The Nail Art Trends You Need to Try This Summer
From Y2K-inspired bedazzled moments to cocktail-inspired designs.
Forget clean-girl nails—nail art has officially entered its maximalist era. This summer, the forecast calls for juicy pops of colour and mix-and-match patterns that put a new twist on timeless classics. From bedazzled florals that sparkle in the sun to beach towel-inspired stripes to designs that pay homage to your favourite cocktail, this season’s most covetable sets are serving up nostalgia in spades.
Consider this your ultimate nail-art mood board for the hot months ahead.
Bedazzled Blooms
Y2K-inspired rhinestone manis are having a moment, and they’re shedding their music festival aesthetic for chic garden party vibes. At Coachella, Kylie Jenner debuted a neutral set bedazzled with delicate floral gemstones, while Dua Lipa recently stepped out in a French-tipped design adorned with pretty pink daisies.
To create Jenner’s set, celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt—who is behind some of Hollywood’s most viral manis, from Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut tips to Sabrina Carpenter’s sweet polka dots—used one coat each of OPI’s It’s A Girl! and Put It In Neutral. She then used round multicoloured rhinestones to craft a few small flowers on each nail.
Sun-Soaked Stripes
From beach towels to breton tees, stripes are a summertime staple—and they’re about to be on everyone’s fingertips, too. Vertical, horizontal or curved into a graphic French tip, the motif feels fresh, cool, and a little retro.
Inspired by sun-soaked childhood vacations, stripes shine in nostalgic colour combos—like the bold pink-and-red press-ons by Canadian brand Base Nails (seen above) or a soft yellow-and-blue scheme—but pencil-thin lines rendered in a classic black-and-white palette effortlessly take the trend from striking to minimalist. The key to nailing the look, whatever your vibe is? A steady hand and straight lines.
Rainbow Tips
If you need a little bit of colour therapy to reset your nervous system after a long winter, you’re in luck. This season is all about mixing and matching hues that spark joy. Take a page out of nail artist San Sung Kim’s playbook and put your extensive polish collection to good use by painting each nail in a different rainbow-bright two-tone colour combo. Our favourites? Purple and yellow, pink and indigo, burgundy and chartreuse—the list goes on, And anything goes.
Martini Mani
Calling all dirty martini lovers! The olive manicure has entered the chat, just in time for your summer cinq-à-septs. A subtle nod to cocktail hour, the velvety green base adorned with a small pop of glossy red dreamt up by celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen—who counts Lila Moss, Tina Fey and Carey Mulligan among her clients—is the perfect statement for a night out with the girls. And the best part? It’s basically foolproof—all you need to achieve the look is a dotting tool.
Modern French
Love it or hate it, the French tip will never go out of style. But leave it to Zola Ganzorigt—the steady hand behind some of the most coveted sets of the past few years—to find ways to make the classic design feel fresh and new. For Blackpink’s Jennie Kim, she took the tip colour (in this case, “Big Apple Red” by OPI) around the edge of the milky pink nail (a mix of OPI’s “Bubble Bath” and “Bare My Soul”) and across the cuticle.
The curved look—which Ganzorigt dubbed the C-French—is a take on the halo mani and it’s going to be everywhere this summer. When it comes to colour combos, this is another design where anything goes, from pretty pastels to the zestiest hues.
Blooming Fantastic
From neutral leopard spots to neon croc designs, to softly diffused florals in Zara Larsson-approved palettes, consider the blooming gel mani this summer’s most versatile nail moment. The blooming effect comes from a special type of gel polish that diffuses across the nail’s surface before being cured under a lamp. Needless to say, it’s a technique best left to the pros. Want to take it into your own hands? Try the look with a set of press-on nails.
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Andréanne Dion is the senior style, beauty and travel editor at Chatelaine and a contributor at FASHION Magazine and Hello! Canada.
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