Pool Nails: Summer is winding down. Beach trips are giving way to apple-picking weekends.
Bright polish is about to swap places with darker, moodier shades for fall.
But there's still time for one more warm-weather manicure moment.
Enter "pool nails," a watery nail art trend making the rounds this season.
Blue polish is already having a moment. A simple turquoise manicure will get you in on the trend, but nail artists are pushing the look further with designs that mimic the look and feel of a swimming pool.
Some sets lean literal, right down to a chlorine-blue tint. Others take a subtler approach, hinting at deep, unnaturally blue water.
Below are eight takes on the trend to inspire your next manicure.
Magnetic Pool Nails
Nail artist @nailsbypaular built this mermaid-inspired look using two cat-eye polishes layered for an ombre effect.
A bead-based nail magnet activated the polish's magnetic shimmer. Clear, three-dimensional stripes finished off the design, adding to the water-like texture.
Pool Nails With Swimmers
Artist @bhambnails also used cat-eye polish as a base for this hand-painted design. Tiny swimmers and pool floats were painted directly onto the nails.
Thin white lines mimic the movement of water, and drops of clear polish add a glossy, three-dimensional finish.
Blooming Jelly Pool Nails
This design recalls upscale, stone-lined pools. Nail artist @basecoatstories created the effect by dropping blue jelly gel onto uncured white gel polish.
A translucent blue shade is key to nailing the watery look, according to the artist, who used Le Mini Macaron's Milkshake shade paired with a now-discontinued blue from GelCare.
The drops were left to spread before curing, then a second layer was added for extra depth.
Neon Pool Nails
This design from @nailsbyashleighr combines four trends at once: ombre, pool nails, neon accents and 3D detailing.
The result is a bold, layered manicure that signals summer isn't over just yet.
Whirlpool Nails
This might be the easiest pool nail look to recreate at home. Artist @daily.manicure started with a base coat of Olive & June's Brunch, a sky-blue gel polish, and cured it.
A small amount of Brunch was then applied to the center of the nail, surrounded by Olive & June's Can't Lose, a brighter blue.
Using a dotting tool, the artist swirled the darker shade into the lighter one before curing. A gel top coat sealed in the design.
Olivia Van Iderstine, vice president of education and a manicure trend expert at Olive & June, notes the technique works with gel or regular polish.
Regular polish requires faster application, since it dries more quickly than gel.
Watercolor Pool Nails
For a softer take on the trend, this abstract design offers a happy medium. Artist @thatglosssauce dotted regular nail polish onto a silicone stamper before pressing it onto each nail.
Combining jelly and cream polish formulas helps build additional depth in the finished look, according to the artist.
Pool Nails With a Tube Float
Despite its intricate appearance, artist @v_rose_nails describes this design as simple to execute.
The look starts with two coats of blue jelly polish, followed by a thin layer of white polish. Clear polish dropped onto the white creates a blooming effect.
A nail sticker shaped like a pool tube completes the design, sealed under a top coat.
Stamped Pool Nails
Artist @jackie.shades used the What's Up Nails B010 stamping plate to achieve this rocky, textured pool look.
The base started with a dark blue polish, topped with random oblong shapes painted freehand in a lighter blue using the polish brush.
A stamping plate featuring a water pattern, combined with white stamping polish, created the reflective water-mark detail.
Small dots in both blue shades were added on top for a bubbly finishing touch.
Visual Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated illustrative portrait. It is used for creative representation and does not depict a real-time event. Created by AD News Live.
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