This Summer’s Biggest Nail Color Trends Are All About Scaling Back

16.05.2025, 22:02 allure.com

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This summer is all about feeling lighter: We’re approaching our makeup with gentler hands and opting for airier garments. We’re investing in more hobbies that make us feel less weighed down. (I’ll be junk-journaling on my patio until it gets blazing hot.) We’re spending more time outside and less time in overstimulating shopping centers (more so now than ever). Nail artists’ predictions of this season’s biggest nail color trends reflect that sentiment.

They foresee polishes that are muted (like pastel lilac), soft (milky white), or worn intentionally sheer (jelly pink). “Milky finishes are the look for neutrals, soft shades—and even brights have gone jelly,” says Miss Pop, a nail artist based in New York City. While some quintessential brights make their return, expect them to take on an even more invigorating edge—one that’ll make you surge with dopamine and feel refreshed. Ahead, discover the top nail colors experts predict will be everywhere this summer.

Meet the experts:

Like burying your face in freshly laundered linens or sipping on a vanilla milkshake, white polish will make you want to say, “Aah,” as you look down at your fingertips. “From sheer, milky whites to crisp, opaque polishes, these nails are versatile, clean, and effortlessly elevated,” says nail artist and brand founder Jin Soon Choi, who adds that the color appeared across The Row, Proenza Schouler, and Rick Owens’s recent Fashion Week presentations. “The look embodies the ‘quiet luxury’ movement and the minimalist, skin-care-inspired beauty aesthetic.”

For something milky, sweep on thin layers of Manucurist Green Natural Nail Polish in Milky White or Hermès Les Mains Hermès Nail Polish in Blanc Orage, if you want some shimmer. For a sharper alabaster, Choi suggests her polish in Absolute White. I also can’t stop staring at the glossy finish of Olive and June Nail Polish in HD.

Manucurist

Amazon

Bluemercury

Hermés

Nordstrom

Saks Fifth Avenue

Jinsoon

Olive & June

Walmart

Olive & June

To me, this color is the flash of lightning during a late-night summer storm. To Miss Pop, it’s David Bowie in the song “Sound and Vision.” The bright, zingy blue is taking over this season with a bang. Miss Pop’s recommendation is Zoya Nail Polish in Walker, which she used on the models in BruceGlen’s spring/summer 2025 NYFW show to reflect the designer’s “dopamine dressing.”

“Electric blue is vibrant, bright, and creates a lovely contrast against summer skies,” adds Los Angeles-based nail artist Sarah Chue. Her pick for this trend is Orly’s It’s Brittney Beach, which is slightly deeper and oceanic, but just as scintillating. I also like ILNP’s Blueprint, which is swirled with glitter that has a light blue shift.

Zoya

Orly

Ulta Beauty

ILNP

Amazon

Everything is jelly these days—our blushes, face creams, and, of course, our manicures. The jelly color of the summer is a juicy pink. Jelly pink uses “very sheer, translucent polish to mimic the glass-like feel of Jell-O,” says Chue. She adds that it can be layered on top of clear extensions, “allowing light to pass through to get that glossy look.”

For a manicure that looks like it’s about to jiggle, try Essie Nail Art Studio Jelly Polish in Riviera Rush (a translucent watermelon) and OPI Nail Polish in Candied Claws (a sheer, warm, cotton-candy polish).

Essie

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

OPI

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Summer breeze makes me feel fine, and nail artist Elle Gerstein says that’s the vibe of wearing pastel lilac. “It’s fresh and airy,” she says, adding that the finished look is soft and can appear as a neutral on olive skin. I’m partial to Pleasing Live Laugh Lilac Nail Polish and Manucurist Green Natural Nail Polish in Lisa Lilas (two true pastel lilac polishes). On days I can't resist shimmer, I sweep on INLP Nail Polish in Lilac Bridges.

Pleasing

Manucurist

ILNP

Amazon

Cin cin! We’ve made it to outdoor brunch season, and what’s more refreshing than a glass of chilled limoncello or lemonade? The citrusy yellow, “It’s happy,” says Gerstein. “And we all need some happiness right now.”

Her pick is Mineral Fusion Nail Polish in Golden Hour, which she says complements darker skin tones. (Gerstein is a spokesperson for the brand.) You can also try Cirque Colors in Cintron Jelly (for a sheer take on the trend) and Le Mini Macaron in Lemon Sorbet (a creamy, bright lacquer).

Mineral Fusion

Cirque Colors

Amazon

Le Mini Macaron

Ulta Beauty

Beyond Polish

Choi has been painting muted blue (specifically, JinSoon Nail Polish in Bliss) on her clients lately, including Sora Choi (who wore it as a base at polish at this year’s Met Gala) and the models at the Monse spring/summer 2025 show. “This isn’t your typical cheerful baby blue; it’s sheer and quietly moody,” says Choi. “The translucent quality adds depth and a cooling softness, creating a barely there look that still makes a subtle, sophisticated statement.”

Looking for something even more delicate? Opt for Essie Nail Art Studio Jelly Gloss Nail Polish in Sky Jelly, which evokes the feeling of a gust of wind in a garden of forget-me-nots. And I’d be remiss not to suggest Olive and June’s Friend or Anemone?, which has finely milled sparkles for a little extra shine.

Jinsoon

Essie

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Olive & June

When “soap nails” hit the Allure group chat, we were skeptical: “Aren’t these just nude-pink nails?” one editor asked. That’s exactly what they are—and they’re extremely popular among Miss Pop’s clients. “The trending nude colors are being worn sheer, à la the soap nail trend,” she says, adding that she created soapy nude looks on Uma Thurman and Amanda Seyfried in the last month. Your choice of polish for this look is extra personal, but the Allure team has some suggestions here.