As always, New York Fashion Week unveils gorgeous and delightful fashion trends that I love to watch and long to wear. Some of these trends are easier to adopt than others. Of course, the hottest summer nail designs are among the easiest of all!
We've previously gushed about the gorgeous spring nail trends, and you will be pleased to see that some of these nail designs are still very much in for the summer. But there are some beautiful new designs and colors for you to try out for the summer too!
While negative-space nail designs will still be hot this summer, there are some new and very fun trends developing, including bedazzled nails, stripy and sketchy designs, and some gorgeous and playful variations on the classic French tips.
Now is the perfect time to begin transitioning your nail looks from spring to summer fun! Using the most popular colors this year, try copying these cute summer nail designs that are on trend for 2017.
Thumbnail Source: Instagram / karanailedit
Top Summer Color Trends For 2017
Summer nail colors for 2017 has a little something for everybody. You may naturally think neon colors when you think about summer nail colors, but neutrals are actually hot this summer.
If you are more subdued, (or you have a professional job that demands you be more subdued) you can choose a nude polish in skin tones or pale pinks, both very much in for this summer. These shades also serve as the perfect base for a lot of the hot summer designs described below.
If you are feeling a little more adventurous, matte metallic colors are also trendy for nails this summer, either all over the entire nail or used in a design. Look for gold, silver, and my favorite, copper tones. Some other hot nail colors are shades of red and burgundy, shades of blue, black, and dark green either flat or with a metallic sheen, and high gloss colors in shades of orange, yellow, and purple. So many delightful summer nail colors for us all to try!
Hottest Summer Nail Designs
We've rounded up some of the cutest summer nail designs. They range from the easy, breezy summer nail designs that are always my go-to, to the more intricate, artistic summer nail designs that will delight the artist in all of us!
1. Negative-Space Nails
A startling and sleek design that is hot this summer is a bare nail with just a splash of bold and beautiful color. I love this trend because it is a super-easy nail design to do, even for the nail-art beginner. You can get as fancy as you’d like with this; some of the designs showcased at Fashion Week were very intricate, like the beautiful glittery green tiger stripes in the Alice + Olivia design. There are also really simple designs, like the solid green swipes of this Instagrammer. Another variation of this trend is a colorful French tip with a dot of gold at the base of the nail, like this Miami nail by another Instagrammer.
How To Copy This Summer Nail Art:
Simply brush on your favorite hot summer color in a funky design or in a single stripe, leaving some of the nail surface unpainted. Do not be afraid to make every nail different! Allow to dry completely, applying multiple coats if necessary to get the bold color that you desire. Add a clear coat for that gorgeous glossy finish. For the colorful French-tip variation, choose two or three summer nail colors that compliment each other and very carefully apply a thin stripe along the edge of one side of each nail. Finish your design with a careful dot of color (metallic looks especially elegant) at the base of the nail. Allow to dry, then clear the coat.
2. Bedazzled Nails
A gemstone appliqué will add dimension and glitz to nails this summer with this hot trend. A single gemstone appliqué can be beautiful and sophisticated, or you can choose to go a little wild and cover your nails with glimmer gems, or use a few to make a beautiful design like this Lisa Frank-inspired nail art.
How To Copy This Summer Nail Art:
Begin with your favorite on-trend nail color and coat your nails. You can use a single color as the base for all of your nails, or do a combination of two or three. Coat your nails with two or three coats to get a rich, full color, and complete with a clear coat. Allow nail to dry completely. Using a very strong nail glue and a steady hand, apply the gemstone(s) where you desire.
3. Accent Nail Designs
Of all of the nail designs that New York fashion week showcased this year, this one has got to be my favorite. You can make this trend as intricate or as simple as you would like. This geometric nail art from an Instagrammer is a fairly simple triangle “maze” design on just two nails with an on-trend nude polish in the background. This coral acrylic nail art from a different Instagrammer uses some beautiful metallic solid colors with one nail sporting glittery gold arrow stripes (this look is even easier to get because it is a set of press-ons!). If you are artistic, you can try your hand at a more intricate design, such as the floral bouquet gracing this instagrammer’s nails. I love the nautical look posted by an instagrammer here, boasting an adorable little anchor, an inner tube, and a wheel with other designs. This certainly screams summer fun to me!
How To Copy This Summer Nail Art:
You can find some fun appliqués to effortlessly achieve this look, or you can try out a nail stamper, which is super cool. Additionally, you can free-hand a design if you have a very steady hand and an artistic side. Here is a nail-stamping tutorial that is very thorough and easy to follow. Also, here is a beautiful example of a design done with a nail stamper.
4. French-Tip Variations
Different color combinations make this trend quirky and fresh. I particularly like this version from an Instagrammer in nude and dark green with a slightly scalloped inner edge. The Rebecca Minkoff show featured this trend using a bold red and white, alternating on each finger which color was on top and which color was on bottom. Here is another super-fun variation, with your basic white tip brightened up by multicolor polka dots.
How To Copy This Summer Nail Art:
Choose two (or more!) on-trend summer nail colors, pairing a nude with a bold pop of color. You can do this free-hand, or get a super-easy-to-use French manicure kit that has a template in it where you can tape off the bottom of your nail to get a smooth, perfect French manicure.
So, have fun with it! Try out some new designs, treat yourself to a gorgeous new nail color, and gather your friends for a nail party. If you enjoyed this article and know another nail diva who would love to give these designs a try, please SHARE it with them.
