26 Summer Nail Designs. Cute Ideas for 2024 (2024)

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Guarantee your trendy eye-catching manicure with these cute ideas and easysummer nail designs to stand out this season.

Summer is finally here, which means one thing – it’s time to shine with cute and trendy summer nails!

No matter if you’re in the mood for gorgeous acrylic nails, classy gel nails, or if you want to spice up your own natural nails, here are 26 cute summer nail ideas that are bound to get you compliments.

1. Matte Wildflowers

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Make a statement this summer with cute matte wildflower nails. Whether you love the colour or the wildflowers (or both), this manicure is a fun option for those, hot summer days.

Use a nude shade of the Builder In A Bottle™ by thegelbottle.com. And the paint your wildflower designs over your gel nails. With this cute design, you’re sure to gain a few compliments this summer.

2. Summer Fruits

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Brighten up those long summer nights with this cute fruit nail design. Perfect for a picnic, a brunch, or even a holiday, fruit nail art is a summer staple. Use HP gel and a fine liner to bring your cute nails to perfection.

For a cruelty-free base, get yourself the Peach MyGel by Mylee.

3. Pastel Pink ‘n’ Blue Nails

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Gentle and warm, pastel nails are always a great choice for the summer. Combine baby blue with light pink to make your natural nail art stand out. Round nails suit pastel nail designs the most since they add a soft edge.

Try out the pink L. O2 and blue L. O3 by Dear Sundays for a cruelty-free, vegan and non-toxic nail polish.

4. Neon Summer Brightness

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Looking for some neon summer acrylic nails? No need to look further. Ideal for a concert or a fun evening with your friends, these gorgeous nails will definitely make you stand out this summer.

If you want to create these long nails with bright neon colors at home, all you need is to:

  • buy some acrylic nail supplies
  • prepare your nails (trim them, push back the cuticles, and use a nail primer)
  • apply the acrylic nails

Out of all the summer nail designs, this is definitely a fun one.

5. Picnic and Cherries

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Pink is simply the perfect colour for fun summer nails. Pleasant and warm, these pretty nails will conjure up a smile on your face each time you look at them. Not too short and not too long, this is one of the nail designs that are ideal for a picnic in nature.

Get yourself the Ballet Shoes acrylic nails by Nails by Annabel, visit a nail artist, or create your own picnic summer nail art on your natural nails.

6. Strawberry Matcha Smile

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A pink base, a smiley face, strawberries, and lovely swirls – what else could you possibly need from summer nails? These almond nails are among the most popular nail shapes thanks to their elegant style. Add a smile and some fruit, and you’ve got yourself one of the most unique summer nail designs!

If you want to create your own summer gel nails, go and buy a gel nail polish instead of a regular one. Before you apply it, make sure you add a base layer.

7. Rainbow Colour Blast

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These simple summer nails are ideal for those who love bright nails but don’t want to stray too far from a classy vibe. Elegant and colourful, Rainbow Colour Blast is one of those summer nail art designs that never disappoint.

The OPI Summer Collection: Power of Hue is an excellent choice if you’re looking for great nail polish. With many mood-boosting colours, the collection is bound to bring some bright shades to your nails.

Put some gorgeous jewelry on your ring finger, and you’re ready to go!

8. House Plant Lover

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Are you a plant lover? Yes? You’ll absolutely love these short nails with green leaves and happy plants, then! At a time when house plants are all the rage, painting cute greenery on your nails will attract compliments from everyone you meet.

Use white or nude polish as your base. Then you’re free to draw some cute plants! You can also buy some stickers to make things easier. After you’re finished, apply some cuticle oil to moisturize your nails.

9. Floral Magic

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Pretty floral nail art is always a good idea, especially in the summer. Floral Magic combines the hottest trends – with two accent nails, this nail design is simple, yet eye-catching. What’s more, there’s a pink twist on classic french manicure, as well as some lovely floral stickers.

While the two accent nails are a soft shade of pink, the other nails brighten up your hand with their hot pink flare. Why not create your own Flower Magic and show off your new nails during summer vacation?

10. Ombre French: Mint Green

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Beautiful summer ombre combined with french mani – add a hint of mint green, and you’ve got yourself an elegant style spiced up with bold colors. Perfect for every skin tone, these ombre nails look like they were made for warm weather.

If you want to achieve the strength of acrylic nails and the look of natural nails, grab a bottle of green mint gel nail polish by The GelBottle Inc and let your ombre nails shine.

11. Dark Floral Mystery

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Summer nail designs don’t have to all be bright pink. Rock this darker shade with not one accent nail, but two! As far as nail trends go, this one is an absolute summer classic with a darker twist.

TOP TIP: Add some glitter polish to enhance the sense of mystery and dark magic.

12. Violet Waves

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These coffin nails – also known as ballerina-style nails – are the perfect combo of almond nails and stiletto nails. While the white colour on the index finger shines through, the violet shades on the rest of your nails will create a beautiful swirling nail design.

