The summer season is all about soaking up the sun, spending time at the beach, and embracing a laidback, tropical vibe.
One great way to get into the summer spirit is with fun, beachy nail art featuring vibrant shades of turquoise. Turquoise is the perfect summer nail color – it’s bright, energizing, and reminds you of the ocean.
Today let’s explore over a dozen different ways you can rock gorgeous turquoise nails this season.
Get you inspiration =)
Turquoise Solid Nails
One of the easiest ways to wear turquoise on your nails is with a solid polish coating.
This classic, chic look is simple yet beautiful. When done properly, solid turquoise nails really allow the gorgeous shade to shine. Here are some tips to get this style perfectly:
Start off with properly shaped and prepped nails – make sure they are filed into the desired shape and buffed to a smooth, even surface. Push back and trim the cuticles if needed.
Then thoroughly cleanse the nails and use cuticle oil for hydration.
Next, apply a base coat to protect the nails from staining and damage. Choose a nourishing base coat that contains ridge filling ingredients to help smooth out the nail plate surface.
Make sure to apply it evenly over the entire nail. Let the base coat dry completely before moving onto the next step.
Now comes the fun part – painting on the turquoise polish!
Look for a rich, vibrant turquoise shade with your preferred finish – creamy, shimmery, or metallic. Make sure to pick a formula that has good opacity so you don’t need multiple coats to achieve an opaque look.
Using three thin coats of turquoise polish helps build up to full coverage and intensity of color. Shake the polish well before application. Use smooth, even strokes to paint the first coat over each entire nail.
Let the polish dry thoroughly between each layer. Apply the second coat in the same fashion. Finally, finish with a third layer, letting the polish dry fully in between. This helps the turquoise shade really pop while keeping layers thin prevents bubbles or drips.
Finish off the solid turquoise nails with a high shine top coat. Look for a quick-drying top coat that helps protect the manicure and can also help smooth out any little imperfections.
Apply a layer over all the nails and let fully dry. The top coat seals in the gorgeous turquoise polish while adding a glossy, salon-like finish.
Solid turquoise nails are a perfect canvas to show off the stunning shade. The color instantly brightens up any summer outfit with its playful vibrancy.
For extra pop, try a neon or electric turquoise hue. Or add your own flair by painting the accent nails in a different color like white, black, or gold. Either way, fresh solid turquoise nails are a foolproof way to embrace summer in style!
Glitter Tips Turquoise Nails
One way to spice up a basic turquoise mani is by adding glitter tips. This simple addition elevates the look from straightforward to dazzling. Glitter ombre tips are fun, sparkly, and perfect for summer. Here are some tips to easily DIY this style:
Start with a base of your favorite turquoise polish. As mentioned above, apply two to three thin coats and make sure to let each layer dry before adding the next. Leave a couple millimeters of space at the tip of each nail bare.
Next, paint the tips with a glitter polish. Make sure it complements the turquoise base color. Good options include silver, pale blue, teal, green, gold, or iridescent glitter shades. Brighter or bolder glitters help the design stand out more against the base color.
When painting the glitter tips, apply polish to fully cover the bare nail tips. Use smooth strokes and don’t overload the brush. Let the glitter polish dry thoroughly before moving on.
To help diffuse the glitter ombre effect, you can take a makeup sponge and gently dab along the edges between the turquoise base and glitter tips. This helps the colors seamlessly fade together.
Apply a good quality top coat to help smooth everything out and help reinforce the glitter polish. Look for a thicker top coat formulated to be long-wearing. Apply an even layer across all the nails to seal in the design.
The glitter tips add sparkle and fun to the turquoise base color. They’re perfect for vacations, beach days, and summer parties when you want to glam up your nails.
The glitter fade on each nail is striking and pretty. Not to mention, glitter ombre tips help elongate the nails for a more flattering look.
Feel free to switch up the glitter shades to create different ombre combinations with the turquoise base polish. You can also make some glitter tips bold and bright while others are more subtle and sheer for variety.
However you wear them, glitter tip turquoise nails are guaranteed to dazzle all season long!
