Boring manicures are out this summer
The past year of nail trends has been a whirlwind; we went from naked nails to minimise our manicure appointments (necessary in a cost of living crisis), to baseless excess by Black Friday.
Winter was all about low effort looks that prioritised single shades and top tier nail care, and in Spring, we drew inspiration from fruit and our daily matcha lattes.
As for summer? Well, according to the Pinterest Predicts 2026 Trend Report the next three months are set to be a lot less simple by comparison.
From colour, to patterns and textures, this season is all about embracing fun, whimsy and just a touch of chaos to create nail looks that will live on as history-making lore for years to come.
Image via Pinterest
1/ Lace Nails
Forecasted to be the biggest nail trend of 2026, searches for lace nails are up by 215 per cent according to Pinterest.
Pinterest has dubbed the trend 'Laced Up' and it's set to impact everything from your manicures to your wardrobe.
"Lace sets the pace in 2026, bringing unexpected elegance to absolutely everything. Expect bomber jackets with lacy collars, softly stitched bandanas — even crocheted phone cases. This trend is a gentle reminder that more is more: especially when it’s this gorgeous."
@setgyallery
@oioioio
@nailsxjazmarie
Image via Pinterest
2/ Nails With Different Colours
Gone are the days of the clean girl era — searches for nails with different colours on each hand up by 125 per cent.
The nail trend falls under the umbrella of 'Glitchy Glam', which Pinterest has forecast will cause chaos in every corner of our beauty routines.
"The perfect winged liner? She doesn’t go here. This year, beauty is missing the mark — on purpose. Gen Z and Millennials will rock mismatched manicures, dual-toned lipstick and bright eye shadow in two-toned hues.So long, symmetry."
@nail.nuha
@nail.nuha
@overglowedit
Image via Pinterest
3/ Opalescent
"In 2026, Gen Z and Millennials are going intergalactic. Think holographic home accents, opalescent eye shadow that looks like moon dust, and cosmic silhouettes straight out of a sci-fi movie. The aliens have landed — and they have fabulous taste."
Pinterest is calling this trend 'Extra Celestial' and has reported searches for opalescent are up by 115 per cent — so make sure your nail artist has lots of holographic stickers, dual-tone chromes and cat eye nail polishes on hand.
@kkoht_nails
@nail.nuha
@kkoht_nails
Image via Pinterest
4/ Jelly Candy Aesthetic
PSA: Searches for jelly candy aesthetic are up by 100 per cent and Pinterest's coining this trend 'Gimme Gummy'.
"In 2026, we’re going full-on gummy. Gen Z and Millennials are behind this ASMR overload — picture bendy phone cases, elastic cheek tints and probiotic treats that have that spring-backbite. Expect rubberised nail art and 3D jewellery to become your new tactile obsession."
@calmly_nail
@overglowedit
@calmly_nail
Image via Pinterest
5/ Animal Print
Searches for animal print are still going strong (they're up by 80 per cent FYI), but if you want to mix up your usual wardrobe of leopard and tiger print perhaps Pinterest's Wilderkind trend is for you.
"A trend that whispers instead of roars. In 2026, Gen Z and Boomers will go all in on animal aesthetics — but with a delicate touch.Think soft fawn freckles, butterfly wing nail art and fox-inspired outfits that hint at forest magic."
@setgyallery
@nail.nuha
@kaisaartistry
Main image credit: @setgyallery, @kaisaartistry, @nail.nuha and @kkoht_nails
Looking for a thrifty way to update your favourite nail polish shade? We hope the cat eye nail trend has 9 lives because we're determined to try it in every colour.
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