To buy acrylic nails, gel nail polish, or regular nail polish, try out Kiara Sky and their summer colour sale! They offer gorgeous violet shades that will achieve the desired effect.

13. Bright Pink Zebra

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Animal print will never go out of style. Celebrate the best summer of your life with this zebra nail art. Thanks to the same color present on all five nails, the look isn’t so difficult to achieve – all you need is the Water Lily gel polish by The GelBottle Inc!

As for the zebra part, there are plenty of zebra nail stickers to choose from on Etsy.

14. Summer Negative Space Nails

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The beauty of negative space nails lies in their simplicity and futuristic look. Thanks to its bright orange and red colours, this style blends in perfectly with all the other summer nail designs.

One of the perks of negative space nail art is that you incorporate your natural nail into the style you’re going for, making the process easier and giving you a more natural look if that’s what you prefer.

15. Vacay in Malibu

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What’s screaming summer more than palm trees? Exactly.

Embrace these gorgeous long summer nails and head straight to the beach. Not only are these nails bright, on-trend, and empowering, but they also complement the mojito you’ll soon be holding in your hand while sunbathing on holiday.

If you’d prefer to make these nails yourself instead of visiting a nail artist, consider buying acrylic nails or gel polish together with some tree stickers.

16. Summer Swirl

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Pink, unique, a little out there – these nails are a great fit for anyone who’s bold and has a bit of spice to them.

You can get these as press-on nails, but it’s also possible to create your own art with some beautiful gel paint: Pinkaso, Creative Outlet, and White Canvas by Kiara Sky are the colours you’ll need to bring this style to life.

17. Blue and Orange Elegance

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Yet another stunning twist on french manicure, this design uses three colours on top of a nude base to create a vibrant and elegant summer style. The fine point also adds a sense of gracefulness.

Impress the world with one of the most chic summer nail art designs.

18. Meadow Mornings

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Try out this floral pink and blue design this summer. While the blue colour is reminiscent of fresh air and swimming in the lake, the pink and white flowers add a hint of sweetness and warmth.

Use HONA‘s detail gel paint to achieve the highest quality – for instance, Bubblegum and Caesars are the best colours for this type of design.

19. Into the Wild Future

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Long coffin gelly tips, mesmerizing prints, and a negative space futuristic vibe – this summer, embrace this multicolour nail design that signals three main things:

You’re wild. You’re free. You’re unique.

20. Made out of Marble

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Here’s an idea for an amazing summer combo: bright shades of orange mixed with an elegant french mani!

The texture of these nails makes them look as if they were made out of marble, not to mention that the blend of colours is reminiscent of rose gold. These nails are ideal for sitting by the pool in the summer heat.

21. Pick & Mix Nails

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The craziest design on the list, Pick & Mix is brave, fun, and so varied that it makes your head spin.

Smiley faces, animal patterns, multiple colours – if you want nails like these, make sure you have enough stickers and many different shades of polish. You’ll need one for each finger!

22. Lemons & Lemonade

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This is the best nail art for when you’re sitting near the river, drinking a glass of lemonade with sunglasses on, and enjoying the cool summer breeze.

For your base, try out one of the Biab nude shades by The GelBottle Inc.

23. Mint Daisies

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Mint green, white daisies, and a natural base – these nails are bound to attract compliments. It’s the perfect mix of a futuristic look and an elegant summer style.

Looking for the most beautiful colour? Check out the green mint gel nail polish by The GelBottle Inc.

24. Summer Sci-Fi

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Re-create this summer nail design with alien and sci-fi vibes. The mix of green and purple brightens up your nails while also keeping things mysterious.

3 different bottles of nail polish are all you need – Serena, Californian, and Daisy by The GelBottle make for an excellent combination.

25. Vacation Vibes

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Paint your nails in red and pastel green to get a classy, yet fun and eye-catching style! Leave the base nude to let the two colours properly shine.

TOP TIP: Add some golden rings to contrast with the nails. This will help them stand out.

26. Cotton Candy

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Sweet like sugar and simple to recreate, this nail design goes well with pink or white summer dresses.

Make your nails the cutest they can possibly be with a bottle of pastel pink nail polish and simple white dots. These can be either stickers or nail polish applied with a thin brush.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some pretty summer colours for nails?

The prettiest summer nail colours include peach, blush pink, candy apple red, pastel blue, or vibrant yellow.

What is the most popular nail style?

Round-shaped nails are the most popular nail style. This is because it’s practical, it aligns with the nail’s natural shape, contributing to nail strength and health, and it also looks beautiful.

Is it OK to wear dark nail polish in the summer?

Yes, you can wear dark nail polish in the summer. Make sure to use contrasting colours to your advantage. While most women prefer to wear bright summer nails, it is completely OK to paint your nails black.

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