The best thing about nail trends is that, unlike your hair or wardrobe, they’re very low-commitment. No matter how much you love or hate your latest color or art choice, like clockwork, it’s only going to last a week or two, so why not experiment with the latest and greatest?
If you’re hoping to be on-trend with solid polish this season, opt for ’80s brights and creamy nudes. But if you’re looking to up the ante, you’ll need the raddest nail art all the pros are trying. That means tons of minimal designs that will let your hands do the talking. And for those that really like to switch it up, there are rad new stickers on the market that make it incredibly easy. Ahead, the coolest summer nail art trends to try now.
Negative Space
Consider these nearly-naked designs if your manicures tend to chip faster in the summer months. (Hint: Pools and oceans aren’t exactly great for keeping polish in place.) The tiny details — like these dainty gold dots — won’t easily show the wear and tear of the polish, so they’ll look better for longer.
Not only is this trend minimal chic, but seems to last forever. With the bare polish as a base, the grow-out phase is practically undetectable even weeks after you leave the salon. That is, if you opt for gels.
A double-layered French tip adds some detail without overwhelming this naked mani.
Half-Moon Designs
Whether you pair this design with negative space or color-blocked hues, it’s hard to deny how quickly it amps up your look.
Half-moon designs are key as pre-vacation manicures. Focusing the most eye-catching designs at the tip of the nail means that your polish will look just as good on the day you return as it did on the day you left.
Jan Arnold, CND style director, tells us that whenever you want to get a little fancy with your next mani, just add metallics.
Half-Dip Designs
The major appeal to this manicure is that it incorporates the beauty of negative space with tons of color.
Can’t decide on one polish? Use a different shade on each nail for a rainbow effect.
Stacking different textures will make your basic nude mani pop.
Nail Stickers
Nail decals aren’t new, but the clever accessory has certainly gotten more advanced since the last time we checked. These butterfly options from Olive & June are already an L.A. cool-girl favorite.
Want to revamp a grown-out manicure without shelling out the cash for a salon appointment? Add stickers.
Looks like we found a new purpose for those stick-on earrings from middle school — and we don’t hate it.
Rainbow Layers
Focusing most of the color near the cuticle is the reverse-French manicure you’ve been waiting for.
Like the glitter stripes of Coachella, but with a psychedelic twist.
These neon tips nail the technicolor trend without being an eyesore.
Fruit Designs
The Instagram trend du jour is downright juicy, but since when did foodie nail art become… cool? Nail artist Betina Goldstein explained, "Fruit nail art is great for those people that want to express themselves in a fresh and colorful way."
The only kind of nail art that will have you saying, "Freshly squeezed — not from concentrate, please."
Love fruit, but maybe not for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Opt for an accent nail of bananas instead of a full five-finger mani.
Animal Print
Elle Gerstein, nail artist to the stars (think: Blake Lively, Michelle Williams, and Jessica Chastain) informed us that animal print is about to get even bigger than it was this fall. Need proof? Just check out all the cow-print nail art on Instagram right now.
You don’t have to follow Kendall Jenner’s lead on the cow-print fad. There are plenty of others to consider, like leopard or cheetah print.
No one ever said that animal print had to be true to life. Don’t be afraid of adding color, too!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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Source: Refinery29 – Samantha Sasso