Summer Nails: 20 Summer Nail Designs and Colours, from Neon to Turquoise

Summer nails bring out the brightest shades of the year: neon pink, coral, tangerine, turquoise and azure. On tanned skin, whites, nudes and gold are just as flattering. Many brights are semi-sheer, so they cover best over a white base, in thin coats cured one at a time.

The 20 summer nail ideas below are grouped by colour and technique, each with its shade, method and who it suits. A short section on summer gel care follows.

Bright summer nails and neon nails

Pink-leaning brights such as fuchsia flatter cool undertones, and orange-leaning ones suit warm skin. All brights show flaws at the cuticle, so leave a hairline gap at the skin and clean off any gel that touches it before curing.

1. Neon pink nails with a white base

Neon pigments are partly see-through, so on a bare nail they turn out dull and streaky. Over the cured base, paint a thin, even coat of opaque white gel polish and cure it: the white reflects light back through the neon. Build the neon on top in thin coats, curing each one, as a thick layer won't get brighter and can wrinkle.

For extra strength, swap the neon polish for B022 Rose Pop, a neon pink builder gel: over the cured white, apply a thin slip layer, then a second layer with a slight apex, curing each. Neon pink is most vivid against tanned and deep skin and suits festivals and beach holidays; if it's new to you, start with two accent nails.

2. Coral nails

Coral mixes pink and orange, so there's a version for most skin tones. With its pink lean, 004 Coral Pink flatters fair skin and turns richer against olive and deep skin. Corals are often sheer: if the white tip of your nail still shows through after two thin coats, add a third. Our coral nail ideas add ten more designs.

3. Tangerine nails

Tangerine, a vivid citrus orange, is at its best on warm and deep skin, especially with gold jewellery. On fair skin with pink undertones it can make fingers seem redder, so try it on one accent nail first. Oranges vary in coverage: if yours streaks after two coats, add a third thin one, and next time put a cured coat of white underneath.

4. Mismatched bright nails

A different bright on each finger gives five summer colours without nail art, so it suits beginners and short nails. Choose shades of similar strength, such as 090 Fuchsia, a blue-toned hot pink, with Coral Pink, tangerine, yellow and turquoise, in rainbow order from thumb to little finger. Paint each colour on both hands before opening the next bottle, so the order matches, and give yellow, usually the sheerest, an extra coat.

5. Coloured summer French tips

Bright French tips leave most of the nail sheer, so they're easier to wear to work. Over two cured coats of 021 Cloud, a sheer milky white, paint the tips in Fuchsia or Coral Pink with a fine liner brush and cap the free edge. Before curing, sharpen the curve with a flat brush dipped in cleanser, as every wobble shows against a pale base. Keep the tips to a millimetre or two on short nails; long almond nails can take a deeper curve or a V.

Blue and turquoise summer nails

Turquoise and azure are the most flattering blues on medium, olive and tanned skin, especially with gold jewellery. Fair, cool-toned skin suits icier blues, or a deep blue worn with silver.

6. Turquoise nails

Turquoise and coral sit almost opposite each other on the colour wheel, so side by side each appears brighter. Paint 092 Lagoon, a vibrant turquoise, on eight nails and Coral Pink on the ring fingers. A subtler option is to keep the coral for your toes; our gel pedicure guide shows how. Judge Lagoon in daylight, as warm indoor bulbs push turquoise towards green.

7. Azure French tip nails

An azure French brings blue to the office discreetly and stands out more as your tan deepens. Over a sheer pink or nude base, dot 091 Azure, a clear sky blue, at each sidewall where the smile line should start. Join the dots in one curve with a liner brush, fill the tip, cap the free edge and cure.

Marking the corners keeps all ten tips the same depth. Light blues often need a second coat, traced just inside the first.

8. Blue wave nails

Wave nails are freehand line art: a curling line across the nail like a breaking wave. Start from two cured coats of Cloud, then paint the first wave in 110 Ocean, a vivid deep blue, with a lightly loaded liner brush, pressing a little harder at the crest so the line thickens there. Add a thinner Azure line parallel to it and cure before the lines spread. Waves take practice and need room, so keep them for medium or long nails, or one ring finger on a short set.

9. Blue cat eye nails

A silver cat eye over deep blue adds a moving beam of light for summer evenings and weddings. Paint two cured coats of Ocean, then a thin coat of 006 Silver Moon, a silver magnetic gel polish, mixed well first as the particles settle. Working one nail at a time, hold a magnet just above the wet gel for a few seconds, then cure straight away, before the beam blurs.

Held straight along the nail, the magnet draws a central line, which lengthens short nails; held at an angle, it gives a diagonal beam. Seal with Diamond Top Coat, a high-shine, no-wipe top coat.

Summer nail colours for tanned skin

Against a tan, white and pale shades stand out more than in winter, while peach nudes and gold blend with the skin's warmth.

10. White nails on tanned skin

White nails make a tan seem deeper and work at any length. They're also hard to paint evenly: white gel polish streaks wherever one stroke is thicker than the next, so build an opaque white in two or three thin, cured coats.

If your nails also need strength, use B027 Blanc Meije, a frosted white builder gel, in the same two layers as Rose Pop. Builder gel is filed off, so removal takes longer.

11. Glazed nude nails

Glazed nails have a pearly sheen over a nude base, like glazed porcelain. A pale beige nude can turn chalky on a tan, so choose a warmer one such as 186 Peach, a velvety peachy pink, in two thin coats. Cure a thin layer of Diamond Top Coat and, while it's still warm, rub in a white pearl powder with a silicone applicator.

