Festival season is fast approaching, and if you're not already planning what nails you'll be flaunting for your long weekender, then you definitely should be! Whether you're headed to Glasto, Isle of Wight or all the way to Coachella, we've got some must-have festival nail ideas that you won't want to miss.
We've been dreaming of long summer nights, good music with friends and our festival look, specifically the nails! It's the perfect opportunity to go bold with colour, and we're so excited, in fact, that we've put together a list of some of the nails that we're going to be wearing this festival season to help you plan your look.
Without further ado, here are some of our most favourite festival nail ideas!
Neon Pink Nails
For our first bit of nail inspo, we’re keeping it simple with something that’ll light up the deepest darkest recesses of any techno tent.
When it comes to nails for festival season, neon gel polish is a must. Here, we've taken our beautiful Dragonfruit Gel Polish in all its hot pink neon glory and created a monochrome mani. If you're planning on wearing a pink outfit or something a little more toned down, these nails are sure to POP!
How to Recreate Our Neon Pink Nails
If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: a great mani always starts with the right prep! It's so important to make sure your nails are clean and prepped before you start. Here's our 4 step routine:
- Push back your cuticles with our Wooden Cuticle Pisher Sticks and use the Cuticle Nippers to trim off any dead, white skin. It's so important that you only trim off dead skin - never cut into your live cuticle!
- File your nails (or extension tips if you're wearing nail extensions) into your desired shape, using gentle, sweeping motions.
- Use our Nail Buffer Sanding Block to buff the surface of your nail. This is key for making sure your gel polish has something to grip onto, making for a longer-lasting mani.
- Cleanse and dehydrate your nails with Prep & Wipe with a Lint Free Wipe as the final step.
Once you've prepped, it's time to apply the polish! You'll first need to apply a layer of Base Coat Gel Polish to all your nails, making sure to cure them under a Mylee UV (for 120 seconds) or LED (for 30-60 seconds) lamp.
Now, paint your neon pink gel polish over your base coat. We recommend starting with a thin layer first, then applying 2 to 3 coats on top of this to build up the opacity and make sure you're staying as neat and tidy as possible. When applying multiple coats, you'll need to cure between each one.
Once you're happy with the colour, it's time to seal it with a layer of No Wipe Top Coat Gel Polish. Once you've applied, cure your nails for the last and final time, and that's it!
For a bit of a twist, switch out your regular Top Coat with our Glitter No Wipe Top Coat! This will give you a sparkly, glittery effect and give your mani a bit of extra festival flair.
Wavy Festival Nails
Sticking on the theme of pink, we're bringing you an easy festival nail design that you can whip up in no time, but will look like you're fresh out of the nail salon!
We've used the same Dragonfruit Gel Polish as the previous look and paired it with a neon orange and white gel polish, creating wavy lines using the three colours.
You can even choose to apply a base colour underneath if you wish, but we love the way the natural nail looks here.
How to Recreate Our Wavy Festival Nails
Once your nails have been prepped, as per our above 4-step routine, it's time to get creative!
Start with a layer of Base Coat Gel Polish and cure underneath your nail lamp. Then, take your Dragonfruit Gel Polish and paint as above.
You'll then want to use a fine nail art brush and paint some swirly lines over your nails using Margarita Gel Polish.
Once you've got your festival nail art perfected, cure under your lamp. Finally, apply a layer of No Wipe Top Coat and cure for the last time.
Festival Tiger Print Nail Art
It's time to get creative, and this tiger stripe festival nail design is the way to do it! We love how totally unique this design is, and it's so easy to recreate!
We've used our neon orange gel polish Flower Power and our lighter orange Safari Trip as a base, and jazzed it up with a cool tiger stripe design that will most definitely take centre stage with all your festival fits.
How to Recreate Our Tiger Print Nail Art
After prepping your nails, apply your Base Coat and cure. Next, you'll need to apply your orange gel polishes. We recommend using 2 to 3 coats of Flower Power Gel Polish and Safari Trip Gel Polish (remember: cure in between layers).
Then, use your Flower Power Gel Polish to create thin wavy stripes horizonally on 2 of your nails and cure.
