10 Viral Summer Nail Tutorials Every IT-Girl is Following in 2024

Hello, my beautiful loves! Can you feel that magic in the air? Summer has officially whispered its way into our lives, bringing those long, golden afternoons and the kind of warmth that feels like a cloud-soft embrace. For me, summer isn’t just a season; it’s a whole mood, a chance to reinvent ourselves and let our inner IT-girl shine from head to (literally) fingertip. There is something so therapeutic about sitting down, turning on your favorite lo-fi playlist, and creating a tiny masterpiece on your nails.

This year, the nail trends are more dreamy than ever, blending nostalgic vibes with futuristic finishes. Whether you’re lounging poolside with a chilled matcha or dancing under the stars at a beach bonfire, your nails are your ultimate accessory. I’ve spent the last few weeks testing, painting, and perfecting these viral looks just for you. So, grab your favorite cuticle oil, find a cozy spot by the window, and let’s dive into the ten tutorials that are taking over our feeds and our hearts this 2024 season.

4 Easy Steps to Achieve Glass Nails

Why to love this Design:

Darlings, glass nails are the epitome of sophistication. They catch the light in a way that looks like polished crystals or the surface of a serene lake at sunrise. It’s a clean, futuristic look that makes your hands look incredibly elongated and elegant.

Essential Elements:

• High-shine clear top coat
• Iridescent cellophane shards or aurora film
• Precision tweezers
• Smoothing base gel

How to Prepare:

1. Apply a thin layer of smoothing base gel and cure it under your UV lamp to create a flawless canvas.
2. Place tiny, pre-cut shards of iridescent film onto the tacky layer of your nail using tweezers, mimicking shattered glass.
3. Seal the film with a generous layer of builder gel to ensure the surface is completely smooth and level.
4. Finish with a high-gloss top coat for that signature ‘wet’ glass look.

Budget Range

• Zoya Naked Manicure Base Coat ($12)
• Holographic Nail Film Set from Amazon ($7)
• Makartt No Wipe Top Coat ($9)

Create Shell Nails in 3 Simple Phases

Why to love this Design:

This design is like carrying a piece of the ocean with you wherever you go. The 3D texture is so tactile and unique; it looks just like the delicate ridges of a seashell found on a Mediterranean shore. It’s romantic, whimsical, and totally viral right now.

Essential Elements:

• Thick 3D builder gel
• Pearl chrome powder
• Detailing liner brush
• Pale pink or milky white base polish

How to Prepare:

1. Phase 1: Apply your milky base color and a non-wipe top coat, then rub in the pearl chrome powder for a shimmering finish.
2. Phase 2: Using a liner brush and thick builder gel, draw vertical, slightly curved lines from the cuticle to the tip to create ‘ribs’.
3. Phase 3: Cure the 3D lines and apply one final thin layer of top coat to protect the ridges and add extra shine.

Budget Range

• Saviland 3D Builder Gel ($8)
• Artdone Pearl Chrome Powder ($6)
• OPI ‘Funny Bunny’ Polish ($11)

Paint 5 Cute Fruit Nails Tonight

Why to love this Design:

Fruit nails are pure summer joy in a bottle! They are playful, colorful, and guaranteed to spark a conversation. From tiny cherries to zesty lemons, these designs add a pop of personality to your summer outfits that is just too sweet to resist.

Essential Elements:

• Dotting tool kit
• Vibrant red, yellow, green, and pink polishes
• Ultra-fine detail brush
• Matte or glossy top coat

How to Prepare:

1. Cherries: Use a dotting tool to place two red circles side-by-side and connect them with a thin green ‘V’ stem.
2. Lemons: Paint a yellow oval and use a white liner brush to create small segments inside for a citrus slice look.
3. Strawberries: Shape a red triangle with rounded corners, add tiny yellow dots for seeds, and a green leaf top.
4. Kiwi: A bright green base with a white center and tiny black dots circling the middle.
5. Watermelon: A pink base with a green ‘rind’ at the tip and small black seeds.

Budget Range

• Essie Summer Collection Set ($20)
• Nail Art Dotting Tools ($5)
• Beetles Gel Liner Polish Set ($15)

Master Aura Nails in 6 Quick Steps

Why to love this Design:

Aura nails are all about manifesting good energy, loves. The soft, blurred gradient creates a mystical glow that looks like it’s radiating from within the nail. It’s a stunning way to play with color theory and express your current ‘vibe’.

Essential Elements:

• Cosmetic makeup sponge
• Two contrasting gel colors
• Blooming gel (optional but helpful)
• Buffing block

How to Prepare:

1. Apply your base color and cure.
2. Lightly buff the surface of the nail so the next layer of color adheres smoothly without running.
3. Apply a small dot of your second color to the center of a makeup sponge.
4. Gently dab the sponge onto the center of your nail, building the intensity in the middle while keeping the edges soft.
5. Use a clean edge of the sponge to blend the transition between the two colors.
6. Finish with a high-shine top coat to melt the colors together into a seamless glow.

Budget Range

• Beauty Blender (Mini) or Generic Makeup Sponges ($3)
• Modelones Color Cube Gel ($12)
• Kupa High Gloss Top Coat ($15)

Get Vanilla Girl Nails in 2 Minutes

Why to love this Design:

For my loves who adore the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, vanilla girl nails are your new best friend. It’s soft, creamy, and looks incredibly expensive without trying too hard. It’s the ultimate palette cleanser for your hands.

Essential Elements:

• Creamy, off-white lacquer
• Nourishing cuticle oil
• Square-oval (squoval) nail shape

How to Prepare:

1. Shape your nails into a soft squoval to maximize the clean, natural look.
2. Apply two thin, even coats of a creamy vanilla-toned polish, ensuring no streaks are left behind.

