This Summer’s Nail Trends Are Literal Works of Art

Editorial and celebrity nail artist Miss Pop predicts the return of psychedelic designs. “Think: Jen Stark or Josh Sperling-esque squiggles and blobs undulating across nails in a rainbow of hues,” she says. Seen here is her pastel take—a minimalist, yet playful array of periwinkle, white, and pink.

You might have seen it on your IG’s Explore page. “The Sara Tan” combines dreamy glass tips with punchy abstract art, and the reason why it’s a defining look for summer 2021 is simple: “It just looks cool,” says Brittney Boyce (a.k.a. Nails of LA), celebrity nail artist and one of the masterminds behind it. The other is—you guessed it—Gloss Angeles co-host Sara Tan.

“It just went viral,” Boyce said. “It comes back every summer, and people tag me showing they created the look.”

This look suspends iridescent pieces of nail foil in a crystal clear base (specifically ORLY’s Kick Glass in this case). The end result: “It looks like light passing through a crystal prism and you can see all the colors scattered throughout,” says Boyce.

Boyce says you can expect to see more shimmer and metallic finishes. “You can add some easy nail art on top, like this one I created with white fluffy clouds on a shimmery violet base,” she says.

Both Boyce and editorial nail artist Queenie Nguyen are predicting Pucci for the summer. “Pucci is a very bold designer whose abstract prints flow together,” says Boyce. “This look is bold, unapologetic, and most importantly, fun. You can add black outlines to define the colors and shapes even more.”

Want a more subtle version of the look? Nguyen suggests using neutral colors or white (like she did with this manicure) instead of brighter polishes.

The “deep french” is similar to OG (and quintessentially 90s) french manicure but features thicker eggshell-colored tips. Nguyen’s 2020s spin—which she predicts will take over fingertips this summer—uses neon hues and negative space.

Celebrity nail artist Mazz Hanna sees a 70s style making a return via nail art. “I expect to see a lot of 70’s-inspired colors like marigold, terra cotta, and baby blue,” she says, like those in Orly’s Day Trippin collection.