35+ Best Summer Manicure and Pedicure Ideas

If you’re in search of the best summer manicure and pedicure ideas we’ve got the scoop on all you need to know!

This time of year calls for a hint of color, a sprinkle of creativity, and a dash of flair to revive your nail designs.

But with so many trends and styles around, can’t it be hard to narrow down what you are looking for?

Never fear—we’ve got more than 35 cute summer manicure and pedicure ideas to keep your fingertips in tip-top shape this season. 

Nail polish neons are back in a big way: they’re a bold, bright, bright, bright accessory.

If you’re interested in going to the extremes of color, check out some of these neon nail art designs to find inspiration and direction.

Neon gradient adventures let you travel through a rainbow of colors that melt into each other in a chromatic landscape where variation is right before your fingertips.

A hand displaying neon orange and green ombre manicure on long, almond-shaped nails, held against a background of white flowers.

Don’t be afraid of UV-reactive polish! Nails that glow under a blacklight: style with attitude.

This isn’t polish for the sake of being seen – it’s polish for a statement.

A close-up of a hand showcasing bright orange nail polish on almond-shaped nails.

It’s time to make your nails speak, and when they do, they’ll yell: ‘Look at me!’

Trust me, you’ll love the attention.

Chic Pastel Ideas

And now, let’s move this party to the land of chic pastel manicure and pedicure sets.

Where your nails are the color of dust and powder, and you look like you’ve been dipped in soft, muted steamed milk.

Pastel marble designs are about to take over, and you’ll love it.

Close-up of a person's feet with sky blue painted toenails against a white background.

Simply mix and match powder blue, blush pink, and mint green hues to achieve a statement that’s both sophisticated and suited for summer.

Unicorn manicures are also popular and among the trends to try, where you take several pastel hues and layer them on top of each other to achieve the kind of ethereal, iridescent hue a unicorn’s mane would have.

Throw in some glitter to catch the light, and you’ll get a magical manicure.

Two hands with mint green nail polish, neatly manicured with rounded tips, resting against a pale background.

These pastel manicure ideas will keep your nails at the pinnacle of fashion this summer, so go ahead and fall in love with the adorableness of these innovative, trendy designs.

Tropical-Themed Inspirations

Alongside pastel manicures, tropical pedicures are added to the mix to finish the summer look.

These colorful designs are a plus as they spice things up and bring vacay vibes to your toes.

1. Tropical fruit motifs—pineapples, coconuts, or citrus slices will make you feel like you’re walking on sand. These fun, lovely, playful motifs are guaranteed to be a talking point.

2. Sea-inspired designs: These pedicures instantly transport you to the beach from sea waves to shells and sea life. They are cool, relaxing, and the perfect idea for summer.

3. Bright floral patterns: Who doesn’t think of the tropics when faced with a burst of exotic flowers? These designs are often bright, bold, and detailed to make your feet look like a tropical garden.

Glittery Nail Art Designs

Sometimes forgotten, glitter nail art can spark your summer manicure with ingenuity and style.

The glitter gradient adds depth and shininess to your nails.

A person's hand showcasing long, almond-shaped nails with a sparkling, holographic finish, resting on a soft beige fabric.

Start with a solid base color, and then gradually apply the glitter from the tip down to create a stunning gradient.

Experiment with glitter styles and colors.

Close-up of a person's feet showcasing a pedicure with alternating blue glitter and silver sparkly nail polish on the toenails, set against a dark textured surface.

Holographic glitter adds a futuristic feel and reflects light in various colors, so your nails will be a talking point at any summer gathering.

Classic French Tips Revamp

Refresh your favorite polish and give classic French tips a summery update.

You may also want to experiment with the shape and color of your revamped tip to achieve the perfect summer look.

Close-up of hands with French manicure nails, featuring pale pink bases and white tips, resting on a soft textured surface. A thin ring is worn on one finger.

1. New Nail Tips: If you normally get straight-across tips, switch to a chevron or V shape to give your nails an instant modern look and a lengthening effect.

