This Summer’s Best Nail Art Trends Scream “The Beach Is That Way”

Season three of The White Lotus left us with a range of big emotions, including heartache over Rick and Chelsea and anger over Gary and the Russians getting off scot-free, but it also left us feeling very ready for summer, with visions of sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and diaphanous caftans dancing in our heads (anything to erase the memory of the Ratcliffe brothers’ full-moon “bonding” session). Nowhere is this summer readiness clearer than in the season’s top nail art trends. We can’t remember a time when the most popular nail designs felt so quintessentially summery, whether that means dreamy 3D seashells, tropical-flower decals, or all the animal prints and rainbow-bright French tips in between.

Many of the season’s coolest designs are reflective of 2025’s overarching nail art trends, but with a warm-weather twist: Cat-eye polish in shades of beige and pink sand twinkle beautifully in the sun; 3D embellishments in the form of miniature hibiscus flowers and abstract chrome accents; and aura nails that feel less zen and more beach party-appropriate when done in vibrant neon tones.

This summer, people are obsessed with press-ons, which let them update their manicures easily and often. The phrase “press-on nails” currently receives an average of 82 million views on TikTok and 605.3K monthly searches on Google per week, according to Spate. Fortunately, there have never been more (or better) options to choose from, which means you can tap into summer’s biggest nail art trends without needing to book a salon appointment or even to reach for the polish remover. That said, if you love nothing more than a date with your nail artist or a little at-home DIY, we’ve grilled the experts on how to achieve summer’s trendiest designs, whichever method you prefer. Sit back, grab your piña colada, and keep reading (maybe just clean your blender first).

Three-dimensional flowers of all genus and species will be trending this summer, says Rita Pinto, founder of Vanity Projects nail salons in New York City and Miami, although “orchids have been a client favorite.” Nail artist Fleury Rose agrees that 3D tropical flowers, primarily meaning orchid and hibiscus shapes, also popular last summer, will have another moment in 2025. “This look is stunning,” says Rose, “and goes great with the St. Barts and boho fashion trends that I see being huge this summer.”

These dainty orchidaceae are created using a clay-like builder gel, Rose explains (giving a shout-out to F-Vex Supersculpt 3D Gel), and rubber nail-art tools (she recommends the Sliverdew silicone nail pens and brushes you can get on Amazon). Unless you’re super skilled at sculpting teeny-tiny floral masterpieces on your own fingernails, your best bet is to schedule a salon appointment. You can also purchase press-ons adorned with florals. (Etsy has a wide variety of press-on nails that showcase orchids and hibiscus flowers in various colors.)

Can’t choose between aura nails, gemstones, chrome, or cat eye? Then don’t, and ask your manicurist to create a set that includes all these looks. “I don't see many manicures with the same design on every nail at the moment,” says Rose. People are opting to be a lot more playful right now, she adds, sprinkling different designs throughout their manicure. “It’s more creative and expressive, which is supercool.”

These labor-intensive designs are best left to professionals. If you are heading to the salon, you can find a lot of great inspiration from nail artists like Juan Alvear (Chappell Roan and Lisa are both regular clients), Mycah Dior (Cynthia Erivo’s go-to, who goes by @ClawzbyDior_ on Instagram), longtime maximalist nail queen Naomi Yasuda, and salons like Green Nail Salon in Brooklyn and Les Mains Nail Bar in Atlanta.

She may sell seashells by the seashore, but this summer expect to see seashell-inspired nails all over the mainland. Brands like Salon Perfect are launching shell-inspired press-ons, while the nail artists at Vanity Projects in Miami and So.Shell in London are already crafting some beautiful shell-shaped sets.

The obvious reason shell nails are trending is that beachy designs capture summer vibes better than most, but it’s also because they often incorporate 3D builder gel, an effect that’s remained immensely popular ever since it arrived in the US a couple years ago. You can also use regular gel to re-create them at home; however, traditional lacquer won’t cut it. “It’s not really possible to get the 3D effect without a gel because regular polish just isn’t thick enough to create those ridges,” says nail artist Bana Jarjour.

Jarjour created a very simple shell design that’s easy to do at home with just two gel polishes and a matte topcoat. Start by applying a base coat of white gel polish, like the Gel Baby Gel Polish in Whitings on the Wall. Then, using a medium-size detailing brush (the flat, rounded-tip brush in this Beetles set is the perfect shape), stipple two lines of beige-colored gel polish horizontally across the nail—one line closer to the half-moon and one closer to the tip of the nail (Jarjour used Le Chat Nails Gel Polish in Cocoa Kisses).

Sweep on your matte topcoat (try the Daily Charme Velvet Matte Top Coat) and then, taking your white gel polish and a fine-tipped striping brush (Beauty Galleria 22MM Kolinsky Striping Brush will do the trick), draw five vertical lines along the nail to create the ridges of the shell. “I add two coats of the stripes to achieve the right thickness, and then, once they’re cured, I buff them to give them a matte effect,” says Jarjour. “Although, you can add a topcoat to them if you want them shiny.” For a tiny bit of bling, finish with an itty-bitty rhinestone right in the center of the half-moon of each nail.

