Neon Summer Nails 25 Ideas: Shades & Designs

Get ready to shine with your summer manicures! Neon shades and bright designs are the stars of the season, adding a fun and energetic vibe to your look. Whether you prefer short, long, almond, or acrylic nails, there’s a neon design perfect for your style. In this article, we’ll showcase 25 vibrant and trendy neon summer nail ideas to inspire your next manicure. From simple, cute patterns to intricate, artistic designs, dive into a world of bold colors and creative nail art.

Purple And Green Leopard

For a bold and fun look, these purple nails with green leopard print accents are perfect. The nail shape is long and square, making this design stand out even more. The contrasting colors create a vibrant and trendy look.

Consumables:
Purple polish: Essie Play Date
Neon green polish: China Glaze I’m With the Lifeguard
Black polish for leopard spots: OPI Black Onyx
Dotting tool for creating spots
Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint the base color (purple) on all nails except the accent nails.
Paint the accent nails with neon green polish.
Use a dotting tool to create black leopard spots on the green nails.
Finish with a top coat to protect the design.

Neon Yellow With Floral Accent

This cute and simple design features bright neon yellow nails with a floral accent and a glitter accent nail. The nail shape is almond, making the design elegant and chic. The floral design adds a playful touch, perfect for summer.

Consumables:
Neon yellow polish: Essie Neon Collection
White polish for flowers: OPI Alpine Snow
Glitter polish: Ciaté London Gold Digger
Detail brush for flowers
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint all nails with neon yellow polish, except the glitter accent nail.
Paint the glitter accent nail with the glitter polish.
Use a detail brush to paint white flowers on one accent nail.
Finish with a top coat to seal the design and add shine.

Pastel Neon Gradients

This design features pastel neon gradients with shades of green, pink, orange, and yellow, creating a fresh and vibrant look. The nail shape is long and square, offering a perfect canvas for the smooth gradient transitions. The addition of black abstract lines and a tiny black rhinestone accentuates the design’s artistic flair.

Consumables:
Neon green polish: Essie Vibrant Vibes
Neon pink polish: Orly Neon Heat
Neon orange polish: China Glaze Orange Knockout
Neon yellow polish: OPI Need Sunglasses?
Black polish for abstract lines: Sally Hansen Black Out
Small black rhinestones
Makeup sponge for blending
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Use a makeup sponge to blend the neon colors, creating smooth gradient transitions on each nail.
Add abstract black lines using a thin brush and attach a small black rhinestone for an accent.
Finish with a top coat to seal and protect the design.

Neon Stripes

This playful design features bright neon stripes in multiple colors over a clear base, creating a fun and dynamic look. The nail shape is almond, making it easy to create smooth and even stripes.

Consumables:
Neon pink polish: Essie Pink Parka
Neon orange polish: China Glaze Sun Worshiper
Neon yellow polish: Essie Neon Collection
Neon blue polish: OPI No Room for the Blues
Striping brush
Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Using a striping brush, paint diagonal stripes of each neon color across the nails.
Allow each color to dry before applying the next stripe to prevent smudging.
Finish with a top coat to seal the design.

Textured Neon Tips

This unique design features a combination of neon colors with textured tips and a matte finish. The nail shape is long and square, making the textured tips stand out prominently.

Consumables:
Neon orange polish: Essie Brights Collection
Neon yellow polish: China Glaze Celtic Sun
Matte top coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte
Texture powder for tips
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint the nails with a gradient of neon orange and yellow polishes.
Apply texture powder to the tips while the polish is still tacky.
Finish with a matte top coat for a modern look.

Soft Blue Ombre

This elegant design features a soft blue ombre effect with a glossy finish, perfect for a subtle yet stylish look. The nail shape is almond, which suits the delicate gradient beautifully.

Consumables:
Light blue polish: OPI It’s a Boy!
White polish: Essie Marshmallow
Makeup sponge for blending
Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Create a gradient by blending light blue and white polishes with a makeup sponge.
Add small white heart decals for an extra cute touch.
Finish with a top coat to seal the design and add shine.

Green Marble Effect

For a bold and trendy look, these green marble nails are perfect. The nail shape is short and square, making this design practical while still being eye-catching. The marble effect is created by blending various shades of green.

