Must-Try Summer Festival Nail Ideas for the 2024 Festival SZN
|
|
Time to read 10 min
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 of the best 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 designs.
In This Article...
#1 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 the 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.
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.
Step 1) First apply a layer of Base Coat to all your nails, making sure to cure them under our Pro LED Lamp for 60 seconds (or a UV lamp for 120 seconds).
Step 2) 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 cure between each one.
Step 3) Once you're happy with the colour, it's time to seal it with a layer of No Wipe Top Coat Gel Polish. Cure for a final 60 seconds.
#2 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 gel polish, creating wavy lines.
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.
Step 1) Start with a layer of Base Coat Gel Polish and cure underneath your nail lamp.
Step 2) Then, take your Dragonfruit Gel Polish and paint as above. Cure for 60 seconds.
Step 3) You'll then want to use a fine nail art brush and paint some swirly lines over your nails using Flower Power Gel Polish.
Step 4) Once you've got your nail art perfected, cure under your LED lamp for 15-30 seconds.
Step 5) Finally, apply a layer of No Wipe Top Coat and cure for the last time.
#3 Graphic Blue Nail Art
We love using baby and royal blue gel polish in the summer – it's the perfect way to match our mani with the clear skies, not to mention it adds a beautiful pop of colour.
For these summer festival nails, we've incorporated two of our stunning blue polishes – Santorini Rooftops, a striking cobalt blue, and Forget Me Not, a creamy bright blue.
We've created a combo of graphic nail art, including a cute flower, classic checkerboards, and easy French tips. These are seriously Instagram-worthy.
How to Recreate Our Graphic Blue Mani
After prepping your nails...
Step 1) Apply a layer of Base Coat Gel Polish and cure for 60 seconds under the Pro LED Lamp.
Step 2) Start with the French tips on your thumb and pinky nails using Santorini Rooftops. Our Stamp It Out silicone nail cushion is a brilliant hack for getting perfectly precise tips. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 3) Also using Santorini Rooftops, create a flower design that covers your entire middle fingernail, using a nail art brush to draw the petal shapes. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 4) Take the Forget Me Not shade and create a checkerboard design on your index fingernail, leaving your natural nail exposed as the base colour. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 5) Use a black gel polish to create another checkerboard design, but on your ring fingernail this time. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 6) Use a white gel polish, like Break The Ice, on a fine nail art brush and create a centre dot in the middle of your flower design on the middle fingernail. Then, draw a very fine line along the edge of your thumb French tip. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 7) Apply a final Top Coat Gel Polish layer and cure for 60 seconds.
#4 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
Step 1) 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 our LED lamp for 60 seconds to set this layer.
Step 2) Then, using our Margarita Gel Polish in a beautiful neon lime green shade, create wavy French tips on your nails. Once you're happy with the shape, cure for 60 seconds.
Step 3) 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.
Step 4) 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.
#5 Dainty Butterfly Nail Art
Not all festival nail art has to be completely out there for it to be eye-catching.
This dainty butterfly design adds a subtle touch of whimsy to your nails, perfect for those who want a more delicate festival look. Plus, the glitter top coat gives a stunning effect in the sunlight.
How to Recreate Our Butterfly Nail Art
Step 1) Apply a Base Coat layer to your freshly prepped nails and cure for 60 seconds under the Pro LED Lamp.
Step 2) Take the Light Pink Builder Gel and apply to all of your nails. Alternatively, you can use a shade that better closely matches your natural nail colour. Cure for 60 seconds.
Step 3) Use Pink Paradise to create a French smile line on your thumbnail. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 4) For the butterfly art, use a 12mm nail brush dipped in Lavender Fields and draw two heart shapes on their sides – this will create the wings. Clean off your brush with the Brush It Off solution and dip into Break The Ice, drawing a thin line through the middle of the wings to create the body and two little antennae at the top. Flash cure for 15-30 seconds.
Step 5) Apply a layer of Glitter No Wipe Top Coat and cure for 60 seconds.
Step 6) Lastly, apply our regular No Wipe Top Coat to the rest of your nails and cure.
Our Top 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 for up to 3 weeks once you cure it under our 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.
Summary: All the Summer Festive Gel Nails Inspo & 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 our gel polish, your mani will last all weekend long, so you don't have to worry about any chips or nicks while you're screaming your heart out at the main stage.
You can shop our full collection of summer gel polish shades used for these looks and discover a whole lot more below.
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?
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 nails.
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.
Ellie Simmons
Ellie is a Brand Ambassador for Mylee. Alongside being a skilled and certified nail technician, Ellie's expertise extends to gel manicures and nail extensions.
Her heart and soul are devoted to all things nail-related, and she loves flaunting her own long, natural nails with captivating nail art. Ellie's ultimate favourites are iridescent and sparkly designs!
