green: dark and wintry. Pairs well with gold.
- Mint: pale and fresh, and soft enough for a French tip.
If you’re not sure, go emerald. It reads as St Patrick’s Day straight away and still looks like a normal manicure the day after.
Simple short St Patrick’s Day nails
Short nails suit one clear idea, and a day out in March often means coats, gloves and a lot of standing around. Short square, squoval (a square with soft corners) or almond nails all work.
- one glossy green on every nail
- green on nine nails and gold glitter on the ring finger
- a sheer nude base with a single green dot or line
- two greens, alternating nail by nail, such as emerald and sage
Shamrock nail designs
A shamrock is the easiest way to make a plain green set read as Irish. Keep it to one or two nails per hand: one shamrock stands out, ten look busy.
- One shamrock accent: a green shamrock on a milky white or nude ring finger, with the other nails in solid green.
- Outline shamrock: a fine gold or white outline instead of a filled shape. Lighter, and it still shows on a short nail.
- Shamrock on the French line: a tiny shamrock where the green tip meets the base.
- Scattered mini shamrocks: two or three tiny ones on a sheer base, kept small so the nail does not look crowded.
Count the leaves: a shamrock has three.
St Patrick’s Day French tip ideas
A green French tip keeps the clean look of a classic French manicure and only swaps the colour of the tip.
- a thin emerald tip on a sheer pink or milky nude base
- a mint or sage tip for a softer version
- a deep V French in green, which comes to a point and suits almond nails
- a micro French, a hairline green tip that suits very short nails
French tips suit almond and oval shapes best, and still look crisp on short square nails if the line stays thin.
Green and gold, and other finishes
Green and gold. The classic pairing. Gold glitter on one nail, gold foil flakes over emerald, or a hairline of gold where a green French tip meets the base.
Green chrome. A metallic green that catches the light. Bold, so it suits a night out more than a work day.
Green glitter. Fine glitter over a sheer base looks festive without being a solid block of colour.
Matte green with one gloss nail. Matte forest green with a glossy accent nail looks modern on a short square.
Green, white and orange. The tricolour, as three stripes on one accent nail. On every nail it can look busy, so keep it to one per hand.
Match the set to your plans
| Plans | Length | Shape | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| The parade | Short | Square or squoval | Shamrock green, one gold glitter nail |
| A work day | Short | Squoval or oval | Emerald, or a thin green French tip |
| The pub or a session | Short or medium | Almond | Green and gold, or green chrome |
| A family day | Short | Oval | Sage or mint with one shamrock |
A simple plan for the 17th
In 2027, St Patrick’s Day falls on a Wednesday, so the set has to cover a working week as well as the day itself.
- The week before: check the fit. We make three ready-made sizes, so choose the closest of our three sizes (the sizing guide shows how to check). Hold each nail against your own with no adhesive, and file the sides of any nail that touches the skin.
- Pick your adhesive. To wear the set from the weekend before through to the 17th and after, use glue, which usually holds one to two weeks. For one day out, use adhesive tabs: they usually hold two to five days and come off more easily.
- Apply the evening before at the latest. The adhesive needs about an hour before water, and overnight is better. The application guide has the full routine.
- On the day: go easy on the tips. Pulling gloves on and off, opening cans and peeling labels all lever at the free edge, and that is how a tip can pop off. Use the pads of your fingers, not your nails. If a nail does lift, why press-on nails lift shows how to read where it lifts and fix it.
- After: soak them off. Pulling them off dry is what damages nails, so soak instead. See how to remove press-on nails. Taken off this way, the set can be worn again.
Keep nail glue away from your eyes and away from children, and stop wearing a set if your skin gets sore or irritated.
Read next: how to apply press-on nails, or see our Valentine’s Day nails ideas and more inspiration.
Questions we get asked
- What are simple St Patrick's Day nails?
- One green shade on short nails is the simplest version. Add a single shamrock on the ring finger, or swap the white of a French tip for green, and the set reads as St Patrick's Day without any more detail.
- Is a shamrock the same as a four-leaf clover?
- No. A shamrock is a three-leaved clover, and it has been a symbol of Ireland for centuries. Four-leaf clovers turn up on St Patrick's Day nails too, but if you want the Irish symbol, paint three leaves.
- Should I use glue or adhesive tabs for St Patrick's Day?
- Adhesive tabs suit one day out, because they usually hold two to five days and come off more easily. Glue suits a set you put on over the weekend before and keep wearing after the 17th, since it usually holds one to two weeks.