2. French Tip Colors: For a bold summery color, put the white tip to rest and embrace coral, turquoise, or metallic gold.

3. Mix and Match: Combine the two trends – try a chevron tip in a bright hue.

Minimalist Nail Styles for Summer

For those who prefer a less-is-more attitude, minimalist nail styles are the chic, au courant alternative to classic French tips, especially during summer.

You can’t go wrong with simple monochrome textures, which let you be sophisticated without looking too put out.

Black or white polish is a good choice, providing a strong, contrasting finish.

Hands with white nail polish featuring orange and blue stripe designs on a neutral background.

Or opt for a matte finish style, a modern departure from high gloss.

This look can be super fun, especially when playing with colors that mimic a cotton candy look.

These muted hues absorb light instead of reflecting it and lend nails a contemporary, fashion-forward edge.

Soft pastels or earthy, natural neutrals are a subtle but stylish option.

It’s the art of achieving the sublime through the simple.

And so, this summer, it’s time to go minimalist with your nails – less is more.

Striking Metallic Nail Ideas

It is true that metallic nails are a must-have if you’re after a bit of glitz and shine to brighten your summer style. 

They’re not just for Christmas and the winter season, you know.

Long, almond-shaped nails with a shiny, metallic finish held against a gray background.

1. Metallic Marble Effects: This mani and pedi trend involves artistically mixing metallic shades. Think of your nails as a canvas and the metallic polish as molten metal. The result? A truly unique, eye-catching manicure.

2. Foil nail art: Nail art at its finest – specks of foil polish make for the most shiny, reflective finish!

3. Metallics: Don’t limit yourself to one shade! Mix your metallics by combining gold, silver, and bronze.

Vibrant Ombre Nail Designs

If you want to try something new this summer, look no further than ombre nail art.

This style will undoubtedly make a splash with its many bright colors.

Ombre nail art with a gradient from yellow to pink on well-manicured, almond-shaped nails, shown against a light gray background.

We’re loving this sophisticated yet still full of fun look. 

The ombre gradient technique lets you seamlessly blend color from light to dark, or vice versa, on your fingernails.

It is a creative and fashionable way to decorate your nails.

For DIY ombre nails:

  1. Start with a base coat of the lightest color
  2. Apply the darker color and dab it with a makeup sponge to blend upwards into the lighter shade for that perfect gradient.
Hands displaying nails with a gradient design blending pink, blue, and white colors.

Don’t be afraid to use vivid, bright colors – reds that run into yellows, blues that run into purples.

Ombre nails are about being as creative as you want to be.

Elegant Nudes for a Subtle Look

Where the rainbow hues of ombre are perfect for a bold, playful stride, perhaps you prefer the nude-colored polish for a more subtle look.

Nude shades can be so chic and elegant and have a refined appeal that they can be worn at any time of day, for any occasion.

Close-up of a hand with neatly manicured, almond-shaped nails painted in a glossy, light beige polish.

Here’s a guide to achieving that matte finish elegance:

1. Pick Your Naked: From beige to brown, there’s a nude for you. Find the best one for your skin tone

2. Prime that Nailbed: Smooth canvas is a blank canvas. Base coat is essential!

3. Wear Your Nude: Apply two thin coats of your chosen nude polish. For additional longevity and sophistication, finish with a matte top coat.

Two pairs of hands and feet with neatly painted pale pink nails, resting on a white fluffy surface.

Embrace the simplicity of nude nails and stand out with subtlety.

Pretty Floral Inspirations

Personalize your style with the sheer elegance of a floral manicure, which will take you into a flower garden with a single brushstroke.

This summer manicure and pedicure ideas will have your friends asking you to do their nails!

Let your personality express itself through the season’s choice of flowers, from demure daisies to wild sunflowers or maybe even cherries!

Close-up of a hand with nails painted black featuring small, detailed white and blue floral designs against a green leafy background.

Next, it’s time for floral nail maintenance to keep your manicure fresh and blooming, so visit your favorite nail salon to keep this look fresh all summer. 

