I love having cute nails, but I’m not about to spend two hours going all-out to get a Van Gogh quality masterpiece on my fingers. That’s why I was thrilled to hear that the nail trend of the summer is minimalistic–meaning a lot of negative space with little pops of design.
All you have to do is paint your nails clear and add strips of color or small patterns on top, but you don’t paint the whole nail one solid color. The result is natural, cute and simple. To me, the nails are perfect for a great European vacation–they go with many different outfits and don’t stand out too much when you have a stunning slit dress or floppy hat. Basically, the minimalist nails let other pieces in your outfit make a statement.
If you’re looking for ideas for what to paint over that clear coat, I’d suggest summer symbols like palm trees, suns or plumeria flowers. You can also give a classic French manicure a warm flair with bright neon colors in place of the white tips. Most of the designs can be completed with basic nail art tools, but if you’re desperate, you can try using a toothpick for a fine point to create swirls and floral prints.
InStyle reports that the summer nail trends are nude, pastel and neon colors (of course). So you can combine both looks for some simplistic, muted patterns and voilà! you are ready for a summer getaway to Paris or the Caribbean.