Ocean-Inspired Nail Art
What better way to embrace beachy turquoise nails than with ocean-themed nail art? The colors and designs evoke a sense of sailing, sea breezes, and tropical destinations. Here are many creative ways to get inspired by the ocean:
Paint alternating nails with light and dark turquoise polishes. The contrast between the shades mimics the look of foamy waves. Use a small detail brush or toothpick to add a simple line across each nail to serve as a wave stripe. Make the lines fluid and organic for extra oceanic flair. Finish with a fast-drying topcoat to seal in the design and add glossy shine.
Or try painting your nails with a base of shimmery turquoise polish to resemble the sea at sunset. Leave the tips of the nails bare. Then use a slightly darker polish to paint on abstract crescent moon shapes or simple lines at the tips for a subtle ocean wave effect.
Complete the look with a layer of top coat.
For bubble nails, paint your nails with a creamy, sky blue turquoise polish. While the base color is still wet, take a dotting tool dipped in white polish and gently press onto the nail to create “bubble” dots. Or try using the opposite colors – white base with turquoise bubble dots. Finish with shiny top coat to seal in the bubbles.
Use a base color like pearlescent turquoise or seashell nude. Then use a small brush or dotting tool to paint on tiny colorful fish designs.
Try bright coral, blue, and teal for tropical fish colors. You can also add sea star or seashell accents. Keeping the fish and sea life small creates a fun bubble effect.
Paint a sheer sandy beige or ivory polish at the tips of the nails to mimic the beach. Lightly blend it into the lower half of the nail over a bright turquoise base to create a seamless gradient and painted “seashore” effect.
The ocean nail designs pair perfectly with the turquoise base and really reinforce the beachy vibe. Not to mention the smooth gradient blends and fluid lines help lengthen the look of your nails.
Have fun with the shapes, colors and patterns – the possibilities are endless when channeling ocean vibes on your turquoise summer nails!
Turquoise French Tips
A chic take on French tips is to use turquoise polish for colorful stripes instead of white. This lively twist reinvents the classic French manicure with some striking summer flair. Here’s how to DIY the look:
Start by prepping your nails – make sure they are shaped evenly, trimmed, hydrated and buffed smooth. Apply base coat over each nail and let it dry completely before polishing.
Next, paint on your base nude polish. A warm beige, pale pink, or creamy white shade works well. Apply two to three thin, even coats, letting each layer dry in between. Extend the nude polish all the way to the tip of each nail to create the “base.”
Paint the turquoise color in stripes diagonally across the tips, spanning around half of the nail bed width. Use quick strokes and a bit of a lighter touch as you polish over the raised nail edge – this avoids flooding the turquoise over the sides.
You can keep the tips a consistent width or alternate between thin and thick stripes from nail to nail. Make sure the turquoise polish is opaque in 2-3 layers. Let dry fully before top coat.
Finish with a glossy top coat to seal in the color. Use an even, smooth layer to cover both the nude base and turquoise tips. This helps the striping design really stand out.
The bright turquoise tips freshen up the iconic French manicure for a striking summer look. You can also experiment by angling the stripes, alternating different turquoise hues, or layering glitter tip effects.
Painting turquoise at an angle helps extend the look of the nails. This beachy take on French tips is definite to grab attention.
Geometric Turquoise Nails
If you want to switch up solid turquoise polish, try painting on some geometric nail art designs. The structured shapes and lines pair beautifully with the vibrant color to create minimalist nail designs. Here are some chic geometric options:
Paint your nails with alternating coats of turquoise cream and bright white polish. Start by fully painting each nail with 2-3 coats of each color.
Once dry, place striping tape diagonally across the nails, rotating the angle every other nail. Then take the opposite color and paint over the tape. This creates a striking geometric chevron pattern.
Or try painting all nails with a shimmery turquoise base. Let dry, then use a thin nail art brush to paint straight white lines along the lower half of the nail beds.
Finish with another row of perpendicular lines to form squares. The contrast against the turquoise base is bold and graphic.
For retro vibes, paint on turquoise base color first. Once dry, use a nail art brush to paint minimalist white triangular shapes pointing toward the cuticle on accent nails. Keep the shapes very clean and uniform for a retro pixelated look.
Create a colorblocked skittle manicure by painting each nail a different bright turquoise shade – try mixing metallics, creams, neons, and shimmers. Outline each nail with thin white striping polish to aesthetically divide the colors.