Budget Range

• Essie ‘Marshmallow’ ($10)
• CND SolarOil ($9)
• Glass Nail File ($8)

Apply Jelly Nails with 4 Pro Tips

Why to love this Design:

Jelly nails remind me of vintage candy and summer sunsets. They have a translucent, syrup-like finish that is playful and juicy. It’s a great way to wear bright colors without them feeling too ‘heavy’.

Essential Elements:

• Sheer jelly polish or clear mixing gel
• Bright tint polishes
• Wide brush for even application

How to Prepare:

1. Tip 1: If you don’t have jelly polish, mix a drop of your favorite neon polish into a clear top coat for a DIY translucent tint.
2. Tip 2: Apply in very thin layers; jelly polish is meant to be built up to your desired level of ‘squishiness’.
3. Tip 3: Ensure your natural nail is perfectly buffed, as the translucency will show any imperfections underneath.
4. Tip 4: Use a long-wear top coat to maintain that ‘wet’ look for weeks.

Budget Range

• Gaoy Jelly Gel Polish Set ($16)
• Clear Gel Mixing Palette ($5)
• Kiara Sky Non-Wipe Top Coat ($15)

Design Coastal Nails in 5 Easy Ways

Why to love this Design:

Coastal grandmother meets mermaid-core! These designs are all about the ‘Coastal’ lifestyle—breezy, blue, and sophisticated. It’s the perfect look for a seaside escape or just dreaming of one from your office desk.

Essential Elements:

• Pale blue and navy polishes
• Gold leaf flakes
• Small sea-inspired decals
• Matte top coat for a ‘sea glass’ effect

How to Prepare:

1. Sea Glass Finish: Apply a frosted blue and finish with a matte top coat for a tumbled glass look.
2. Ocean Swirls: Drop blue and white polish into a water bowl (water marble) for wave-like patterns.
3. Sand Texture: Use a beige textured polish on one accent nail to mimic the beach.
4. Gold Accents: Add tiny bits of gold leaf to represent sun hitting the water.
5. Pearl Accents: Place a single flat-back pearl at the base of the nail for an elegant touch.

Budget Range

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri ‘Sugar Fix’ ($6)
• Gold Leaf Foil Flakes ($5)
• Pearl Nail Studs ($4)

Finish Airbrush Nails in 3 Sharp Layers

Why to love this Design:

The 90s are back, and airbrush nails are leading the charge. This look creates the most perfect, soft-focus gradients that are impossible to achieve with a brush. It looks professional, sleek, and very high-fashion.

Essential Elements:

• Portable handheld airbrush machine
• Airbrush-ready liquid pigments
• Nail stencils (heart or star shapes)

How to Prepare:

1. Layer 1 (Base): Apply a solid base color and cure. This acts as the background for your airbrush art.
2. Layer 2 (The Gradient): Hold the airbrush 3-4 inches away and spray in short bursts to create a soft center or tip gradient.
3. Layer 3 (Detail): Place a stencil over the nail and spray a second color over it to create sharp, defined shapes like hearts or stars.

Budget Range

• Cordless Handheld Airbrush Kit ($40)
• Airbrush Nail Paint Set ($20)
• Vinyl Nail Stencils ($6)

Maintain Soap Nails with 4 Daily Habits

Why to love this Design:

Soap nails are the ‘cleanest’ trend yet—they are meant to look like your nails, but just stepped out of a luxury bubble bath. It’s ultra-glossy, semi-sheer, and looks incredibly healthy and hydrated.

Essential Elements:

• Sheer pink ‘milk bath’ polish
• High-gloss top coat
• Cuticle remover gel
• Hand cream

How to Prepare:

1. Habit 1: Apply cuticle oil every single night before bed to keep the skin around the nail looking plush and hydrated.
2. Habit 2: Gently push back cuticles twice a week to maximize the ‘naked’ nail surface area.
3. Habit 3: Use a sheer, single coat of milky pink polish to even out the nail bed color.
4. Habit 4: Refresh the top coat every 4 days to maintain that ‘just-scrubbed’ soap shine.

Budget Range

• Dior Abricot Cuticle Cream ($30) or Sally Hansen ($6)
• Cirque Colors ‘Rose Jelly’ ($12)
• Super Glossy Taco ($11)

Sketch Palm Tree Nails in 6 Strokes

Why to love this Design:

Nothing screams summer vacation like a palm tree silhouette against a sunset. It’s a classic for a reason! Even if you aren’t an artist, this simplified 6-stroke method makes it so easy to achieve a professional look at home.

Essential Elements:

• Black striper polish (long thin brush)
• Sunset gradient base (orange/pink/yellow)
• Steady hand

How to Prepare:

1. Stroke 1: Draw a slightly curved vertical line for the trunk, getting thinner toward the top.
2. Stroke 2: Draw a small ‘flick’ to the top left.
3. Stroke 3: Draw a small ‘flick’ to the top right.
4. Stroke 4: Draw a longer ‘flick’ to the bottom left.
5. Stroke 5: Draw a longer ‘flick’ to the bottom right.
6. Stroke 6: Add tiny little feathered lines along each ‘flick’ to create the leaves.

Budget Range

• Orly Sunset Strip Collection ($15)
• Black Art Detailer Polish ($7)
• Nail Art Practice Silicone Mat ($10)

Conclusion

And there you have it, my loves! Ten gorgeous ways to let your creativity flow this summer. Whether you choose the mystical glow of aura nails or the simple elegance of the ‘vanilla girl’ look, remember that the best part of any beauty routine is the time you take for yourself. You deserve to feel pampered, confident, and absolutely radiant. I can’t wait to see your beautiful recreations! Tag me in your photos, and let’s make this summer the most stylish one yet. Stay glowing!

Frequently Asked Questions