Aura nails are also a trend that people just can’t quit, but this vivid and cheery version offers a way to update the aesthetically pleasing design for summer. “Aura nails are typically done in calmer colors, but using bright, neon hues is more of a playful summer twist on the look,” says nail artist and salon owner Alexa Hutchinson, who also likes to add abstract, 3D elements to her aura nails (another major trend for the season). She dreamed up the look above earlier this year, and is now seeing a growing demand for it among her clients.

After applying a base color, Hutchinson used the Saviland airbrush system with the brand’s specialized airbrush paints. Once cured, she combined black gel polish with Makkart Rhinestone Glue to create a thick, paste-like product, which she then applied in abstract lines. As a final step, she covered the squiggles in gold chrome.

Airbrushing your own nails isn’t the easiest skill to master, so it’s good to know that Chillhouse sells a set of vibrant press-ons. We also found a beautiful neon set on Etsy that boasts hundreds of five-star reviews.

Everything’s a little more fun in the summer—including the French manicure. Swirly tips are a pro’s favorite to add a little flair to the classic design, whether done more abstract and blobby (think the large swirls of a rainbow bagel) or graphic and psychedelic (similar to an Emilio Pucci print). “French tips with a twist are a great way to add a little more fun into any summer nail,” says manicurist Alora Reyes, who pulls inspiration from ’70s fashion for her version of the trend.

Whichever style you choose, the design is both gel- and lacquer-friendly. If you’re using regular polish, Jarjour recommends going color by color. “That way you don't need to worry about the colors mushing, since by the time you get to the next shade, the first one has already started drying,” she explains. Jarjour also recommends applying a base of white polish to the tips first: “It makes the colors you layer on top look really vibrant,” giving a shout out to Essie Blanc as a good, opaque white cream.

If you’re using gels, Reyes notes, it's important to have well-made brushes that will keep the gel in place. She loves the Kokoist liner brushes, and uses both the short liner and long liner brushes for her swirl-tip designs. “The long liner brush helps with laying down the base French tip as well as creating those longer, obscure lines,” she explains, “whereas the short liner brush is perfect for any thinner and smaller lines that require less gel.” Reyes also gives a shout out to DND DC Color Gels, as they offer the perfect balance of high opacity and perfectly thin viscosity. “With these gels I can correct any lines by overlapping another color on top without any bleed-through. No need for multiple layers, for one paint stroke will always look perfect.”

We predicted animal prints would be big for 2025, and it seems we were spot on—Pinto says nail art-lovers still can’t get enough. While cow and tortoise nails dominated the beginning of the year, cheetah prints are set to get the most nail time this summer. According to Spate’s Popularity Index, the term “cheetah nails” is showing a 216.6% spike in searches across Google and TikTok in comparison with this time last year.

Cheetah nails are interesting because you can either choose neutral shades for a more naturalistic interpretation or select vibrant hues for some major Lisa Frank vibes. If you want to re-create the look at home, there are loads of tutorials online, but British manicurist Michelle Humphrey offers the simplest, tool-free technique using neutral hues (hers are technically leopard print, but people on TikTok have been using the two animals interchangeably to talk about this trend).

Apply one coat of a pale, toffee-colored polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish in Totem-ly Yours. Next, take a chocolaty-brown shade—Humphrey, an Essie brand ambassador, used the brand’s Cold Brew Crew shade—and wipe a majority of the polish off the brush before painting a thin layer over the toffee base. Don’t worry, it should look streaky. You’ll need a shiny black polish (Allure editors found their perfect option in Mooncat Nail Lacquer in Emo for Life) to create the cheetah spots, which you’ll apply using the brush the lacquer comes with. “Use the thin side of the brush to dab on semicircles and dots randomly over the nail,” Humphrey says in her tutorial.

But if all that sounds too complicated, you can simply go for press-ons or nail strips, like Salon Perfect’s Modern French Cheetah set, Olive & June’s Pink Cheetah Glue Press-Ons, or Dashing Diva Gloss Nail Strips in Black Cheetah.

Designs that mimic the ceramic tiles you might spot on holiday in Mexico or Morocco are at the top of our nail art wishlist this summer. The delicate blue-and-white prints are not only intricately beautiful, they also make you feel like you’re basking in the hot summer sun every time you look at your fingertips.

A quick scroll through Instagram also shows there’s no lack of inspiration out there. Salons like Vanity Projects and Still London offer plenty of examples, as do professional manicurists and nail-content creators such as Phoebe Cascarina.

And there are countless ways to wear this trend: You’ll see them on short nails and long nails, stiletto and squoval shapes, with matte and shiny finishes. You can opt for a uniform print across every nail; a mix-and-match approach where the design differs across each finger; tile-print French tips; or a tile-inspired stripe down the center of each nail, like we spotted on British-based nail tech Nicolette Manesh’s Instagram. You can also incorporate tile prints with other summery nail elements (like fruit and flowers) to add a sunny pop of color and a touch of Sicilian vibes. Salon Perfect offers a press-on option that combines tile prints with lemon designs that could easily be done in the salon using 3D builder gels.

Read more about the latest trends:

• The Biggest 2025 Nail Art Trends Are Miniature Works of Art
• This Spring’s Nail Art Trends Are Anything But Mild
• 7 Best Long-Lasting Nail Polishes for Your Next At-Home Manicures

Now, watch Gracie Abrams' 10-minute routine for a glowy, fresh face.