Summer has arrived in the Valley and that means sandal weather is here; time to polish up! From geometric patterns to striped designs to the perfect messy touch, it’s all about attention to detail when it comes to nails this season. Keep both your fingernails and toenails up-to-date with these hottest summer trends.
Trend: Bold Brights
Full of festivals, vacations and days spent out by the pool, summer is the perfect time to grab all those electric-hued polishes you typically steer clear of the rest of the year. Heather Ferguson from 20 Lounge, the boutique nail bar in Scottsdale, recommends OPI’s My Dogsled is a Hybrid (a brilliant sea green), CND Shellac in Wisteria Haze (a shocking purple) and CND Shellac in Lost Labyrinth (a vivid sky blue). Or make a statement with punchy neon nails reminiscent of iconic highlighter shades in China Glaze’s Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and Orly’s Popsicle. To guarantee your nails really stand out, paint a layer of white nail polish before your neon hue of choice for the most saturated color. Talk about looking on the bright side!
Trend: Petal Pastels
If you’re looking for colors a little less in your face, you are in luck because creamy pastels and classic nudes have also been having a major moment both on and off the runway this summer. Be on the lookout for such pretty pastel hues as milky lemon, pearlescent linen, sheer pink, pale lavender, peachy cream, and sage green. Nude nail polish is being considered the manicure world’s next greatest hit after ballerina pink and fire-engine red due to its versatility. True nude nails not only elongate your fingers, but look great on manicures of all shapes and lengths as well. Use thin, even strokes and layer a high-gloss top coat over these more opaque formulas to keep them from looking chalky. Then pair these pastels with tougher elements (i.e. an all-black outfit or studded accessories) to give any ensemble a more feminine twist.
Trend: Negative Space
InStyle has dubbed this next craze the cutout dress of the nail world. The negative space nail trend was translated from the well-known art technique onto model’s hands for Fashion Week, but the trend can easily be recreated at home. The look doesn’t require a base color and gives the illusion of polish floating against your naked nail bed. Half-moons, one of the most popular negative space styles, can be created using hole reinforcement stickers as stencils and a nail polish corrector pen to smooth any uneven spots, making the outlines of the crescents sharper. Or update a traditional French manicure by painting your tips in the same color polish as your half-moons for double the pretty. When trying these techniques remember patience is key, your nails are like tiny canvases and require a proper amount of time to dry for best results.
Trend: White Hot
Remember back in middle school when you would leave class with chalky matte fingertips all thanks to Wite-Out? Well, the minimalist all-white manicure is one of this summer’s hottest nail trends. To graduate this look from preteen to grownup, choose a polish with a hint of ivory to soften the look. Some current obsessions are Essie Blanc, Butter London’s Pearly Queen, Deborah Lippmann’s Amazing Grace and Chanel’s Eastern Light. Take your white mani to the next level by channeling Kate Spade’s spring/summer 2015 runway show. Using a striping brush, simply add a thin black stripe to your opaque white nails, not forgetting the ever-important base and tops coats. The resulting look is as strong and graphic as it is natural and fresh. And the best part? This trend can transition smoothly into winter, meaning you can keep your crisp, solid white manicures on well after Labor Day.