The geometric shapes and striping tape lines pair strikingly with the vibrant turquoise polishes. You can add metallic gold or silver accents for extra flair too. However you design them, geometric turquoise nails are guaranteed to grab attention and complement any summer outfit!
Turquoise Marble Nails
Marble nail art never goes out of style and it looks especially fresh and vibrant when painted in summery turquoise shades. The swirling, fluid look is artistic and lush. Here are some tips for creating mesmerizing marbleized turquoise nails:
Start by painting all nails with a creamy turquoise base shade. Apply two to three thin coats and make sure each layer is dry before adding the next. This provides an even, opaque base.
Take a toothpick, skewer, or dotting tool, and drop tiny pools of white nail polish randomly onto the turquoise base. Try concentrating the white polish toward the tips for a faded effect.
Before the polish dries, quickly swirl everything together to create the marbled look. Drag the dotting tool from cuticle to tip and side to side. The more you swirl the colors, the more blended the marble effect will be.
While still wet, use a brush dipped in turquoise polish to help further blend the white swirls into the base color. This helps soften any harsh edges and creates gorgeous turquoise and white marble.
Let the design fully dry, then finish with a shiny top coat to smooth and set the marble effect. Using gel polish that self-levels works great for ultra glossy, vivid marble nails.
You can create subtle marbled accents on just a few accent nails or go bold with swirling marble on all nails. Layering glitter polish on top elevates the look even further.
With so many ways to swirl turquoise and white polish, you can create endless artistic marble combinations to switch up your summer nail game!
Turquoise Chevron Nails
Chevron nail art is a trendy way to spice up any ordinary manicure with some playful pizzazz. The colorful stripes pair perfectly with bright shades like turquoise for a beachy fresh look. Here’s how to easily DIY the zig-zag design at home:
Start by painting all nails with two to three coats of the turquoise polish of your choice. Let each layer dry thoroughly before moving on. The chevron design really pops against a vibrant turquoise backdrop.
Next, place small chevron or zig-zag shaped nail art tape diagonally across each nail, rotating the angle with each nail. Try alternating between thinner and wider tape shapes for variety.
Paint two to three layers of a complementing polish over the taped nails and let dry. Good color pairings include white, silver, yellow, blue, or neutral nude.
While the polish is still a bit wet, carefully peel off the chevron tape to reveal the stripes underneath. Use a small tool if needed to get under the edges of the tape.
Finish with a fast-drying top coat like Seche Vite to set the chevron design and add eye-catching gloss.
The high contrast colorful chevron stripes over the turquoise base make the nails so lively and fun for summer. You can play around with different color combinations like turquoise with orange or pink stripes.
Mixing up the stripe widths also adds dimension. However you design them, chevron striped turquoise nails are bold and artistic!
Turquoise Leopard Print Nails
For a fierce and exotic take on turquoise summer nails, try painting on leopard print designs! The contrast between the bright color and dark prints is bold and edgy. Here are some tips to nail the look:
Start by painting all nails with two to three coats of a rich turquoise cream polish. Make sure to seal the tips well and let each layer dry before adding the next.
Use a small, thin nail art brush to paint on the leopard spots in black or deep brown polish. Keep the spots fairly minimalist and uniform in size. Place them randomly on the turquoise base.
Let the spots dry slightly so they won’t smear. Then take an even thinner brush to outline the edges of each spot. This helps make them stand out sharply against the bright turquoise.
Finish with a layer of quick dry glossy top coat to seal in the design. Try not to brush over the leopard spots so they retain their shape.
For extra flair, add some metallic gold leopard spots interspersed with the black ones. You can also rotate different color leopard prints between nails, like black, brown, and gold.
The high contrast leopard print design is bold and eye catching. Paint the spots on all nails or just accent fingers for a pop of edge. This trendy print paired with the bright turquoise is perfect for music festivals, vacations, or nights out with the girls!
Turquoise Floral Nails
What’s more summery than fresh floral nail art? Painting blooms and botanicals in shades of turquoise is such a pretty, feminine take. Here are some ideas for stunning turquoise floral nail designs:
Paint on a base of creamy white polish to make the colors pop. Then use a dotting tool to create turquoise daisies or other floral shapes. Add yellow circle centers and green stems.
