When it comes to manicures, I've found that people generally fall into two colour camps: basic but chic (reds, pastels, nudes—you know the drill) or trending nail art be it negative-space manis or glittery topcoats. Personally, cute nail designs like mismatched manis are my idea of beauty heaven, so I fall firmly into the second school of thought, which is why I'm so excited to see that nail art is trending this summer, with all of the fashion set stepping out in bold colours, floral designs and plenty of sparkle.
With so many colourful designs filling up my Instagram feed, I took a careful look through and decided which of them I'm actually going to try this summer. Keep scrolling for my top 15 summer nail-art picks—and to shop the products you'll need to re-create them at home.
1. Swirly Lines
Easily one of the biggest print trends of the past few years, abstract swirls initially began taking over our wardrobes in late 2021, but now, they're proving even more popular on the nail-art circuit. Choose classic black and white, or for a summery spin, opt for pastel tones. The easiest way to achieve this look is to paint your nails a base colour, and then use a nail brush to drag your chosen nail colour across the nail to create a neat line.
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Why not try a light blue swirl for a summery take on the trend.
Making sure every nail is perfectly painted with swirly art is no easy feat. This handy lamp will help you keep you on your way.
2. Micro Nail Art
If you are a nude nail lover looking for a slight colour shift this summer, then adding little micro nail art to your rotation might just be your entry to sun-friendly chic nail bliss.
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Nail stickers fast track your way to micro nail art if you don't have a steady hand!
Cute hearts are more than just a fun option for February, so why not try bringing some of the flirty festivities into your summer manicure.
3. Zesty French
No surprises here that colourful manicures are still dominating Instagram save lists, and nothing says summer more than a citrus French tip. If you're usually scared of brighter colours this is a great way to, quite literally, dip a fingertip into the trend. A micro-fine line in a bold hue feels so right for summer.
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A bright yellow brings sunshine to your nails.
Stamping your french manicure onto your nails might seem like an odd approach to this precise style, but this silicone nail stamper allows for an even line every time.
4. Mix 'n' Match
A great option for nail-art newbies—all you need for this summer nail look are five of your favourite nail polish colours. If you want the real cool-girl factor, opt for bright, bold shades, but know that this would look equally chic with muted pastels or neutrals if you want a more pared-back mani.
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If you're struggling to find a colourway you love then let Barry M do the heavy lifting for you.
Festival season is almost upon us and what better time to whip out neon nail options. Rave ready nails? Yes please.
5. Petal Power
Floral manicures are definitely having a moment for summer, but Alyssa Coscarelli's has a fashion-insider edge with real pressed flowers to create this cute effect. While I'm not suggesting we all start sticking dried petals to our nails, you can get a similar effect by painting your nails with an opaque base coat (white is great for accentuating a summer glow) and using a fine nail art brush to paint on mini blooms.
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For colourful petals that pop a white base is always a good idea.
A dotting tool will help you get perfect floral designs.
6. Rainbow Stripes
Striped nail art is having a moment, particularly when combined with a rainbow colour palette. From half-moon rainbow stripes to those contrasted with negative space, like the gorgeous example from Betina Goldstein above, I can't wait to try this look myself. Top tip: Keep the base of your nail completely bare, or opt for a nude shade to let the rainbow stripes really pop.
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Rather than opting for a clear base, try opting for a warmer more summer-friendly nude like this one from Dior.
If you're not quite certain of your deft painting abilities, try marking out the lines in this look using nail tape.
7. Summer Sparkle
Turns out glitter isn't just for party season. So this summer try stepping out with sparkling manicures, with shades like turquoise, pink and silver proving most popular. Apart from being a right pain to take off, there's something lovely about the way a glitter nail catches the light during sunshine season. If the look feels a little too "9-year-old's birthday party" for you, try a chunkier glitter over a bare nail for a subtler take.
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All glitter nails with none of the fiddly clean-up? Sign us up.
