20 Vacation Nail Designs That Look Just as Dreamy as Your Next Destination
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You've blocked off your calendar for a few days and are headed on a relaxing getaway soon. With the most difficult part of trip planning (i.e. booking flights and creating an itinerary) out of the way, all that's left for you to focus on is the manicure you'll be taking off with. No matter where your destination is, this is probably the best time to go all out and get creative with bold nail colors and designs.
If you're going somewhere tropical, aquatic designs featuring fish and blue water may be the first that come to mind, but you can also venture outside the box with nail art that focuses on tropical fruits like mangos and bananas. “Summer is all about bright, fun, and bold colors, and fruit designs naturally fit this aesthetic,” Nails INC. founder Thea Green previously told MC. Animal print nail designs have also made a return this year, and these are easy to incorporate into any design if you have a safari tour on the books. The good news is that a simple scroll through social media will expose you to all sorts of vacation nail inspiration.
Before you start working on your out-of-office email, take a look at some out-of-the-box designs worth adding to your vacation manicure mood board ASAP.
Fruits and Veggies
Remember Hailey Bieber's "farmer's market manicure"? It featured various fruits and vegetables (like carrots, blueberries, and cherries) on each finger, and it's a fitting look for summer and any upcoming vacations you might find yourself on.
Fish Nails
Just looking at this funky manicure that Bieber wore while celebrating Kendall Jenner's birthday last year makes me feel like I need to be sunbathing on a Mediterranean island.
Turquoise French Manicure
If a pretty beach is where you'll find yourself at some point within the next few weeks, use 3D gel to add some aquatic elements like seashells and starfish designs to your manicure.
Lemon Yellow
Last summer's lemon yellow trend is still going strong. If complex nail art isn't for you, a solid yellow nail is just bold and bright enough to keep your spirits high throughout all your vacation activities.
Pink Chrome
Vibrant hot pink will always be a go-to summer nail color, but consider adding some extra life to it with a chrome powder if you want to do something way different for vacation.
Mix-n-Match Neons
Earlier this spring, experts predicted that mix-and-match designs that involve wearing a different color on each finger would be a major trend, and even Tracee Ellis Ross was spotted wearing a mismatched look featuring jelly nail polishes. “This design trend reflects individuality and creativity, encouraging clients to explore color in a curated way," Sundays Studio founder Amy Ling Lin says.
You can make this look vacation-friendly by choosing a blend of summery pastels or neon colors.
Orange Jelly
Jelly manicures are created using sheer nail colors, and they're a more playful take on traditional manicures that feature opaque nail colors.
Fruits and Flowers
Have you ever eaten a fresh mango on an island? Grab some orange and yellow polishes and a 3D gel to create a look that channels that same joy.
Ombré Sunset
Use a blend of yellows, reds, and peach-toned colors to paint yourself an ombré manicure that'll remind you of a beachy sunset (or a tequila sunrise if that's your vacation cocktail of choice).
Polka Dots with 3D Flowers
This manicure combines two major trends—butter yellow and polka dots—and tops things off with a dainty 3D flower.
Strawberry Reverse French Manicure
You don't have to have strawberry-picking plans for the summer to incorporate a strawberry look into your manicure. Think of it like a reverse French manicure with white polka dots.
Watermelon Jelly
This manicure inspired by the other ultimate summer fruit, watermelon, can be achieved by painting a neon green color on top of a pink jelly shade.
Oranges
Oranges may not be a summer fruit, but they're sweet and juicy enough to keep you refreshed on vacation. It's also a really easy fruit to incorporate into your manicure. This one adds a simple orange design on top of a milky white shade.
Orange Micro French Manicure
Micro tips are an easy way to give your French manicure a twist, but to give the look more of a vacation-y spin, throw on some orange nail polish and a flower decal.
Starfish
Use your manicure as a way to highlight some of the aquatic wildlife you're bound to come across if you're headed somewhere tropical. This set includes starfish, but if those aren't your thing, you can also paint a few seashells.
Electric Blue Fish
Electric blue works great as a summer nail color, but if you want to get creative and wear something a little fancier than a color-block manicure, grab a set of stickers and add a fish to one or more nails.
Glow-in-the-Dark Florals
Want to have some fun with florals? Consider this glow-in-the-dark design that Hailey Bieber wore to Coachella this year. She used black for her base, but you're free to spruce it up with something brighter if need be.
Safari Prints
Obviously the beach isn't the only place that's vacation-worthy. In the event that you're headed to the jungle, go for an animal print design similar to the leopard manicure Bieber wore during a vacation to Tokyo.
Leopard Cat Eye
Add some dimension to your leopard print manicure by using a shimmery cat eye nail polish.
Lemon Slices
Headed to the Amalfi Coast for a tour of the lemon trees? Consider incorporating them into your next design.
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