‘Beach Towel Nails’ Are the Perfect Manicure for Summer Vacation

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With summer well and truly underway, you’ve probably already saved our summer nail trend suggestions, but we’ve got a late entry for Mani of the Season: beach towel nails.

Striped just like beach towels you’d see scattered around the poolside, these nails feel perfect for summer travels or those wishing they were lounging by the beach instead of stuck at their desk. When it comes to the stripes, this nail trend is really versatile. You can go simple (adding stripes to nudes or jelly tones), maximal, or graphic—or combine it with your fave nail trends from fruity nails to ombré.

How can you achieve beach towel nails at home? Pick your colors—classic or clashing combinations both work well—and paint your base as usual. For the stripes, whether they’re horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, a nail art set will be your BFF.

Let the brush do all of the hard work to create straight, symmetrical lines. Slow and steady at first, going over them again if you want a thicker stripe. It’ll take a bit of practice if you’re not a nail artist, so patience is key!

Here are 33 of our fave stripy beach towel nails to inspire you for summer vacation.

Multicolor stripe nailsThis multicolor manicure is like a packed beach in the summer, filled with beach towels of different colored stripes. More is more.

Lemon stripe nailsThese super-summery blue-striped nails are accessorized with cute mini lemons.

Double-stripe FrenchiesFor a minimal take on the trend, give your French tips a twist in contrasting colors. It’s giving watermelon!

Glitter-stripe nailsBold bright colors not enough for you? Add some extra sparkle with lines of glitter to catch the sunlight.

Chunky-stripe nailsSupersize your stripes with this jumbo mix-and-match colored manicure.

Double-trouble striped nailsThis is one for any indecisive nail lovers out there. Why decide on one colorway when you can have two—one for each hand?

Pink-and-red-striped nailsIn a classic color combination, these pink-and-red-striped nails feel like summer personified.

Jelly striped nailsLet the colors of your striped nails shine with a clear jelly nail underneath.

Blue-striped nailsBlue-on-blue stripes, perfect for the poolside.

Airbrush-striped nailsWith their blurring into one another, we love the airbrush effect used to create the horizontal stripes for this set.

Super-stripe nailsXXL-long nails means one thing: even more space for stripes.

Asymmetric-stripe nailsNot only is this set flipped horizontal, we love the varying thickness of the stripes to add dimension.

Candy-cane-striped nailsSweet as a candy cane, this pink-and-white-stripe set is a classic color combo.

Fruit-salad-stripe nailsFruit nails will always pop up every summer, and this set is the bumper pack—every fruit you could imagine on a striped background.

White-stripe nailsCoconut milk nails meets glossy nudes in this demure stripy set.

Circus-stripe nailsJust like a striped Big Top tent, this circus set is complete with stars and clowns.

Crab-stripe nailsCalling all Cancerians! There’s still time to rep your crabby sigil via this cute crustacean manicure before Leo season starts.

Charcuterie-stripe nailsThis delicious summer spread is backdropped by various striped tablecloths, and the cute pinky nods to the Sardine Summer trend.

Diagonal-stripe nailsTurn beach towel nails on their head by orienting your stripes diagonally.

Black-stripe nailsEasy to achieve at home, these thin black stripes are a great starting point for hopping on the beach towel nails trend.

Black-and-white-stripe nailsA twist on classic stripes, this mind-bending black-and-white manicure melts as it reaches the tip of the nail.

Cherry-stripe nailsSweet as cherry pie, these cherry-topped striped nails are perfect for the summer.

Wallpaper-stripe nailsWe love the different color combos of these vintage-wallpaper-inspired striped nails.

Swirly-stripe nailsNot a fan of bold stripes taking over your entire nail? Dip your toe into the trend with these gold-tipped swirls that offer a cheeky glimpse of blue-and-white stripes.

Stars-and-stripes nailsLet’s keep the July Fourth spirit going!

All-the-stripes nailsLeaning into the mismatched manicure trend, there’s no limit to the colors, shapes, or styles in this set.

Polka-dot stripe nailsWe already told you that polka-dot nails were going to be big this summer, and they pair perfectly with beach towel stripes.

Butter-yellow-stripe nailsButter yellow is still an inescapable shade this summer, so naturally butter-yellow stripes are in too.

Blue-ombré-stripe nailsRecalling the rippling waves of the sea, we love the multiple blue tones that make up this ombré-stripe set.

Cat-eye-stripe nailsThe only way these cat-eye-stripe nails could be improved is to see them sparkling in the summer sun.

Pride-stripe FrenchiesPride Month might have come to an end, but celebrate the LGBTQ+ community all year long with these reimagined flags as striped Frenchies.

Pastel-stripe nailsSpring, summer, autumn or winter—pastels look cute all year round.

Holographic-stripe nailsDespite its minimal single-stripe design, the holographic effect makes this set a showstopper.

This story was originally published in Glamour UK.