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.
- Miss Pop is a nail artist based in New York City.
- Jin Soon Choi is a New York City-based nail artist and founder of JinSoon.
- Sarah Chue is a nail artist based in Los Angeles.
- Elle Gerstein is a nail artist based in Freeport, New York.
Fresh white
Courtesy of @jinsoon
Courtesy of @overglowedit
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.
Electric blue
Courtesy of @melanated.mani
Getty Images
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.
Jelly pink
Courtesy of @betina_goldstein
Courtesy of @matejanova
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.”
