21 Summer Nail Color Trends That Will Light Up All Your Warm-Weather Manicures
Happy warm season, friends! Our favorite time of year is just around the corner, and you're probably looking forward to all your favorite summer activities — beach days, river floats, barbecues, and road trips galore. While you're planning all your summer activities and switching out your closet with some summer clothes, don't forget about another seasonal style change to make: your nail colors.
There are a ton of different nail trends we're seeing hop on the scene this summer, and the good news is there's something for everyone with this summer's nail trends. From bright, bold colors to muted pastels and even matte nudes, pretty much anything goes this summer — just keep it light and bright, and stay away from dark colors. Add in some floral or summer-themed designs if you want — watermelon nails? Yes, please — and you've got yourself a summery manicure that all your friends will be fawning over. Ready to get the perfect summer manicure? We're going to dish on 21 of our favorite summer nail colors to give you some inspo.
Bright, bold orange
If you want a bright, bold manicure that can be spotted from a mile away, orange may be the best nail color for you this summer. We're seeing blindingly bright orange nails hit the streets this summer, and there are dozens of ways you can adopt this trend. If you want solid orange nails, consider making them matte. Don't want to do your whole nail? Do orange French tips or French moons, or an orange and white checkerboard look for some visual interest.
Mellow sky blue
If your favorite thing about summertime is laying out under bright, clear skies, boy do we have the summer nail color for you. Sky blue nails are another summer nail color taking over the scene, and we love the bright, calming aura they can add to any look. We love how the sky blue color looks on its own, but it would also make for a stunning accent color on white nails as clouds, raindrops, or an ocean.
Light, peachy coral
When you want to paint your nails in a summer color that doesn't scream for attention, go for a light, peachy coral color. Slightly nuder than your standard pinks, peach and coral tones offer a muted option for summery babes who need a nail color to go with anything. Wear this color on both your fingers and your toes for a sophisticated, matching vibe, and wear some peach jewelry when you want to bring the color out.
Multicolor vibrant colors
We already know bright nail colors are trending this summer, and for all you bright, bold babes out there, that's probably not helpful. How are you supposed to pick just one color? Fortunately, this summer, you don't have to. Your bright color options are endless, so why not use all of them? The next time you go in for a manicure, get one nail in every bright color that catches your eye. For a look that's especially unique, go over it with a matte top coat.
Playful primary colors
Some people say primary colors are too kid-like for adults to pull off, but we beg to disagree. To adult-ify primary colors on your nails this season, make them pastel and utilize them in different ways on each nail. Keep some nails solid while doing patterns on other nails for visual interest and make the colors light to match the summer mood, and you've got yourself a manicure everyone will swoon over.
Electric lime green
Electric, lime green nails are another summer nail color we seriously can't get enough of. Any lighter shade of green is a great option in the summertime (especially when you'll be picnic-ing, enjoying lawn games, or taking the pup to the park), and bright lime takes it to a whole other level. Your electric lime nails will look great grasping a mimosa glass at brunch or floating in the pool with your besties. For maximum effect, get a monochrome lime outfit to wear with your new nails.
Subtle, light pastels
Pastel hues are everywhere this summer, and we're not complaining in the slightest. Pastels offer a muted option for any of your favorite colors, and getting pastel nails makes it easy to match your nails to anything you may want to wear that day. Feel free to mix and match pastel colors as you'd like; for a visually interesting look, we recommend using them to do different wavy patterns on your nails.
Bright, sunny yellow
Is your favorite part of summer laying out in the sun for some vitamin D? Us, too, and this year, we're capturing our love of summer sunshine by painting our nails lemonade yellow. This color is the brightest yellow you can find, and it adds an essence of joy to any ensemble. For bonus points on your yellow nails, decorate them with small suns.
Baby boomer nails
If you haven't yet hopped on the baby boomer nails trend, summer is the perfect time to start. Baby boomer nails are an ombre white-to-pink nail hue, and they give an instantly classy, sophisticated vibe to the wearer. Pair this look with all of your favorite light, neutral summer clothes, like cream, beige, and taupe shades. Add a little bit of edge to it when you go over your nails with a matte coat.
