Summer is officially here and with holidays booked and sandal’s dusted off, those nails need some seasonal attention. Great nails are the ultimate pick-me-up and as the saying goes: “Life’s not perfect but your nails can be.”. Whether you are a gel nails devotee or a regular DIY fan, these are the key nail trends to get on board with for summer 2019.
cover photo via: Unsplash
Neutrals
Timeless and easy to match with any outfit, neutrals are back on the catwalk this year, with Gucci and Temperley favouring subtle pink, coral and caramel shades. To mix it up this season, we suggest trying different neutrals on alternate fingers or painting neutral shades in a gradient, starting with the darkest shade on your thumb and graduating with similar tones. For long lasting perfect neutrals, we love the range available at OPI.
Two-Tone Nails
A trend almost definitely best left to let your manicurist achieve for you, two-toned nails are a fantastic statement look. Unlike ombre nails which require a fade effect, two-tone nails have just the tips in different colours, a jazzy update on the classic french manicure. Sadie Williams and Fashion East have used both to great effect and there is a lot of scope to get creative with your favourite colours!
Bright Yellow Nails
Is there anything more cheerful than a sunny yellow nail? Perfect to match with other bright accessories, yellow is officially in this season. Stick with bright shades, like the Essie one pictured below, to make nails really pop.
Cuticle Framing
As the ultimate minimalist nail, cuticle framing requires a bare (but glossy, obviously) base coat, with a splash of colour just around the cuticle. A signature of Betina Goldstein, an editorial/campaign nail artist from Los Angeles who we highly recommend following on Instagram, the look is an irresistible subtle pop of colour. To get even jazzier with this, you could use 3D nail art just around the cuticles – we’ve seen this done with rhinestones (which are a season trend in themselves) or glitter.
Rainbow Pastels
One of our favourite summer looks is the rainbow pastel. Colourful, fun and cheerful, these nails really pop. To achieve this look, use a mixture of pale blues, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, greens and pinks, picking your favourites to mix and match in different ways throughout the summer. This is a great choice for the indecisive amongst us and is just perfectly kitschy. We’ve spotted this trend on Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, so expect to see it everywhere this summer!
Whilst we all have our favourite regular go-to nail colours, it’s definitely time to try something new in 2019. The best approach to summer nail trends is to have fun and pick shades that make you smile when you check them out. We recommend keeping toes more simple, with the neutral or yellow trends, then getting experimental on your hands with the rainbow pastels, two-tone or cuticle framing techniques. With nails there’s just so much scope to do your own thing and show off your individual look!
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