Nail art is all about expressing yourself, and there’s no better time to express yourself than when the sun is shining and the lazy days of summer arrive! Whether you’ve used your manicure as a way of showcasing your creativity for years or you’re just learning the basics of at-home manicures, summer is the perfect chance to share your favorite styles and designs and to celebrate the season.
Here at Nailboo, we sell easy-to-use and innovative nail dip polish kits, so you can achieve salon-quality manicures right from the comfort of home. But our job doesn’t end with putting the right tools in your hands. We also want to support your creative visions and provide the information and guides that make it easier to get nail looks you love, whether you’re after the perfect Valentine’s Day set or you just want to create something new.
Here are just a few of our favorite summer nail designs that will never go out of style.
Beautiful Summer Nail Ideas
A truly timeless design or aesthetic is versatile, unique, and adaptable. The best part about these summer nail ideas is that they can be adjusted to fit your style, your work environment, and the looks you love best. Try out some of these beautiful nail designs today and enjoy them for many summers to come.
1. Summer Palette
There are so many beautiful summer colors to pick from, it can be difficult to know where to get started! Consider your skin’s undertone when deciding between pinks and blues, and always think about what colors you wear most! You can do a full set in a single color, ombre across all of your nails, accent with a different color, or try out a unique shade for every nail.
Consider a full set of colors in one family, or mix and match summer pinks, greens, blues, and yellows for a joyful and festive sunny look.
2. Floral
One of the best parts of embracing floral nail designs is that you have so many different options! Florals are a good choice for professionals who need to present with sophisticated looks, but who still want to share details of their favorite styles and themes. You can use florals for accent nails or across the whole set, line-drawn flowers, or take advantage of stamp and decal options to get clean, smooth flowers to fit the season.
3. Waves
Wavy looks have a throwback feel from groovy eras past, but we have the feeling this look is going to stick around for a long time. The wavy nail style feels fluid and natural and can be changed or altered to fit your style by swapping out bold colors for pastels, neons, or neutrals.
4. Rainbow Tips
There are no two ways about it—rainbow tips are a whole lot of fun. You can do thicker tips in bright colors or thinner tips in pastels and muted tones for a subtler look. Decide between giving each fingernail its own place in the rainbow or getting a gorgeous rainbow look on the tip of every nail. You can adjust this design by picking the colors you love and adding a little splash of glitter polish when the look calls for it.
5. Ombre
The ombre manicure is easy to achieve right at home and looks unique and stylish every time. All you need on hand is a makeup sponge and a few of your favorite colors. Consider inspiring summer scenes like the sunset, the color of ocean water, or even your favorite poolside cocktails, and create a sunny ombre look for your nails today.
6. Marble
The marble nail design is another one of the methods that looks much more challenging than it is–and it delivers every time. Marble is a great option for messy nail painters, and it embraces the fluidity and possibility of summer in every stroke.
To get gorgeous marble nails at home, you’ll want to use the water dip method and it’s best to start with just a few colors while you’re learning the ropes. Mix and match hues and palettes to find the summer shades you like most.
7. Geode
Geode cakes are all the rage—why shouldn’t geode nails be, as well? Geode nails don’t just deliver bold and dramatic colors that resemble the ocean waves or the trees at the top of the mountain, but they also utilize shiny metallics and golden decals for a sparkly and shimmery design that passes for professional and fun all in a single summer manicure.
8. Tropical
Why travel to the tropics when you can bring the tropics right to you? There are so many ways to get a gorgeous tropical nail design right at home, but we’re fans of big palm trees and flower hibiscus plants. Consider silhouetting palm trees against an ombre background, painting on your favorite tropical fish, birds, and flowers, or trying out fresh tropical fruits like pineapples with sparkly decals.
9. Neon
Neon nails are a great way to express your personality and share joy and excitement with the world—and you have tons of great options to pick from. You can use a glow-in-the-dark neon for drips and splatters that gives off fun festival vibes, or color in your tips or nail bases with your favorite colors that are brighter than the summer sun. Consider a full set all in one shade or mix and match the brights and bolds that you love most.
Neon also combines well with other nail designs and styles, like ombres and waves, so explore your options to find a neon nail style for your next summer adventure.
