When it comes to nail art, we love a theme. And as far as summer manis go, one trend has majorly caught our attention. Mermaid nails are cropping up on our grid and For You page with some of our favourite manicurists and influencers leaning into the aesthetic.
The Mermaid movement has been building for a while, with crimped mermaid waves, wet-look hair and dolphin skin all making a splash over the past couple of years. And, if the AW23 runways are anything to go by, interest in the trend is only set to intensify. Dion Lee painted shimmering scales across the models’ foreheads. Chloe gilded their models’ eyes in fluid silver. Di Petsa leaned into the aesthetic hard with sandy skin, silver-lined lips and fishnet hair accessories, and wet waves were worn at Collina Strada and Kim Shui.
But with the weather heading into summer (which means sipping cocktails in the sunshine and sunbathing on the beach), we reckon now is the perfect time to jump onto that ship.
As for mermaid nails, the finish is everything. Think: metallic silvers that replicate shimmering scales and aqua tones of sea foam, turquoise and azure. Likewise, pearlescent shell-like shades are in, which bodes well for the high-shine appeal of chrome and glazed nails, which remain popular for another summer.
If you want to go a little more literal, we have all the inspo there, too. We’ve seen nails decorated with teensy shells, star fish and waves, which may not sound chic, but we’ve got the pics to prove it. Ditto, tiny pearl details dotted across nails play perfectly into the theme.
Want in? Here’s some of our favourite ways to wear mermaid nails…
