Blush pink, crisp white, and sheer beige will always be timeless nail polish options for those whose manicure preferences lean minimalist. However, if you’re after a new option to add to your color rotation this summer, why not try trending butter yellow? Rich, creamy, and not too bold, this hue is sweeping Instagram, TikTok, and the fingertips of celebrities like Selena Gomez because it’s a seasonal alternative for anyone intimidated by neon green, tangerine, hot pink, you get the idea.
If it seems like butter yellow is everywhere right now, it’s not a figment of your imagination. While tomato red defined last summer’s fashion and beauty trends, this unassuming hue is shaping up to be this year’s hottest color. And for good reason. In the manicure department, since butter yellow leans neutral, it plays nice with a plethora of other hues, which allows you to seamlessly incorporate it into multicolor nail art looks. So if you’ve been brainstorming 2024 refreshes for go-to designs like French tips, negative space, and half moons, adding this of-the-moment color into the mix is a very chic answer.
Get inspiration on how to partake in the summer manicure trend with the following 10 butter yellow nail ideas by top artists.
French Chrome Manicure
Refresh your go-to French manicure like nail artist Sarah Haider by painting the tips in a decadent butter yellow and finishing it off with a coat of sheer silver chrome.
Retro Swirls
Defy traditional summer nail polish shades with this retro swirl manicure. Chocolate brown paired with butter looks rich, decadent, and completely unexpected on a 90-plus degree day.
Mix & Match
DIY-ing an intricate design takes time, patience, and a steady hand. If you’re lacking all three, simply mixing and matching your nails with contrasting shades is a look in itself. Butter and Robin’s egg blue make for a fail-proof seasonal color combo.
Square French Tips
Revisit your favorite nail shape of the early aughts by opting for square French tips painted in this very of-the-moment shade.
Solid Butter
Compared to viral fruit- and veggie-inspired beauty trends, butter is an unlikely source of reference material for summer manicures. However, this solid almond-shaped set by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik is proof of just how chic the soft hue looks on your nails.
Dainty Daisies
If you’re someone who only sticks to neutral nail polish shades, use butter yellow for the anchor to your white daisy petals. Not only is the choice true to nature, it’s also the most subtle way to add color to your manicures.
Juicy Lemons
Fruit motifs are a summer fashion staple, and that goes for your manicures, too. If lemon yellow is a little too bold compared to your typical polish color repertoire, try the design in a muted butter shade for a more subdued finish. Choosing to paint the fruits on just a few nails and adding French tips to the others is also a more minimal approach to the trend.
Negative Space With Dots
Love the negative space and polka dot nail art? Why not combine them both and add trendy butter yellow into the mix for bonus points? The teeny tiny contrasting metallic blue and gold dots add next-level details to this manicure, but you can use whatever shades you want so it’s bespoke to your nails.
Glazed Butter
Simply using a shimmer-infused butter yellow polish will enhance any manicure. Here, manicurist Iram Shelton demonstrates how cool the color looks on short square nails.
Coquette Bows
Dress up a classic French manicure by adding tiny delicate bows to your buttery tips. Paint the design in a rose gold metallic polish to add a hint of eye-catching sparkle that will glimmer in the summer sun.