Pale pinks
As you may have gathered from our last piece of summer nail inspo, pale pinks are also taking the stage this summer. This color is light and neutral enough to go with anything, and we particularly love the gloss of strawberry milk nails. Pale pink shades are stunning on their own, but to add some dimension to your nails, you can always go over the pink with a design. Use white or beige as an accent color to keep your look subtle, or use a bright accent color to make your nails stand out a bit.
Or a Barbie pink
Barbie babes, this one is for you. When you want to paint your nails a shade of pink that stands out without being too in-your-face about it, go for a Barbie-pink nail polish color. This pink is close to bubblegum shade, darker than pale pinks and lighter than hot pink, offering a great middle-ground for pink lovers everywhere. We love to color-coordinate our fingers and toes with this look and recommend wearing it on its own for maximum effect.
Light minty green
Continuing with the light pastel trend, mint green nails are also hopping on the nail color scene this season, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. Mint green is a great alternative for earth lovers who aren't obsessed with lime or grassy tones, as it offers a more subtle and muted take on the color. Wear your mint nails with anything (seriously, anything) this summer, but we love how they look poking out of a denim jacket on cooler days.
Milk bottle white
We love white nails in the summer, but sometimes a standard white just stands out too much for our liking. If this tends to be the case with you, opt for milky white nails this summer. Milky white nails give a pearly sheen to your standard white color, and the result is a subtler take on the classic white nail color that can fit any vibe or occasion. We especially love this color for any summer wedding you may be in (or attending).
Subtle nude nails
When you want a low-maintenance look that will go great with any atmosphere, outfit, and occasion you can think of, opt for subtle nude shades this summer season. When going for nude nails, you should pick a shade that closely matches your skin tone, as that'll make them more subtle. Have them stand out a bit more by painting nude on long nails or adding designs, but nude nails are deliciously simple and easy to wear on their own, too.
Light lilac purple
If you're a fan of lavender, lilacs, and everything purple, embody your love for the royal color this summer by adopting it in a lighter shade for your nails. Pastel, lilac purple nails are everywhere, and we love them because they stand out without being too overwhelming. Lilac nails look stunning enough on their own, but if you want to add some more interest to them, layer darker purple on top by drawing small lilac or lavender buds.
Elegant turquoise
Turquoise is the stone of wisdom and tranquility, which we could all use a little more of, tbh. If you're trying to attract some good vibes to your life, make your nails look like the gemstones you may already have dozens of. Turquoise nails are rocking the scene this summer, partially because they call to mind the salty sea. Paint your nails in plain turquoise on their own, or add in some darker marbled lines to make your nails look like small turquoise stones.
Gentle matte cream
Cream is a hot color right now in every sphere, from fashion to beauty to decor, so it only makes sense that we're seeing the cream color trend make its way to nail salons. Cream is another one of our favorite neutral nail colors to adopt this season; it offers a gentler, warmer take on your classic white, making it a more palatable color for any occasion. Add some contrast to your cream nails by drawing a darker design over them, or leave them on their own.
Mellow lemon yellow
If a bright, sunny yellow isn't your vibe, we're happy to say that there are other yellow nail color options trending this summer. Chief among them is a subtle, mellow lemon that's not as obtrusive to your 'fit but still bright enough to be noticed. We love going for a glossy sheen on lighter yellow nails, but this is a great color to go over with a matte top coat — it'll add some edge to an otherwise very gentle color. Add designs if you wish, but we think a matte lemon yellow is stunning on its own.
Retro pastel orange
Retro colors are everywhere nowadays, meaning orange is no longer a color reserved for fall. If your wardrobe is full of swirled patterns and retro colors, paint your nails to match by doing them in a retro pastel orange color. While this color looks great on its own, if it's retro vibes you're going for, we recommend combining it with light blue, yellow, and white.
Glistening pearl sheen
Yes, even the most muted of nail colors can add a pop of interest to your look. How? Go for a glistening, iridescent pearl sheen the next time you head to the salon. This color brings to mind the sea while also being neutral enough to go with any outfit. Its light-reflecting properties ensure your nails will never go unnoticed, but it's also classy enough for any occasion.
Muted, earthy greens
Is green your favorite summer color? We don't blame you — after all, why not match the grass you're dying to lounge around in? We're loving to see muted, earthy green tones on all types of nails this summer, and the two-tone look above just may take the cake as our favorite nail look. To pull it off, pick a light and medium shade of green, and use each of them to make different designs on every nail.