Want a more subtle version of this summer design? Then this icy cool polish is the salve for those heated days.
8. Word Art Nails
The days of carefully water-printing newspaper lines onto our nails may be long behind us, but word art still remains one of the coolest summer nail designs out there. It has everything, colour, a personalisable touch and endless font options.
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At your next appointment, try a clear base and a summery orange tip before adding a carefully crafted word art design of your choice.
For a toned-down version of this cool summer design, try opting for a muted nail polish for your typography, like this one from Nailberry.
9. Polka Dots
The thing I love most about this polka-dot nail art (besides how damn chic it looks) is that it's genuinely so easy to re-create. All you need is a nail-dotting tool—you can pick one up for a couple of pounds on Amazon or eBay—which you dip into your chosen nail polish colour and dot over bare nails. Finish with a glossy topcoat to seal your hard work in place.
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If you are all about dots galore this summer, then having these hand tools in your arsenal is a must.
With clear and nude base summer nail designs a high-shine top coat is the added boost to your mani.
10. Tutti Frutti
Much like the daisy print and polka dot, fruit prints are having a style moment in the worlds of fashion and beauty. I'm not going to lie, I'm not talented enough to re-create this on my own nails, but I'll definitely be heading to the salon and asking for this style for summer. Meanwhile, you can find some seriously cute fruit nail accessories that can be placed over a coat of wet nail polish and sealed with a topcoat for a similar effect.
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If you like me lack the time and skill needed to hand-paint little fruit on each nail, then these stickers are a much path to juicy fruit nail glory.
A planet-friendly bag to store your nail art kit is a must.
11. Confetti Sprinkle
Not quite glittery, not quite dotty, but oh so sparkly confetti nails are one of the easy cool nail designs you can opt for this summer. Go for all-over silver as above or fun rainbow hues! My only gripe with this nail design that it does require a bit of elbow grease to remove, but the shimmery pay off is all so worth it.
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Sparkle the summer away with this multicolour option from OPI.
Love is love and what better way to show it than wearable confetti?
12. Metallic Tips
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Fashion insiders are switching up their basic manis with foil tips for summer. This is a great option if you leave lots of time between appointments, as keeping the foil on the tips only means you can swiftly cover up any regrowth with a different shade of nail colour.
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At home, french manicures made elevated with a gold addition, in case full-on foil is out of your nail repertoire.
Mylee's nail foolproof foil kit means uber metallic nails don't have to be reserved for the salon.
13. Marble Nails
If minimal designs are your bag, this marble design should one should be top of your summer list. A sheer, nude polish with marble brown accents is beyond chic as a summer option if bright hues aren't quite your style.
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With a minimalist design, precision is key so a handy file to smooth out any rough edges is perfect for keeping your marble nails looking their best.
Make sure to lock in your newest summer manicure option with this übershiny topcoat.
14. Colour Blocking
Colour-blocked nails are one of the newest monochrome options joining my summer rotation. From its high-gloss finish to the endless colour choices this is easy to create at home - with some practice and a steady hand of course - and an overall cool finished result. Nail art although personaliable can feel overwhelming so a playful monochrome look is perfect for easing into the trend.
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This is perfect for wiping and polishing the nailbed lines, but is especially great for for this nail look with those finicky mistakes and lines, making it must.
As a self-confessed nail art obsessive, I have to admit I let out an audible gasp when I first heard about Mani markers. I can't think of what cooler design to trial it with.
15. Geometric Designs
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Like fashion trends, nail trends always come back around. One of the bastions of the early 2010s nail art was of course geometric nail art designs. Their perfected precision, the graphic squares and abstract negative space triangles are far from a beginners feat but armed with a handy nail brush, it's one I've bookmarked to try this summer.
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A nail brush with a fine tip will make precise lines easy-peasy.
The holy grail of dark-skin nudes and the gel base I recommend to any salon novices.
This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
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