French Manicure Designs Perfect For Summer Ready Nails

As much as the winter can inspire gorgeous manicures, it's during the summer where we really get to have a lot of fun. With the longer days and warmer temperatures, people tend to turn to brighter shades, bolder colors, and designs that evoke summer energy. One of the best to way to embrace this season is with French manicures — and not the one your grandma has been sporting since the 1970s.

The French manicure has come a long way and is no longer just a natural-looking nail polish with a white tip, but an entirely new animal. "[The French manicure] will never go out of style and it goes with everything," nail artist Betina R. Goldstein tells Allure. "There are also a lot of ways to make it feel more young, fresh, and updated. And how you pair it (like a blazer), depending on color choices, shape, width, and pattern, can make it really feel new and different."

Although we've already seen a lot of great summer 2024 nail trends, we've yet to see enough French manicures embracing the season and paying homage to it. The simple manicure style leaves plenty of room for experimenting with color if you're not ready to cover the full nail in bright shades just yet. Need some inspiration? We've got you covered. 

You don't have to be Barbie and Ken rollerblading on a boardwalk to know that neon and summer vibes are an undeniable match. Whether you stick to one neon color, or spice things up with a couple different shades, you're creating an eye-catching look. Granted, neon in large doses can be grating, but as a French tip it's simply perfect. 

As we already know, pastel nail tips have been big this year so far. Once spring sprung into action, it seemed everyone and their mother was sporting their own favorite pastel tip. In keeping with this trend, but giving it a summer makeover, a pastel tip with flowers is a great option. Not a flower fan? Then choose a design that says summer to you. After all, someone needs to be the first to rock a pastel tip with complementary hot dog designs.

Summer is officially strawberry season. Because of this, there's no better way to celebrate than with a strawberry manicure. Although color tips with strawberry designs dancing about is definitely a fun choice, if you want to get really bold, you can opt for tips that look like the real deal. Sure, it's a little whacky, but manicures are supposed to be fun. 

In April, matcha and mint manicures started making the rounds. A gorgeous alternative to forest green just in time for the warmer weather, it was the look of the moment. While April may be in our rearview window, matcha and mint manis are not. Instead, they've been upgraded for the summer, having evolved into French tips with flowers. It such a beautiful combination that this type of manicure might even give the Jardin des Tuileries some fierce competition. 

If you think you need to be a mermaid named Ariel to pull off ocean wave tips, you're wrong. Anyone, even those who are landlocked, can make an ocean-inspired French manicure work. You won't only be on theme for the summer, but you'll certainly be making a very beautiful statement. No one will be able to look away from those blue waves and the best part is you don't need to worry about popping Dramamine to make it through the day.