10. Minimalist
Sometimes, it’s all about what you don’t say. If you work in an office or you just don’t feel like the upkeep, a minimalist nail style might be the right fit for you. But minimalist doesn’t have to mean boring. You have lots of great minimalist summer styles to pick from. A tiny floral decal, lines of gold or silver, or even a hint of summer in a miniature starfish or palm tree are all great ways to celebrate summer without making a bold statement.
11. Sparkles
If you do want to make a bold statement, however, then sparkles are the way to go! Sparkles can be the focus of the look or a nice addition to a more relaxed design. One of our favorite ways to use sparkles in a manicure is with the drip styles, where they fall down from the tip of the nail or up from the base of the nail, for a style in motion. Pick your favorite summer sparkle colors, adorn your fourth of July firework accent nail, or line your tips with a can’t miss accent, and embrace all that summer has to offer.
12. Candy Stripes
Candy stripes aren’t just for Christmas. When you swap out the classic red and white peppermint for summer shades of pastels or the bright bold blues of the ocean, you have a colorful, boardwalk-inspired manicure that can’t be missed. Candy stripes are cute and sweet and all you need to get the fine lines right at home is a little bit of nail tape and a few great colors.
13. Tie-Dye
Is anything more summery than tie-dye? Whether you spent your early years away at summer camp eating s’mores and telling ghost stories or you just love the look of a tie-dye tee, the tie-dye nail design is a great choice for your next summer manicure. When you tie-dye a shirt or bandana, you have a lot of options to pick from, and tie-dye nails are just the same.
14. Succulents
Succulents are a fun and creative addition to any home—and to any manicure, as well. Showcase tiny cacti as accent nails or turn your entire nail into the cactus with lovely greens and whites.
Don’t forget to add a pink or orange flower for a little of that summer color fun. You can do cacti in muted tones for a more subtle look, place silhouettes against a desert ombre of pinks and oranges, or even put your favorite type of succulent into the pot for an adorable and creative design.
15. Geometric
Geometric and line designs will never go out of style because you can adjust and change them to fit your favorite colors and aesthetics. A few lines will be subtler or you can crisscross with black and neon colors for a design that really stands out. Another great way to make your geometric pattern unique and individual is with metallic and shimmer shades in your favorite glittery colors.
16. Splatter
Splatter is a great option for those who struggle with getting perfectly straight or neat nails. Not only that, but it’s a lot of fun! Summer splatter can be applied across a white background or your favorite summery shade of blue, yellow, or pink. Simply dip your brush into your favorite colors and flick the tip of the brush over the nails you want to color in. Decide between splattering the whole set or matching a few splattered nails with bold, flat colors for a really dynamic summer design.
17. Chevron
The chevron design takes geometric styles to a whole new level. Not only are they a beautiful, smooth look that can be adapted and changed with your favorite colors and lines, but they have those summer camp vibes you’re sure to love.
In fact, the chevron is a classic friendship bracelet design—and it’s even easier to get that chevron on your nails than in a set of embroidery floss. Chevron nail patterns can be large or small and look great as a set or accent nails, so mix and match your options to find a good fit.
18. Drip
Drip nails are stylish and fluid and a great option for a messier look, or if you struggle to get those clean lines at home. It’s a great way to contrast some of your favorite colors, and you can drip from the tip down or base up for a unique summer-inspired look every time.
Conclusion
Summer is the time to let your hair down and embrace adventure and opportunity—and what better way to celebrate your style and individuality than with a set of timeless and stylish new nails? The great thing about summer styles is that there are so many color options to pick from and the styles you love most will continue to stay fashionable and cool for many summers to come.
Whether you’re into a bold and exciting design like tropical flowers, splatter paint, or bright neon designs, or you like a subtler look with tiny cacti, a simple summer palette, or ombres in blues and greens, there’s a summer manicure just for you. And you can mix and match your favorite colors and designs for every different trip, summer wedding, and new sundress.
Nailboo is here to help you get the looks you love right from the comfort of home. Not only do we have the kits and tools you need for dip polish manicures, but we’re also sharing all we know about achieving those polished and stylish looks you love. Order your next nail dip kit and explore our growing library of nail design guides to start getting that unique and personal summer style that really stands out today.
Sources:
From Ancient Egypt to Cardi B: A Cultural History of the Manicure | The Guardian
Six Fashion Designs That Never Go Out of Style | Real Simple
Brides Are Obsessed With This Stunning Wedding Cake Trend | Country Living
