9 Cute Summer Nail Art Trends to Try in 2022
Dopamine dressing is everywhere, folks: even our fingertips. "People are not afraid to use color right now," says Natalie Minerva, a Los Angeles-based nail artist who creates the designs for Euphoria. "There's a surrealist fantasy look, with lots of three-dimensional elements using gel and funky stones. It's all over the place." We're calling it now: the style of the summer is "unapologetic," whatever that may mean to you.
To help get your creative juices flowing, we asked innovative nail artists to share three versions of summer 2022's biggest nail art trends in a range of color palettes: hourglass nails, bedazzled French tips, and aura-inspired nail art. Each artist was tasked with creating one look suitable for at-home manicures, another that may require the help of a practiced nail tech, and a third that goes all-out, using the best of their creativity and skill. Whether you're obsessed with pastels or bright colors, simple French manis or '90s-nostalgic press-ons in gradient shades, you’ll find the cute summer nails for that vacation you spent all winter dreaming of.
First, Minerva offers up three different takes on "the Maddy," an hourglass-shaped art deco look that she designed specifically for Alexa Demie's Euphoria character to wear in the season two premiere. Thanks in part to a few strategic camera shots of Demie's manicure on the show, the shape picked up steam — and its original creator has supplied us with new ways to try the eye-catching trend.
Next, NYC-based nail artist Marbles Valdez combines old and new with the bedazzled French trend. You'll see a variety of three-dimensional accents — from the simple and classic to the deeply extra (yet still summery) mani.
Finally, Tahvya Krok, a nail technician in Pasadena, dives into the ephemeral with the aura-inspired summer nail trend. "More people are becoming interested in learning about their own energy, the energy of others, and how it can be seen and transferred," Krok explains. "The pops of vibrant colors are aesthetically pleasing and amazing for summer." This includes a mood-ring manicure that looks gorgeous on both long and short nails.
- Natalie Minerva, a Los Angeles-based nail artist who creates the designs for Euphoria.
- Marbles Valdez, a New York City-based nail artist who runs MVZ Beauty Studio.
- Tahvya Krok, a nail technician in Pasadena, California (and the creator of the much-discussed "eyebrow pedicure").
1/9Quintessential Hourglass Manicure
Up first on our list of the summer nail ideas: an ultra-unique look you’ve undoubtedly seen all over your Instagram timeline: the hourglass manicure.
Before Minerva knew what type of nail she would design for Maddy's first episode of the season, she knew what the character would be wearing. "With [Demie] in particular, we like to pair the nails with the outfits. This particular outfit had cut-outs at the waist," Minerva explains. She drew inspiration from the shape of the dress, using a 12-millimeter nail-art brush to mimic its shape. Here, she started with a neutral nude base over the entire nail, then dipped her brush into black polish for the hourglass accent, which runs up and down the sides of the nail (and not around the tip or cuticle). "I recommend starting the design in the middle, which helps keep it symmetrical," Minerva says. "You'll have better luck painting the curvature, and matching one side to the other, when you start in the center on one side and paint the curve from there."
2/9Hourglass Wave Manicure
Minerva ups the ante with a two-tone hourglass nail look featuring three-dimensional accents. The paint job follows the same process as before, swapping the neutrals for a milky baby-blue base and a medium lavender-hued blue shade. Then, she uses her hands or tweezers to add a silver stud smack in the middle of the nail, followed by two tiny blue crystals on either side. Make sure the details are centered before painting (and curing, if using gel) your topcoat.
These particular appliqués come courtesy of a shopping trip to the Downton LA fashion district. We suggest hitting up your local bead or trim store to shop the treasures in person before turning to Amazon or Etsy.
3/9Sunset Hourglass Manicure
If you’re a big fan of ombré nails, you’ll love this vacation-ready look. "Airbrush is really big right now," says Minerva. "I just got my airbrush and I can't stop using it." She harnessed her new toy to design this sunset-themed look. Remember when sunset eye shadow was having its moment? This applies the same gradient technique inside the hourglass boundaries. Though the gradient runs from coral, to orange, to yellow, Minerva started with orange nail polish, using the airbrush to subtly fade the shade from the cuticle to about halfway up the nail. Then, she layered on the coral towards the cuticle, followed by the yellow near the tip, curing in between each step. Finally, put the airbrush down and picked up standard paint to draw in the baby blue hourglass design.
