The Summer 2024 Nail Trends You Need To Know

Get ready, manicure mavens, because summer is on its way — and so are a whole host of stunning nail trends. As the weather turns hotter, we're also going to be turning up the heat with our nails via some super fun manicure ideas that'll have your talons totally on point for the season. 

We're carrying over a few looks from spring's nail trends this year, as lilac shades, baby pinks, and gilded gold tips will still very much be on trend. But with the likes of floral nail looks and chrome styles on their way out as the year rolls on, that means there's more room for some brand new trends to make their way onto our nails. Don't fear though if you're a little behind on the upcoming popular manicure looks. We've got you very much covered, because we've done all the hard work to find out exactly what we should be asking for from our nail techs in summer 2024.

You may already know that gilded French tips were hot for winter, which carried on into spring's collection of manicure trends. And it's no different for summer. This glam manicure trend will still be huge in the summer months, so it's time to grab those gold shades off your nail shelf. For those who didn't catch on to this trend the first time around and aren't familiar with the look, a gilded French manicure involves painting a gold lacquer onto the tips of the nails for a more glam twist on the French manicure. These golden tips will pair beautifully with pretty much everything, but they'll really pop against red swimwear, another huge trend for 2024.

If you're more of an understated neutrals kind of person, then you may prefer the barely there French manicure. Instead of going with the typical, crisp white line painted onto the edges of your nails, which is typical for a French mani, this understated variation blends a faint layer of white into pearlescent pink. Think of it almost like a sheer twist on the late Princess Diana's favorite manicure style, which may even show some of your natural nails through the lighter polish.

If you're someone who prefers a little something extra on your nails, then the crystal trend may be more your style. There's plenty of room to get creative here, as stick-on gemstones are widely available at most retailers. Try placing couple of rhinestones on each nail over a neutral white or beige polish base. If you want to make more of a statement, add a few sparkly stickers over an eye-catching color, like neon orange.

Pastel nails tips have already been trending in 2024, and that's not changing as we head into summer. The only difference between spring and summer is that the palette is slightly brighter; with hues that are closer to a scoop of sorbet rather than spring blooms. According to nail artist Aja Walton, who spoke to Cosmopolitan, the colors to really look out for will be baby pink, soft lemon, and mint green, with the latter really fitting in with the matcha and mint trend we've already seen a lot of in the run-up to the hotter months.

Summer nails should be all about the fun. After all, what's better than showing off a bright and exciting mani in the summer sun? One way to do that in 2024 is to put fruit on your nails. Not literally, of course, because that would get very unhygienic quick. Instead, an exciting way to do something different yet very fitting for summer is to paint fruit designs onto your nails. That could be anything from strawberries, to oranges, to lemons, or literally anything else you can think of.