Try an abstract painterly look with watercolor flower shapes in shades of turquoise, purple, pink, and yellow. Use quick, blended brush strokes and don’t worry about perfect shapes.
For a beachy tropical vibe, paint on hibiscus flowers in shimmery turquoise polish with coral edges. Add gold brush stroke leaves or metallic green stems.
Use a mixer of turquoise polishes in different finishes – alternate between metallic, creme, neon, and shimmer flowers. For tall florals, start with darker blues near the cuticle that ombre into lighter turquoise tips.
The colorful blooms pair beautifully with the turquoise base and help accentuate the nails. Have fun and don’t limit yourself to any specific floral – you can paint on any flowers, leaves, stems and greenery in coordinating shades. Let your creativity run wild to create your own turquoise floral nail garden!
Turquoise Animal Print Nails
Unleash your wild side with exotic animal print nails in striking shades of turquoise. The bold, graphic prints are the perfect edgy complement to the vibrant turquoise polish. Some fun ideas to try:
Paint a base of electric turquoise polish on all nails – go for an eye-catching shimmer or metallic finish. Once dry, use a thin brush to hand paint abstract leopard spots in bright gold polish.
Try an alternating zebra stripe manicure with nails in either turquoise cream or white polishes. Use striping tape to create precise black stripes across the white nails for lots of contrast.
Go for a playful touch by painting a milky nude base color on all nails. Once dry, use a detail brush to paint on neon turquoise lizards or snakes scaled across different nails.
Use a striping brush to paint on simple black tiger striped designs across shimmery turquoise nails. Follow the curve of your nails to keep the stripes fluid.
The animal prints paired with the electric turquoise polishes are bold, fierce and add dimension. You can also embellish the designs with gold studs, crystals or glitter for extra sizzle. However you wear them, these turquoise animal print nails will get your inner jungle cat roaring!
Gradient Turquoise Nails
One way to add striking dimension to a turquoise manicure is by using gradient shades in the same color family. This helps incorporate light and dark tones for added depth. Here are some ideas to try the trend:
Paint a gradient starting with a robin’s egg blue base at the cuticle that slowly fades down into a deeper tropical teal tip. Use makeup sponges, ombre brushes, or careful strokes with polish.
Or do the opposite, starting with richer navy turquoise at the base that fades up into a shimmery greenish-blue toward the tips. This mimics looking down through ocean waters.
Paint alternating nude and turquoise base colors on each nail. Then use a makeup sponge to blend the two shades together on each nail for a seamless gradient effect across the hand.
For a bolder look, paint skinny stripes starting with very pale turquoise, slowly getting darker with each stripe – almost black at the tips. The striped design is striking on all ten nails.
The gradient effect is stunning on turquoise nails. Using a mix of light and dark shades in the same color family helps add fluidity. Try accent nails, full gradient hands, or combine with textures like glitter tips for endless artistic effects!
Turquoise Swarovski Crystal Nails
If you really want to take your turquoise summer nails to the next level, add some Swarovski crystals! These luxe crystal embellishments instantly dress up any manicure and add eye-catching sparkle. Here are some tips to DIY:
Prep nails by cleansing and buffing smooth. Apply base coat then paint on 2-3 layers of a glittery turquoise polish. The shimmer base complements the crystals beautifully.
Using tweezers, carefully pick up small flatback crystals and apply them onto select accent nails using strong nail glue. Press gently for proper adherence. Stick with 1-3 strategically placed crystals per nail so they really stand out.
Once the crystals are firmly glued on, apply a thick top coat like gel and cure under a LED lamp. This fully seals them onto the nails. A glossy top coat over the turquoise polish completes the bedazzled effect!
Placing a few Swarovski crystals on the nails instantly takes your look to dramatic new heights! The sparkling accents are perfect for weddings, romantic tropical vacations, or anytime you want to add serious bling to your bright turquoise mani.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to rocking gorgeous turquoise nails this summer!
Mix and match shades, art, embellishments, and patterns to create your own fresh take on beachy turquoise style.
So get ready to flaunt some spectacular fingers all season long!
