From champagne chrome to rainbow tips, here are the summer 2024 nail trends to experiment with this season.
Photo: Instagram.com/overglowedit
Now that summer is finally on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about warm weather beauty. Top of the agenda? Nail designs to usher in a sunshine mood and put a smile on your face. “It is a time when we can have some fun and express ourselves,” says Daisy Kalnina, founder of The Gel Bottle, whose new spring/summer collection, Daisy’s Diner, is designed to encourage happy self-expression. So, whether you fancy dipping your toes into a whole new color, brightening your tips with some chrome 2.0, or putting a modern, colorful spin on the classic French, there’s something for everyone.
Here’s Vogue’s pick of the best summer 2024 nail trends to experiment with this season.
Champagne Chrome
Photo: Instagram.com/bylaurenbroe
We might still be invested in glazed doughnut nails, but there’s already a summer 2024 twist on this Hailey Bieber classic. Champagne chrome nails are the latest way to wear this popular style of nail design, perfect for a clean aesthetic with an added, reflective twist. Wear on short, square nails as a summer alternative to sheer, or on elegant almond-shaped nails to really show off the chrome finish.
Transparent French
Photo: Instagram.com/aelondonnails
A classic French manicure is a staple no matter the season, but this summer will introduce a semi-sheer spin on this timeless design. Instead of opting for a stark contrast between a soft pink base layer and bright white tips, manicurists have been creating altogether softer, sheerer iterations with just a hint of a pale tip – often provided by the natural nail length itself. If your nails are on the shorter side you can still achieve a similar effect: just ask your tech for ultra slim tips in a color that’s only a shade or two lighter than your base. This will give the illusion of a natural tip, and look just as chic.
The Blues
Photo: Instagram.com/when.mama.met.polish
Light blue nails are going to be all over your feed this season. Opt for ultra-flatting baby blue, and if you’re not used to wearing a statement colour on your nails, try it on your toes first as a practice run. Make sure you finish with a glossy top coat to really make the most of the shade.
Go Green
Photo: Instagram.com/reshbavny
Green looks set to be big this year. Think snaking leaves, marble-ised tips or mismatched motifs. If you’re not keen on vivid, verdant green, try paler mint or zesty lime. If you typically do dark shades all year round, think about swapping out the black for a rich forest green instead. Green is also a great colour if you’re into coordinating your fingers and toes. “Matching manis and pedis are having a comeback with the resurgence of the solid single colours,” says Kalnina. So why not opt for complementary shades of green on your hands and feet?
Fombré Nails
Photo: Instagram.com/harrietwestmoreland
The internet has gone crazy for the fombré manicure, which combines two of the most popular nail trends of 2024 to date: the French manicure and ombré nails. “I’ve always loved an ombré manicure but sometimes the more traditional style isn’t popular with my clients, so I created a more subtle, flattering version – the fombré,” manicurist Harriet Westmoreland told us. It’s a design that also works on toes, again something Westmoreland has been creating for her clients. The nail artist points to milky whites, peaches and pinks, but adds: “Remember to keep them sheer!”
Crystal Couture
Photo: Instagram.com/nailsbymh
Call it a legacy of a standout awards season, but the razzmatazz of the red carpet has filtered its way into the world of nails, with crystal embellishments proving popular. It’s easy to see why, too, with each nail offering the perfect miniature canvas for adornment. It’s also one of the easiest trends to get right: if you’re not a dab hand at painting your own or don’t want to outsource to a pro, then pre-glued gems can be stuck onto nude nails and sealed in with a top coat. Of course, in the salon the sky’s the limit. Go wild with crystals of differing shapes, sizes and colours, and finish with an extra glossy layer of clear polish for a final touch of dazzling shine.
Pink and Orange
Photo: Instagram.com/charsgelnails_
Not necessarily an obvious color combination, but pink and orange together happen to be one of the most popular nails trends this summer. Try wearing in an ombré design, play with negative space, dots or swirls, or paint on the shades as alternating tips. Combine with a super glossy top coat to show off the colors and make them look as vibrant as possible.
Chrome 2.0
Photo: Instagram.com/gel.bymegan
This is an unapologetically in your face way to do shine. Think classic chrome finishes in shimmering silvers, but also everything from rainbow chrome brights to soft pastel variations. For a subtler take, why not try adorning your tips with iridescent metal-effect edges, for a look that combines several seasonal trends in one.
Rainbow Tips
Photo: Instagram.com/overglowedit
If a French manicure feels too prim and proper, try a more colorful, chromatic take by adding colored tips to a pale pink base layer. If you prefer to keep things more uniform then choose the same shade for your tips, and be inspired by juicy tangerines, creamy yellows or sky blues. For a more playful take, choose two or three complementary shades (different shades of pink work well here), and alternate them on different fingers, or, for something more chaotic but still considered, choose a spectrum of rainbow shades. It’s not just colors that you can mix up either, baby fine micro tips are a subtle way to dip into the trend, or you can go big and bold with chunky French tips in an array of hues.
Originally published on Vogue.co.uk