Consumables:
Light green polish: Essie Mojito Madness
Dark green polish: OPI Jade is the New Black
White polish: OPI Alpine Snow
Detail brush for marbling
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint the base color with light green polish.
Using a detail brush, create marble patterns with dark green and white polishes.
Finish with a top coat to seal the design and add shine.

Orange And Gold Foil

For a trendy and luxurious look, this design features bright neon orange nails with black stripes and gold foil accents. The nail shape is almond, giving the design a sophisticated edge. The gold foil adds a touch of glamour, making this design perfect for special occasions.

Consumables:
Neon orange polish: China Glaze Orange Knockout
Black polish for stripes: OPI Black Onyx
Gold foil flakes
Top coat: Essie Gel Couture

Home Instructions:

Start with a base coat.
Paint the nails with neon orange polish.
Use a thin brush to create black stripes on the accent nails.
Apply gold foil flakes to the stripes while the polish is still tacky.
Finish with a top coat to secure the foil and add shine.

Wavy Neon Accents

This nail design combines a sleek white base with wavy neon accents in shades of purple, blue, and pink. The nail shape is long and square, providing a perfect canvas for the intricate wave pattern. This art design is both elegant and fun, making it a standout choice for summer.

Consumables:
White base polish: OPI Alpine Snow
Neon purple polish: China Glaze Violet Vibes
Neon blue polish: Essie Butler Please
Neon pink polish: Orly Beach Cruiser
Fine detail brush for wave patterns
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint the nails with the white base polish and allow it to dry.
Using a fine detail brush, create wavy lines with the neon colors on each nail.
Finish with a top coat to seal and protect the design.

Matte Sunset Gradient

This beautiful design features a gradient from blue to yellow, reminiscent of a summer sunset. The nail type is long and oval, which is ideal for showing off the gradient effect. The matte finish adds a modern touch to the overall look.

Consumables:
Light blue polish: OPI It’s a Boy!
Yellow polish: China Glaze Lemon Fizz
Matte top coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte
Makeup sponge for blending

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Use a makeup sponge to blend the blue and yellow polishes, creating a gradient effect.
Apply a matte top coat to finish the look.

Neon Jelly With Glitter

For a unique and trendy design, these neon jelly nails incorporate glitter and a translucent effect. The nail shape is long and square, which complements the layered look of the glitter within the jelly polish.

Consumables:
Neon yellow jelly polish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Lemonade
Clear polish: OPI Top Coat
Gold glitter: Ciaté London Gold Digger
Top coat: Essie Gel Couture

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Apply the neon yellow jelly polish in thin layers until the desired opacity is reached.
Add gold glitter to the wet polish and let it set.
Seal the design with a top coat.

Neon Coral And Scales

This design features bright neon coral nails with accent nails displaying a blue and pink scale pattern. The nail type is long and square, perfect for showcasing the intricate scale design. This look is vibrant and ideal for summer festivals or beach days.

Consumables:
Neon coral polish: Essie Neon Collection Coral
Blue and pink polishes: Essie Bikini So Teeny and Orly Neon Heat
Scale stencil or nail art brush
Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint the neon coral polish on all nails except the accent nails.
Use a stencil or nail art brush to create the scale pattern on the accent nails with blue and pink polishes.
Finish with a top coat.

Neon Yellow With Black Tips

This cute and simple design features bright neon yellow nails with black tips and striped accent nails. The nail shape is short and square, making it practical for everyday wear while still being stylish.

Consumables:
Neon yellow polish: China Glaze Celtic Sun
Black polish: OPI Black Onyx
Striping tape for accents
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat.
Paint all nails with neon yellow polish.
Use black polish to create the tips and stripes with striping tape on the accent nails.
Finish with a top coat.

Blue Bears

This adorable design features light blue nails with cute 3D bear accents, perfect for adding a playful touch to your neon summer nails. The nail shape is oval, providing a smooth and elegant silhouette that enhances the whimsical bear art.

Consumables:
Light blue polish: Essie Bikini So Teeny
3D bear nail art: AliExpress 3D Bear Charms
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Home Instructions:

Apply a base coat to protect your natural nails.
Paint all nails with light blue polish, applying two coats for full opacity.
Attach the 3D bear charms to the nails using a small amount of nail glue.
Finish with a top coat to seal the design and add shine.

Matte Pink

For a bold yet simple look, these matte neon pink nails are the way to go. The nail type is short and square, making this design both practical and stylish. The matte finish adds a modern twist to the bright pink color.