The 12 Best Tropical Beach Nail Designs You Should Try This Summer 2024

July 3, 2023

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Written by Tran Khue

July 3, 2023

·

Written by Tran Khue

Summer is an ideal time to experiment with new manicure styles. Let go of your worries, soak up those island vibes, and get creative! From coral nails with exotic flowers to palm trees in a seaside sunset scene, there’s just so much inspiration out there. Here are a dozen of the best tropical beach nail designs to try this summer of 2024.

Best Tropical Beach Nail Designs

Trendy Square Nails with Tropical Vibes

Here's a sweet manicure for summertime. Not only does it feature retro square-shaped nails, but there are also pretty little hibiscus flowers with ombre pink and orange petals. The coral sky silhouette behind the palm trees reminds us of a sunrise stroll on the beach.

Vibrant Sunset Nails

This colorful design includes seabirds and palm trees by the seashore. The cool blue water looks so inviting!

It’s a challenging tropical nail design to create at home unless you’re already a nail artist. But don’t despair – you may find press-on nails or nail wraps with a similar scene.

Hawaiian Nails

Treat yourself to a mini-vacation with a Hawaiian-themed manicure. Each nail has a different image, including the Hawaiian islands, a hibiscus flower, a pineapple, a sea turtle, and the greeting "Aloha." A lot of love went into these nails!

Pineapple Nails

This cute and easy design utilizes stickers for a charming effect. You'll need either press-ons or nail tips to achieve the length, plus whatever polish colors you like best. A glossy top coat will keep the nails looking flawless for weeks to come.

LDS Gel Diamond Top

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We’d like to recommend the LDS Diamond Top for all of your gel manicures. It’s a professional product that brings out the rich colors of the polish underneath. Moreover, just a single coat provides a high-gloss shine that protects the nails for 3 weeks or longer.

Tropical Jungle Nails

We promise we aren't going off-topic. The lush greenery grows right up to the beach in many places throughout South and Central America. That's why this design is just the thing if you want something other than the typical palm tree nails. What's more, it's cheerful and lively for summer.

Tropical Blend Nails

When you can't decide between designs, wear them all! The highlights here are pink and yellow, just right for a tropical beach getaway.

Glitter Accents

Someone has done a gorgeous job that we can all imitate at home. All you need is one color of polish, tropical beach nail stickers, and matching glitter polish. Instead of silver, we’d like to try White Ice with colorful sparkles.

LDS Nail Lacquer

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If you love changing up your manicure often, protect your nails with non-toxic nail lacquer. This brand is 9-free, with no phthalates, petrochemical solvents, or formaldehyde. It offers more than 170 shades that are all cruelty-free and vegan.

Sunset on the Beach

We can’t stop staring at these nails. They tell such a lovely story! We can imagine the quiet time relaxing on the beach among the palm trees.

Mermaid Beach Nails

Both mermaid and bubble nails have been trending. This design includes both styles. It’s so realistic we half expect to smell the ocean and feel the water washing up on the sand. The adorable nail charms and pearls liven them up even more.

Sandy Beach Nails

Can you feel the warm water lapping at the beach? We love how this design transitions from sandy-colored nails to ocean water, like the sea washing up on the fingertips.

Glamorous Mermaid Nails

This blinged-out manicure is going to attract a lot of attention. It’s packed with jewels and glitter, but don’t miss the adorable turtle looking up at you.

Pink Flamingos and Hibiscus Nails

This design was hand-painted, but you could re-create it with stickers or nail decals. After all, Barbie pink is hot this year!

How to Do Tropical Beach Nail Designs at Home

We love looking at nail art, but sometimes it’s a little overwhelming. We didn’t always have the confidence to try designs that seemed too complicated.

While there's nothing wrong with getting your nails done at the salon, you can also do a lot at home. Not only could it save you some money, but it could allow you to develop new skills. For example, there are a few basic nail art supplies that can help you get started:

Nail brushes for drawing details and achieving a flawless gradient look.
A dotting pen for applying rhinestones.
Gem gel for securing charms and rhinestones (on gels).
Fast-drying top coat for nail lacquer.
Base and top coats for gel manicures.
A nail lamp for gel polish.

A tropical beach nail design could be as simple as using your favorite polish colors and a few summery nail stickers. The trick to getting a professional look isn’t only based on the products you use. It also depends on nail prep.

Nail Prep Is the Key to the Perfect Tropical Beach Manicure

Have you ever been in a hurry to do your nails and neglected to push back your cuticles or cleanse oil off the nail beds? We've all been there and hopefully learned from the experience. It's better to properly prepare the nails first so the polish doesn't chip, lift, peel, or smudge immediately.

The first thing to do is ensure you have the right tools for the job. Get a manicure set with clippers, a cuticle pusher, a buffing block, and nail files you feel comfortable using. Steer clear of coarse grit files unless you need to shape press-on nails or acrylics. Instead, use 180-grit to 240-grit files for your natural nails. And when you take the shine off the surface before painting, do it with a light hand and remove debris with a lint-free wipe.

Second, if you have trouble with your cuticles, try cuticle remover to soften them and eliminate excess dead skin.

Lastly, keep your nails and fingertips healthy and beautiful with moisturizer and cuticle oil. Not only will the oil make your manicure look professionally done, but it will also make it easier to manicure your nails in the future.