Word on the street is we're having a hot girl summer. And “hot girls” always have to have the freshest manicures. Pink looks great on every skin tone and is the perfect versatile color for summertime.
Pink can do so much for you and your nails. From a neon pink to stand out against a suntan or a pale pink that looks super soft and feminine. Try these stellar pink nail designs that will have your clients feeling tickled-pink about their new mani.
Keep It Girly
Pink is the hero color for the girly client who doesn’t like to stray from their favorite color. To spice things up, offer these options when they don’t want to go too far off the basic beaten path.
Pink Ombre
Ombre is a great pink opportunity. With so many shades available, your client may have a hard time choosing which one they want. Ombre makes this decision a little easier since you can pick at least three colors to blend onto the nail in an ombre pattern.
You’ll need a makeup sponge wedge cut to the shape of the client’s fingernails. Paint each color onto the wedge in horizontal stripes, blending them a bit where the colors touch.
On top of a base coat, dab the polish-covered makeup sponge onto the nail to transfer the blended colors. To prevent a hefty clean-up, paint some liquid latex onto the cuticles and surrounding skin so you’re not spending so much time cleaning up a mess.
Pink and Gold
Pink and gold go absolutely lovely together. A simple look to nail, paint your foundational pink color on their nails, and add a gold crescent moon shape at the base of the nail. Bonus points for a glittery gold.
Modern Pink French
We love this new way of applying a French manicure. Of course, we’re using pink, but that’s not all that makes this look a modernized version of this classic mani.
Instead of curving the detail at the tip of the nail, you’re going to make it more straight-edged. For this look, your client will have to have a square nail shape, like square nails or coffin.
Pro Tip: Use an e-file to achieve the perfect shape.
Using a super thin nail brush over a nude base, paint the tip of the nail pink then connect it vertically down either side of the nail.
Pink Holographic
These pink holographic nails are girly with just a hint of edge. This nail style will look amazing sipping your favorite cocktail and reflecting off the summer sun. For holographic nails, you will need some tools and of course, holographic powder!
What You’ll Need:
- Holographic powder
- Gel nail polish
- Gel base coat
- Gel top coat
- LED/UV lamp light
- 1 dry, fluffy brush
- 1 small nail brush
- Makeup sponge
How To Do Holographic Nails:
- Step 1: Paint the base coat onto clean nails.
- Step 2: Paint the base polish. Be sure to cap the nail.
- Step 3: Cure for 30 seconds.
- Step 4: Smudge on the holographic powder using a sponge.
- Step 5: Brush off the excess holographic powder around the nail bed and outside of the nail.
- Step 6: Apply a top coat using your small nailbrush. Be sure to use a different brush than the one that comes in the polish to prevent you from getting some holographic powder mixed in with your bottle of topcoat. Cure for 60 seconds.
- Step 7: Admire the holographic nails in the sunlight!
Try Something Edgy
Pink nail polish designs definitely don’t have to be just for the girly girls. The color pink is bold and full of charisma. Consider offering up some of these edgy designs to the client who doesn’t consider pink as one of their go-to colors. They will definitely be pleasantly surprised.
Hot Pink Drip
We’re taking inspiration from the melting popsicle dripping over your nails as it melts in the hot sun. Drip nails are trending right now and we are kicking it up a notch by going in with hot pink.
For this look, you can start with a simple base coat and go in with a translucent nude or pink color. After that’s cured, use your nail brush to paint on a thick French tip. Then, drag some sections of the tip down into a drop to make it look like the polish is dripping down.
Pink Dalmatian
Cruella De Vil is all the rage right now with the newest movie out on Disney+ and we are totally here for it. Pay homage to the queen of spotted pups herself with this pastel and pink dalmatian nail design. Start by painting on a nude color that compliments their skin tone. Using a nail art brush, carefully paint hot pink splotches reminiscent of doggy spots or cow spots on each nail.
Pink With Black Rhinestones
This style says “bad girl” all over it. When your client comes in wanting something different that will stand out from all the basic nail styles, offer them this pink and black rhinestone nail design idea. We love a hot pink color for this but a light or pale pink works just as well.
The longer the nail, the better. We especially love a coffin-shaped or almond-shaped nail for this look. Cover each nail with a couple of coats of hot pink nail polish and cure under the LED lamp for 60 seconds.
Pull out a pair of tweezers, nail glue, and black rhinestones. Adhere the black rhinestones to the base of the nail as close as possible to the cuticle and glue the rhinestones on in a shape that follows the curve of the cuticle. You’ll be left with a look that mimics a crown.
Pink Flames With White Detailing
For the client who always has the newest trendy items, introduce this manicure option to them so they can have it before anyone else catches on. Nothing shouts baddie more than a coffin-shaped acrylic nail, so start by filing their nails into this go-to shape.
Depending on your client’s vision, you can paint on the flames either at the tip of the nail facing downwards or at the base of the nail nearest the cuticle facing upwards. After painting on the flames, clean off your nail art brush with acetone and add some white detailing to the flames to make them pop even more.
Keep It Simple
If your client comes in just wanting something simple, offer these options to take their plain pink manicure from boring to energized.
Shades of Pink
Tonal manicures are another trend we are happy to hop on. To help the client’s indecision in choosing a bright shade or light shade, simply suggest both! For this design, every nail is a different shade of pink. It’s important that all the colors vibe well with one another and complement each other.
Center-Split Pink and Red
Pink and red go remarkably well together. Instead of alternating each fingernail from pink to red, split the nail down the center with each color. On one side of the fingernail, you can paint on a streak of pink, and on the other side — a streak of red. Painter’s tape can really help keep your lines straight and lend a hand for the not-so-steady-handed.
Pink With Palm Leaves
Summer vacation is time for cute bikinis and relaxing under the hot sun with a cool breeze. Translate this blissful feeling onto your clients’ nails with the help of stickers. Palm leaves aren’t the easiest design to paint on yourself, so take advantage of stickers that will give you a final product that looks just as awesome.
A pale pink against green palm leaves is the first step, and the second step is booking a flight to the Bahamas with your fresh, tropical manicure.
In Conclusion
When it comes to a pink manicure, your options are endless. So many different vibes can be achieved with pink nail polish, so don’t discount pink to just being a girly, feminine color. Summertime is the best time to try out new colors and looks so try to sway your clients to do something new and go bold with pink this summer!
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