6 hot nail art trends to try this summer

From sophisticated French manicures to bold and bright graphic designs, summer is the perfect season to experiment with new nail styles that show off your unique personality. Whether you’re visiting a local nail salon for a professional gel manicure or working on perfecting your DIY polish skills at home, here are six of the hottest nail art trends to try this summer.

Photo Credit: iStock.com/NinaMalyna

Having a hard time selecting the perfect colour for your fingertips? Embrace your indecisiveness and try out the Skittles-inspired rainbow manicure trend. This easy nail art style is simple to recreate at home and involves painting a distinct vibrant colour on each fingernail – as if your hands were dipped in a colourful candy bag. If you want a similar look that’s more understated, opt for a gradient nail style by painting each nail a slightly different shade from within the same colour spectrum – think soft pale blush on your pinky, a pastel pink hue on your middle finger and a neon magenta on your thumb.

Take some inspiration from the art world and level-up your next manicure with creative graphic nail art. Incorporate abstract designs like squiggly lines, geometric shapes and polka dots to create a tiny masterpiece of modern art on your fingertips. You’ll need a steady hand to achieve this intricate nail art design at home, so if you want to try out this trend, it might be best to visit your local nail salon and book a gel manicure with a professional technician.

Everyone is familiar with a French manicure, but nowadays this classic nail style has a contemporary new look – traditional white tips have been replaced with youthful and modern colourful accent tips. Try your hand at a revamped French manicure by starting with a clear or nude base coat over your entire nail and then outline the tip in bright neon or a glittering metallic polish. Alternatively, go for the popular half-moon nail art trend (also called a reverse French manicure) and accent the rounded base of the nail closest your cuticle in a colourful crescent moon shape.

Turn your nails into chic claws with an on-trend manicure inspired by the animal kingdom. Whether you pick cheetah spots, snakeskin, tiger stripes or tortoiseshell, animal-print nail art designs are a great way to take a walk on the wild side and make a fashionable statement.

A soft and subtle manicure style, ombre nails feature a mix of different colours that gradually transition across the fingertip. This versatile look works well with any nail length or shape and can be done with an infinite number of colour-fading combinations. Professional beauty salons will help you nail the ombre style, or go the DIY route by painting your chosen colours on a makeup sponge and then pressing the sponge into your nails repeatedly.

Floral prints are a favourite fashion trend for summer, so why not incorporate some pretty petals into your next nail art design? Embellish your fingertips with decorative sunflowers and daisies for a manicure that’s feminine, flirty and perfect for summer. If you’re having trouble recreating those delicate details, visit a beauty supply store and purchase floral nail art stickers for a fast and easy application.