4/9A Simple-Yet-Shiny French Tip
"I know the rhinestones for some people might seem like a lot, but it's a cute addition to something that seems really classic," says Valdez. "If you want to expand your style a bit, it's a great start." To create the French manicure design she describes as "a clean look," she recommends using "the tiniest brush you can find" and, just as with the hourglass shape, starting to paint from the center. To affix the crystals, she suggests a drugstore nail glue (we're partial to Kiss Powerflex) and then sealing with a topcoat.
5/9Kitchen Sink French Manicure
It's hard to believe this baller look is made out of the same elements as the classic elegance of the previous design, but versatility is a key advantage of the bedazzled French tip trend. Valdez took it to the next level with a sheer pearlescent base (we like Zoya’s nail polish in Leia), then used a classic white shade to paint the French tip. But the most striking aspect of this look, of course, is its litany of fun charms. "Go out and find some charms that represent your personality," says Valdez. "It's so satisfying to look at your nails and think, 'Oh, that’s like me!'" Like Minerva, she shops most often in person at a local nail supply store. Just as with the simpler crystals, she affixes these with a nail glue followed by a generous layer of topcoat.
Voila: A manicure that, despite featuring everything but the kitchen sink, is eye-catchingly chic.
6/9Garden Party French Tips
In contrast to the confetti blast of the previous look, our final bedazzled French has a more holistic feel. Valdez keeps to the standard French tip on all but the ring fingers, on which she uses a blooming gel technique to make a watercolor-inspired design. The method requires a bit of know-how, but if you've ever played with the dreamy art medium of watercolors, it's easy enough to wrap your mind around.
Thin out your desired shade with a heavy dose of clear polish, so that the color "blooms," similar to brushing a wash of watercolor onto wet paper. Once the manicure is done, carefully place your pearls and flowers, making extra sure that your nail glue secures the heavy-duty charms.
7/9Circular Aura Nails
We won't beat around the bush: of all the best nail trends of summer 2022, the aura is the hardest to recreate at home. But perhaps it's just a matter of infusing your nail brush with the right energy? Tahva Krok, who designed this aura look using inspiration from painter Morgan Echols, points out that choosing your colors for an aura-inspired creation should be a matter of intention. Green, for instance, is thought to draw in a nurturing energy, while red can inspire energy and yellow soothes.
Once you've painted on your base layer of nail polish, making sure it's a lighter shade than your desired gradient, take your accent nail color and drop six separate dots of paint onto a piece of parchment paper. Leaving one dot intact, add increasing amounts of white polish into the rest to create lighter and lighter shades.
Once your colors are mixed, use the darkest shade to draw your aura circle. Working quickly so the colors don't dry up on your paper, move from dark to light with additional circles, ending with the lightest color in the center. "Don't try to draw a perfect circle," Krok says. "Just pop some polish in the center of your largest circle and move it outwards, using a bobby pin or orange wood [aka cuticle] stick." Leave a small edge of the darker shade intact, and voila, you've just DIY'd your very own gradient nails.
8/9Airbrush Aura Nails
If the energy aligns, we recommend taking this airbrush design straight to your nail tech. Krok starts with a painted-on base of black gel polish, then used her airbrush to layer on an ethereal layer of blue, with a barely-there dollop of pink polish in the middle. "The color combinations to layer are endless," Krok says. "It's a fun opportunity for clients to learn about themselves and wear a piece of their identity through nail art." This particular blend is perfect for anyone who loves wearing classic blue or pink nails but wants a playful twist for summer.
9/9Mood Ring Manicure
Let's say, hypothetically, you keep a manicure for two weeks. There's just no way to determine in advance if you'll be needing a dose of lilac/purple (spirituality), pink (love), or yellow (happiness). So, in a stroke of creativity, Krok chose to represent them all. Using her airbrush once again, she takes advantage of a long stiletto nail to find room for multiple two-tone gradients. (This look will work on shorter nails as well, just resize the gradients accordingly.) In lieu of a lighter color in the middle, she tapped into the three-dimensional trend by adding a teeny-tiny crystal. These bright summer nails are a serious mood-booster that you’ll want to wear all year long.