Complete your funky festival nail design with a layer of No Wipe Top Coat and cure one final time!
Neon French Manicure
Channel Woodstock ‘69, baby! This gel nail design is the perfect mix of a classic French manicure with a wavy twist.
The dainty dots nail art combined with our bright neon polishes is perfect for a groovy festival vibe.
How to Recreate Our Wavy French Manicure
First, prep your nails as per our 4-step routine and, as usual, apply a thin layer of our 5-in-1 Builder Gel in the Light Pink shade. It's a pretty 'barely there' colour that will give you a perfect base. You'll need to cure under a Mylee UV lamp for 2 minutes or LED lamp for 60 seconds to set this layer.
Then, using our Margarita Gel Polish in a beautiful neon lime green shade, create your wavy French tips on all of your nails. Cure once you're happy with the shape.
After that, you can take your Dotting Tool and use the Popsicle and So Far So Green polishes to create a little line of dots under your wavy tip. Alternatively, you can use whatever colours you like here!
Once you're done with your designs, give them a final cure and then seal the look with our No Wipe Top Coat. Or, test out or Iridescent No Wipe Top Coat for a glowy finish.
Our Expert Tips for Festival-Proof Nails
So, you've got all the festival nail ideas you need, and you're ready to rock your look! But it's no secret that it can get a little hectic when you're in that festival atmosphere, so we want to give you our top tips for making sure your mani stays perfect during those long summer weekends.
Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise!
Trust us, this is an absolute must. Applying a nourishing cuticle oil and hand cream will help keep your skin and nails hydrated and healthy, making sure your mani is looking its best all weekend long!
Our Cuticle Oil Roller Pen is small enough to pack into your festival bag, and the roller ball makes it really handy for applying it on the go.
Builder Gel is Your Best Friend
To keep your natural nails protected from all the craziness that comes with a festival, Builder Gel is key! It's like an extra layer of armour for your nails, and it'll keep them looking flawless all weekend long.
Plus, it works amazingly as a base coat, so you can swap it out for your usual base coat when you're prepping your nails.
Always Use Mylee Gel Polish (We're Not Biased...It's True!)
If you know, you know. Our gel polish is specially formulated to have a long-lasting, chip-resistant finish once you cure it under our UV or LED lamp. So, it really is your best bet for a festival-proof mani!
We'd also recommend popping a couple of gel polish bottles into your weekend bag so you can touch up in between music sets if you ever need to. That way, you're guaranteed to have the perfect mani all festival long.
All the Festive Gel Nails Inspo and Tips You Need
From monochrome neon to wavy festival designs and eye nail art, we've got all the gel nail inspo you need for your festival season! With Mylee Gel Polish, you can be sure that your mani will last all weekend long, so you don't have to worry about any chips or nicks.
Whether you're jetting off to Coachella for all the desert vibes or you're planning to get wild and muddy at Glastonbury, we've got the perfect festival nail ideas that you can recreate in no time.
FAQs
+ What is an easy festival nail design?
If you want to keep things simple and classic, neon French tip nails are always a good way to go! You can mix and match with neon shades or keep it basic with one colour. Either way, it's definitely a look that will stand out.
+ What colour nails should I wear to a festival?
When it comes to festival nails, you can really go wild with colour. Bright neons are always a great choice; think hot pinks, oranges, and yellows. But if you're looking for something a bit more subtle, pastels are also great!
+ How do I make my nails last longer at a festival?
The answer is with Mylee! Our gel polish formula is designed to last for up to 3 weeks with no chips, no nicks and no scratches, even among the craziness of a festival. Aside from that, remember to keep your hands and nails moisturised at all times!
+ How do I prep my nails before applying gel polish?
Preparing your nails before you apply gel polish is key for a great, long-lasting mani. Start by pushing back your cuticles with our Wooden Cuticle Pusher Sticks or Metal Cuticle Pusher and trimming off any dead skin as necessary. Then, file your nails into your desired shape and use our Nail Buffer Sanding Block to buff the surface of your nail. Once you've done this, cleanse and dehydrate your nails with Prep & Wipe, apply your Base Coat, then you can get started on the gel polish application!
