6 Summer Nail Colors & Nail Art Ideas To Get You Ready To Soak Up The Sun

Even though I still need a few layers to go outside, consistent warmer days are on their way. While you get your closet and makeup ready for the new season, there are also a plethora of fun nail colors and nail art ideas for summer 2021 that you'll want to start thinking about. Whether you like to painstakingly paint the details on each nail in the comfort of your home, glue on some long press-ons, or spend a day at the salon, you can find a unique way to spruce up your hands any way you like this summer.

A new, warmer, sunnier season always means it's time to up your color game. Yellows, oranges, blues, and pinks are replacing the deeper olives, burgundies, and black shades of winter. Of course, pastels are still a spring and summer staple, but you can also go down bolder, more vibrant routes. And, if you have a steady hand or a trusted nail technician, there are super fun, graphic nail designs flooding my Instagram Explore page at the moment. The nail world is popping off more than ever, and you don't want to miss out on all these funky trends.

Although, I'm constantly scrolling through nail art pages, I've still not reached expert status. So, I reached out to some nail professionals to get the scoop on all the summer nail trends you'll want to bookmark.

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Summer Nail Trend 2021: Periwinkle Blue

Amy Lin, the founder of Sundays, recommends a powdery periwinkle like L.03 ($18, Sundays) for this coming season. The color feels like the sky on a warm, sunny day and just looking at it will make you want to gather up your friends for a picnic in the park.

Summer Nail Trend 2021: The Swirl

Since swirl nails are so easy to DIY, Syreeta Aaron, LeChat Nails Educator, predicts this look being huge this summer. As your lines don't have to be exact, you can fun bringing all your favorite polish together for one look. All you need to ensure that your spiral looks great is a thin liner brush, like ORLY's Striper Brush ($10, ORLY).

Summer Nail Trend 2021: Multi-Colored French Tips

For all my '90s babies, I'm happy to report that the French manicure is back and better than ever. Rather than the uniform white tips of the past, 2021's version is a technicolor dream. "It's a simple way to express yourself with multiple pops of bright colors that can brighten your mood when you look down at your hands. It's also easier to maintain this particular design when your nails grow out," Lin says. With my shaky hands, I probably won't risk trying to do this style on my own, but I may grab TipsyGel's Rainbow Tips ($25, Etsy) instead.

Summer Nail Trend 2021: Sunny Yellow

This year, the trending bright colors are still vibrant, but a little less neon highlighter if you know what I mean. Aaron suggests going with a sunny yellow, especially since it matches Pantone's color of 2021. LeChat's Happy Hour ($6, LeChat) reminds me of lemonade, the sun on my back, and so many other beach day memories that I'm already dreaming of.

Summer Nail Trend 2021: Tie-Dye Nails

If you're ready to take your swirl to the next level, it's time to try out tie-dye nails. The funky print hasn't lost any of its popularity in 2021, so you definitely want to bring the swirling, vibrant pattern to your nails. I particularly love Chillhouse's Groovy Baby Tips ($16, Chillhouse) — the pastel mixture will pair super well with any tie-dye already in your closet.

Summer Nail Trend 2021: Fruity Nails

As Harry Styles famously wrote, "Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening." How much more summer ready can you get than with literal fruit nails? This trend is a great way to style bold colors in unexpected ways and pay homage to all the sweet foods you've been missing out on. Aaron likes to just stick with a fruit-inspired accent nail, but if you know you have that extra gene in you, don't be afraid to do your whole hand.