Brush off the loose powder, wipe the tip and sidewalls with cleanser, then seal with a second layer of top coat, capping the free edge, and cure. Peach is close to the colour of the nail bed, so regrowth stays discreet for longer.

12. Gold shimmer nails

On a tanned hand, gold shimmer echoes gold jewellery and brings out the warmth in olive and deep skin. Wear B030 Or Solaire, a builder gel with a golden reflection, on all ten nails, or on the ring fingers with Lagoon on the rest, like turquoise set in gold. Build it in two layers, as for Rose Pop; builder gel is too thick for fine lines, so keep it for whole nails.

13. Mint green nails

Mint green is gentler than hot pink or tangerine, so it's an easy summer shade for work. On the nail, 100 Mint reads as a clear mid green that stands out against a tan and sits well with white linen and denim. Apply two thin coats, curing each, and for a cool two-tone set, alternate it with Lagoon, its neighbour on the colour wheel.

14. Lilac nails

Lilac flatters cool undertones and silver jewellery, and as a pale pastel it stands out clearly against a tan. It's a good choice for the office or a wedding when brights feel too bold. Pale lilacs carry a lot of white pigment, so paint three thin coats, curing between them: a thick coat won't hide streaks and may stay soft underneath.

Summer nail designs: ombre, aura, fruit, flowers and chrome

15. Sunset ombre nails

Sunset ombre nails fade from peach at the cuticle through coral to hot pink at the tip, neighbouring shades that blend without turning muddy. Brush stripes of Peach, Coral Pink and Fuchsia side by side onto a piece of make-up sponge, then dab it onto a cured coat of opaque white, shifting it a millimetre up and down between dabs so the bands merge.

Sponging puts gel on the skin, so apply a peel-off barrier first or clean the skin before curing: uncured gel on skin is the main cause of gel allergy. Cure, repeat once, then smooth the grainy finish with two thin coats of top coat. On short nails, run the sunset across the hand instead, from Peach on the thumb to Fuchsia on the little finger.

16. Summer aura nails

In a summer aura, a halo of Coral Pink in the centre of the nail blurs into a milky base. Paint and cure two coats of Cloud, then place a small coral dot in the middle. Tap around it with a round brush barely damp with cleanser to draw the colour outwards, then cure. For evenings, add a smaller Fuchsia dot on top, tap it out and cure again.

Oval and almond nails give the halo most room; our aura nails guide also covers the sponge method.

17. Lemon and fruit nails

Lemons on blue recall Mediterranean tiles, and one on each ring finger is enough for a holiday set. Over two cured coats of Azure, paint a small oval with pointed ends in opaque white and cure it, as sheer yellow straight over blue turns greenish. Fill the shape with yellow, cure, add a tiny Mint leaf with a detail brush, then cure and seal. Cherries are easier for a first attempt: two red dots joined by thin curved stems.

18. Daisy nails

Daisies need no steady line, so they're a good first design, and tiny ones fit short nails. White petals stand out best on a mid-tone base such as Lagoon or Mint; use an opaque white gel polish, as a sheer white like Cloud won't cover. With the small ball of a dotting tool, place five dots in a ring, re-dipping for each, then cure and add a yellow centre.

For a printed-fabric effect, scatter the daisies at different heights and let one or two run off the free edge, which also hides uneven spacing. Our gel nail art ideas show more designs built from dots.

19. Summer chrome nails

Iridescent chrome powder over turquoise, a design sometimes called mermaid nails, gives a sheen that changes colour as you move. Chrome shows every bump, so start from two smooth, cured coats of Lagoon, then apply and seal the powder as for the glazed nude. The same powder over Fuchsia gives a pearly pink for evenings.

20. Short summer nails

The easiest summer ideas for short nails are a single bright, mismatched brights, an Azure micro French or one daisy or lemon on the ring finger. Vertical details make short nails seem longer, while deep French tips and wide waves shorten them, and gradients need more length to blend. File all ten to the same length, round or squoval, as brights draw the eye to the outline.

How to care for summer gel nails

Sun, sea water, chlorine and sand all wear gel faster: strong sun can fade neons, salt and chlorine dry out nails and skin, and sand dulls the top coat.

• Don't add top coat over worn gel at home. It won't bond well to a worn surface, and over a lifted edge it can trap water. Do an infill if you wear builder gel, or remove gel polish for a fresh manicure; never peel gel off, as it takes layers of nail with it.
• Use cuticle oil every evening. It keeps the skin around the nails supple after sun, salt and chlorine, and won't harm cured gel.
• Wear gloves for cleaning. Household cleaners and hot washing-up water dry the skin and wear the gel at its edges.

Frequently asked questions

What nail colours are trending for summer?

Brights return every summer: hot pink, neon, coral, tangerine and turquoise, alongside crisp white and peachy nudes for tanned skin. To update a bright you already own, give it a glazed, chrome or aura finish.

What colour nails are best for summer?

A pink-leaning coral suits the widest range of skin tones, so it's the safest single choice. Turquoise, white and gold work best on tanned, olive and deep skin, while fair, cool-toned skin suits fuchsia, lilac and icy blues.

What nail colours are trendy in June?

June sits between late spring and high summer, which makes peach, coral, azure and white natural choices, with lilac for weddings. Neons and turquoise usually take over in July and August, and our spring nail designs cover the softer shades that come before.

What are cute nails for summer?

Cute summer nails usually put a small motif on a bright or milky base: daisies, lemons, cherries or a single wave. Keep it to one or two nails per hand and paint the rest in one of the motif's colours.

For your first summer set, pair one bright with one neutral from our gel polish collection, and choose a builder gel such as Rose Pop if your nails need strength.