15 Best Summer Nail Designs and Ideas to Try

Important PSA: Summer is coming.

If you're looking for inspiration for your summer manicures, Instagram is your best bet. From checkerboard to clouds, top nail salons, and manicurists are serving up major nail art ideas that can be achieved at the salon but are also easy enough to be done at home.

As far as summer 2022 manicures are concerned, anything goes. There is a plethora of Y2K-inspired nail art like rhinestones and butterflies, as well as minimalist designs like half-moons and stripes. Whichever way you're leaning, there's a trend for every mood and vibe.

Here, we've cherry-picked the coolest nail designs that will have will have your manicures covered all summer long.

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1. Checkerboard

A checkered nail is a fun and edgy design that is truly perfect all year round. If you're looking for a brighter summer manicure, take a pastel or neon twist to this chic design. This manicure from Paint Bucket was partially inspired by the Netflix hit show The Queen's Gambit, and has us saying "checkmate" because this is a manicure fit for a queen.

2. Cherry On Top

Cherries are a summer manicure staple. Just ask Kourtney Kardashian, who recently showed off her sweet manicure complete with cherry nail art and red tips. She also showed off her fiancé Travis Barker's tattoo of her name, but that was just the cherry on top for us.

3. Psychedelic Swirls

While Y2K may be heavily influencing all beauty trends this year, the swinging '60s have a chokehold on nail art. Swirls are having a moment, whether they're neutral and minimal, or colorful and maximalist like this design by celebrity nail artist Chaun Legend.

4. Abstract Lines

This abstract design is a take on the way-back-when trend of marbled nails (remember that messy situation we all attempted to create in high school?) Instagram's favorite nail artist Betina Goldstein created the throwback marble nail with a twist. Her "floating ink" design was made using three Essie colors — Cacti On The Prize, Infinity Cool, and You Know the Espadrille.

5. On Cloud Nine

Take your nail art to new heights with this dreamy and fun design by nail artist @karanailedit. These purple clouds — created with Olive & June colors — are perfect to symbolize rainy spring days. But you know what they say: "April showers bring May flowers," so transform them into white fluffy clouds and blue skies for the summer months.

6. Confetti Confections

Who doesn't love a DIY manicure moment — and this look is as foolproof as it gets. You can easily turn any solid color into a vibrant summer manicure with one swipe of JINsoon's Daisy polish. Nail artist Steph Stone transformed her sheer pink nails into a blossoming neon garden.

7. Gold Stars

Give yourself a gold star for your DIY manicure — literally. At first glance, it probably seems like stars would be pretty tough to draw freehand. That's why Olive & June makes nail art stickers. Yup, this manicure was created with decals. While you can add stars to any solid base, they really pop against a neutral color like Olive & June's GH, a baby pink.

8. Flower Bouquets

Turn your fingers into a bouquet with this rainbow daisy manicure created by nail artist Steph Stone, who used a handful of Essie shades for this design. While a dotting tool and nail art brush are ideal for drawing petals, the end of a bobby pin works, too.

9. Minimalist Dots

If you want an eye-catching manicure but don't have the patience to sit and do an intricate design, these simple dots are your best bet.

10. Half and Half

The glitter nail polish party doesn't have to stop when the holidays are over. Make sparkles feel a little more summery by pairing glitter with a pastel shade just like this half-and-half manicure from Paintbox. Think about it: since the sun is nature's Kira Kira filter, you'll need sunglasses just to look down and admire your next-level sparkly nails.

11. Yin and Yang

Connect your two favorite colors by adding yin yang statement nails to your manicure. Keep the shape balanced by using a dual-ended nail brush and dotting tool such as this one from Sally Beauty.

12. Rainbow Connection

The Skittles manicure gets a chic negative space twist. Instead of painting each nail a different color of the rainbow, add two gradient stripes on each side of the nail bed. This colorful nail art was created using Orosa Beauty's 14-free vegan nail polishes.

13. Butterflies

Butterfly clips are having a moment, so naturally, they're a trending nail design this summer, too. Luckily, you don't have to be a professional nail artist to partake in the Y2K trend. After painting classic white tips, simply use stickers like nail artist Amy Le breaks down in her Instagram tutorial.

14. Rainbow French

The French manicure has rightfully regained its status as a timeless nail art design, but that doesn't mean you can't remix the look as the seasons change. Here, nail artist Hang Nguyen swapped white tips for two-toned rainbow ones. What's more, she painted the tip at an angle.

15. Chic Tie-Dye

Last summer's tie-dye sweatsuit craze has transitioned into stellar nail art. Instead of doing your whole nail, this manicure from Hey Nice Nails is the minimalist's way to lean into the tie-dye trend. Use a brush to draw a wavy rainbow on the corner of each nail.

16. Iridescent Shimmer

Get a touch of shine and color whenever your nails hit the light with an iridescent topcoat, like the one nail artist Mo Quin used.

17. Chrome 3D Charms

The metallic look is trending right now, whether it's 2-D polish or 3-D chrome charms like the ones nail artist Juan Alvear attached to Charlie XCX's frosted lavender nails

18. Half-Moons

The beauty of the half-moon manicure is that it can be subtle or loud — it all comes down to the color combo you go with. Here, Elle Gerstein created a contrasting neutral pastel pink and chocolate brown design for Blake Lively.

19. Rhinestone Details

Rhinestones are a popular nail art choice for summer 2022. And who can resist a little sparkle? While you can add the jewels to any color base, we're into how they pop on bare nails. Euphoria's nail artist Natalie Minerva used ManiMe to create this look.

20. Mismatched

Why choose one design when you can wear five of them at once? That was nail artist Julie Kandalec's MO when she created this manicure featuring a handful of retro patterns, including cow print, smiley faces, checkerboard, and more.

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