Maybe your favorite summer songs are classic songs by the Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffett, Y2K throwbacks from Nelly and Mariah Carey, or recent tracks from Charli XCX. Whichever song is, it probably brings memories of a long day on the beach and hangs out with friends. The top nail trends of the season are cosmetics that are equivalent to this. I can’t remember a time when the most popular nail designs felt very typically summery, with dreamy 3D seashells, tropical flower decals, animal versions, or rainbow French hints.
Many of the coolest designs of the season reflect the comprehensive nail art trends of 2025, but with a warm weather twist. The beige tint of cat eyes and pink sand glows beautifully polished in the sun. 3D decoration in miniature hibiscus flowers and abstract chrome accent shapes. And aura nails that feel less Zen and suitable for beach parties when performed in lively neon tones.
Trends go beyond the design aspects of nail art. This summer, people are obsessed with press-on, which makes it easy and frequent updates to your nail polish. The phrase “press-on-nail” currently receives an average of 82 million views on Tiktok, and according to Spate, it receives 605.3k searches per month on Google per week. Luckily there are no more options to choose from than ever before. This means you can take advantage of the biggest nail art trends of the summer without having to book salon appointments or reach for Polish removers.
That being said, if you love nothing but date your nail artist or a bit of a DIY, we asked experts how to achieve the most trendy designs of the season, regardless of your preferred method. So sit back, throw summer Spotify playlists and keep reading.
Pop-up tropical flowers
Courtesy of @lucky__pool and @vanityprojects
Courtesy of @kellykoutur and @vanityprojects
Courtesy of @slayedbylexali
Provided by @FleuryRosenails
Provided by @Aurakanails
Provided by @Aurakanails
“Orchid was a client’s favorite,” says Rita Pinto, founder of Vanity Project Nail Salons in New York City and Miami. Nail artist Fleury Rose agrees that 3D tropical flowers, which signify the shape of orchids and hibiscus, which was popular last summer, will have another moment in 2025. “This look is fantastic,” says Rose.
These la-fresh meats are created using clay-like builder gels. Rose explains (screams at the F-VEX SuperSculpt 3D Gel), rubber nail art tool (I recommend Sliverdew Silicone Nail Pens and brushes available on Amazon). Unless you’re very skilled at carving tiny tiny flower masterpieces on your own nails, your best bet is to schedule a salon appointment. You can also purchase a press-on decorated with floral patterns. (Etsy has a wide variety of press-on nails that showcase orchids and hibiscus flowers in a variety of colours.)
Pink and neutral cat eye polish
Courtesy of @VanityProjects
Courtesy of @glam.by.ems and @vanityprojectsmia
The salon owner we spoke to says that everyone is still obsessed with cat eye nails. According to Spate, the term “Cat-eye Nails” saw a 217% increase in searches last year. However, this summer, people especially love cat eye nail polish with pink and sandy neutral tones.
Rose said: Depending on your home-at-home skill level, she recommends Kissing Gel Fantasy Magnetic Press-on Range. This is in a variety of shades (Sunchic and Drama are two-height neutral options), or Mooncat’s magnetic polish (quick sand embraces are elegant subtle pink hues, while Neptune’s sand is romantic rose tone).
Discrete manicure
Courtesy of @glam.by.ems and @vanityprojectsmia
Courtesy of @slayedbylexali
Courtesy of @slayedbylexali
Courtesy of @makoartz: @vanityprojects
Can’t you choose between Aura Nail, Jewelry, Chrome, or Cat Eyes? Next, ask the manuscript to create a set that includes all of these looks. “At this point, we don’t see much nail polish with the same design on all nails,” says Rose. People are now choosing to be far more playful, she adds, sprinkling various designs across the manicure. “It’s more creative and expressive, and it’s super cool.”
