Summer might have sprung a little later than usual, but an imminent heatwave brings hope that we can finally brush off our linen and jelly shoes, embrace a sunlit make-up palette, and experiment with the sea of summer nail trends that have since been on hold until now.
As ever, the latest summer nail art is informed by a string of fledgling make-up trends which have made their way from the runway and onto our fingertips, from nostalgic acid green to farmer’s market fruits and Y2K nostalgia. The good news is that the subtle, barely-there and ever minimalist palette is being superseded this season by a more playful and expressive mood.
One such trend is the resurgence of green. A hue that might have once sent shudders down the spines of minimalists is fast becoming the colour du jour. ‘A huge trend I’m seeing this summer is green nails in all forms: tennis ball green, matcha, pistachio, and the new edition of Chanel’s Le Vernis range ‘Rêveuse’ in acid green,’ agrees celebrity manicurist Georgia Rae, also known as the woman behind Sofia Richie’s nails.
‘It’s a metallic, almost golden green which worn alone and topped with the Chanel Le Gel Coat gives a chrome effect but also looks almost three dimensional – two more trends that are also super popular this summer,’ she says.
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Rae recommends short, square nails to recreate this look. ‘This shade is quite out there so I prefer it on a short nail. I’d prepare the nails and file them into a soft square and starting with a layer of La Base Camélia to even out any ridges in the natural nail, followed by 2 coats of Rêveuse and finally a layer of Le Gel Coat to exaggerate the 3D-effect and ensure your manicure lasts.’
Chanel Le Vernis – Reveuse
Chanel Le Vernis – Song D’été
Chanel Chanel Le Vernis – Faun
Colourful French tips aren’t going anywhere either, she says. ‘A trend that always makes a comeback every summer is a colourful French. To create it, repeat the steps above but after your base, apply your neutral shade and, using a thin liner brush, apply your colourful shade to the tip, tracing the free edge of your nail.’
Rae also suggests that ‘Nude Chrome’ is set to become the new glazed donut manicure. An iridescent shimmer, it lends itself to the ‘Nude Glow’ manicure that’s been doing the rounds but adopts a more subtle mirror-like finish.
And if you’ve spotted the delicious farmer’s market fruits infiltrating your feed, thanks to Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner, expect the trend to be supercharged as peak-summer kicks in. Whether you opt for intricate nail art or easy nail stickers, fruits are a sure-fire way to inject some personality onto your nails.
Finally, cherry blossom floral accents are coming to the fore this summer, too. ‘They can actually be recreated fairly easily too,’ shares Rae. ‘Starting with a neutral base shade, take two colours of your choice, one to form the petals and another shade for the centre of the flower. Using a dotting tool (or bobby pin), apply the colour in small dots to form a circle and another dot in the centre. You could apply one flower central to the nail or as many as you like,’ she says.
Whether you opt for chrome finishes or experiment with fruity touches, there’s never been a better time to rediscover the joy of nail art.
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Amelia Bell is the Senior Site Beauty Editor at ELLE UK, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and overseeing all beauty content for the site. Amelia has a particular interest in sustainable beauty practices, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women’s Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