But if you cannot make it to your nail tech, buying and regularly applying a top coat helps prevent your flowers from withering, and a good cuticle oil helps keep your nail beds in tip-top shape. 

Your hands are your canvas, so take good care of them.

In a technological world where every day is an upgrade, a floral manicure is your unique selling point. Let your nails flower!

Eye-Catching Geometric Patterns

If you are tired of the flower motif, geometric designs make a modern and striking alternative to your summer pedicures.

Exploring geometric patterns opens up the possibility of creating unique designs using shapes and lines, and the possibilities are endless.

When it comes to geometric summer pedicure ideas, here are three innovative ideas to try:

Manicure and pedicure nail maintenance tips: 

  1. Always topcoat your designs to keep them lasting longer
  2. Oil your cuticles
  3. Moisturize daily to maintain healthy-looking feet.

Dazzling Rhinestone Nail Ideas

Want to turn your fingertips into a glittering galaxy full of stars?

It’s easy to do with some of the latest crazes in rhinestone nail art designs. 

Use rhinestone placement styles to create glamorous patterns, or stick to a single accent nail for a glam pop.

Remember to pick your rhinestones in proportion to your nail.

Smaller stones will allow for more detailed designs, and bigger ones will be the focal points, while color is what will give you a wider range of options and possibilities.

Match your rhinestones to your polish for a monochromatic look, or contrast the colors for a pop.

Play around with the nail shape, whether you want square and round to see how that interacts with your dazzling rhinestones! 

Dive into the sparkle and dazzle with rhinestone nails.

Mix and Match Color Combinations

While experimenting with your nail art, have fun playing with mix-and-match color combinations to add a bit of whimsy to your look.

Use color psychology in nail art to express your mood and personality. Be bold, be fun, and let your nails do the talking.

Two hands with nails painted in alternating solid yellow and pink with white striped designs against a pale background.

Consider these innovative mix-and-match ideas:

1. Sunset Palette: Create colors of burnt or bright orange, pink, and gold – like a tropical sunset – for a cozy vibe.

2. Oceanic Hues: Blues and teals from the sea and sky blend to create a sense of calm and tranquility.

3. Floral Fusion: Pair saturated greens with floral accents for a burst of garden blooms.

Fun Polka Dot Nail Designs

Polka-dots are so in with these summer manicure and pedicure ideas.

You can play around with the size of the dots, big and little, or mix and match for a colorful explosion of fun. 

Close-up of a hand displaying nails painted white with black polka dots and one accent nail with a glittery design.

Go for a single accent dot on your nails or a whole nail bed full of dots.

How you place your dots has a huge impact on your design.

Put them in a straight line for a modern, geometric look, or place them randomly for an easier, whimsical vibe.

Bigger dots at the base and smaller ones at the tip of your nail will create a gradient effect.

Get polka-dot nails, embrace polka-dot designs, and have fun.

Edgy Abstract Ideas

Past the polka-dot fancy, now it abstract manicures for that cool – artistic, modern vibes.

Engage your creative side and push boundaries with these innovative ideas:

1. Nail Art Nail Art Inspired By Graffiti: Take the graffiti scene to your fingertips. With a mix of bright neon and dark shades, create graffiti-like designs where each nail is a canvas.

2. Splatter Paint Methods: What would a Jackson Pollock-inspired makeover be without splatter paint? Color splashes and random shapes. In art terms, there’s no such thing as a mistake, so don’t be neat; go for it.

3. Geometric Abstractions: Flirt with lines, shapes, and angles in a minimalist but dramatic manicure. Think outside the box; your nails are your modern art masterpiece.

Summer Manicure and Pedicure Ideas

So there you have it – the scoop on the best summer manicure and pedicure ideas for all your summer adventures!

Whether you are in the mood for neon craziness, pastel dreams, tropical pedicures, or just want to re-invent your classic French tips, you are well-equipped to tackle the heat in style.

Add glittery designs or rhinestones for extra sparkle.

Mix and match colors, embrace polka dots, or get edgy with abstract.

It’s up to you to make your summer style!

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