The 4th of July is one of the biggest celebrations of summer. It’s hot and sunny, the pool is open, and it’s a day-to-night celebration of barbecues, bonfires, and fireworks. This occasion calls for some stellar nail looks and the opportunities are endless. We’re covering it all, from minimalist designs to maximalist glitter.
If you’re getting together with family and friends to celebrate Independence Day, it’s cause for some patriotic nails. Whether your client is looking for stars, stripes, or sparkes, here’s a list of ideas and inspiration to offer your client when they come in looking for something fun and festive.
Minimalist
Maybe your client wants something simple that also says she’s proud to be an American. Here are some options for minimalist nails that still make a statement:
1. Red, White and Blue Angles
Let your client choose between red, white, or blue and paint on a simple nail design like a half-moon arc or an angled V line. A chic angular design will even lengthen the appearance of the nails, making them seem longer.
2. Negative Space
This negative space nail trend is really picking up steam, and it’s a perfect minimalist option for the holiday. For a futuristic, abstract look, paint the tips of each nail in a different color and paint a half-moon at the cuticle, leaving the space between unpainted parts. Finish this look off with a shiny topcoat.
3. Popsicle Waves
Everyone loves a refreshing 4th of July treat, like Firecracker Popsicles. Pick a cool-toned, pastel red, white, and blue and paint squiggles of each color on every nail. It should look very uniform and neat.
4. Negative Space Stripes
For this style, you can choose either red, white, or blue. On a blank, unpolished nail, paint a clear base coat. Then, with a thin art brush, paint on uniform stripes leaving open space between each stripe. This look will be super crisp and chic.
5. Dripping Red, White, and Blue French
For this look, paint the nails a neutral shade reminiscent of your client’s skin tone. Then, paint on dripping french tips in alternating red, white, and blue color shades.
6. Red, White, and Blue Glitter Cuticles
Taking a similar approach to the Dripping Red, White, and Blue French, paint your client’s nails a neutral shade, then apply glitter to the cuticles in a very thin stripe following the curve of the nail.
7. Classic Red, White, or Blue French
A classic and timeless look with a festive twist, paint each nail tip alternating red, white, and blue colors.
8. Mismatched Hands
This is a new trend, and we are totally loving it. Paint the nails red on one hand, and the other hand blue!
Maximalist
For the client who wants to go all-out with their festive nail look and make everyone do a double-take, kick your style up a notch with these maximalist design ideas.
- 9. Patriotic Tie-Dye: Splash on some red, white, and blue bursts and then dab with a paper towel to smudge them, achieving a tie-dye look.
- 10. Patriotic Drip: Start off this super trendy nail design by painting the nails uniformly red with white vertical stripes. After that dries, paint on blue french tips with squiggling drips and top it off with some random bits of glitter.
- 11. Picnic: If your client wants something different than the traditional colors this Independence Day, get your nail art brush out and offer to paint some of their favorite picnic snacks. Think cheeseburgers, ice cream cones, strawberries, and rootbeer floats.
- 12. Checkerboard: A major maximalist trend is the checkerboard look. Although pretty time-consuming, the checkerboard will definitely get some compliments. Don’t forget to snap a pic of your hard work on this one to post to your nail art Instagram.
Graphic Nail Ideas
Graphic nails are a hot item this summer and can be accomplished with the right tools. You’ll need a nail art brush, a steady hand, and a piece of cardstock to get those hard, sharp angles.
- 13. Star-Spangled: With a firecracker red nail polish base, stencil on big white stars on each finger in a different place. It’s okay if some of the stars get cut off from the nail. It just adds to the look!
- 14. Polka Dots: With a high sheen white nail polish base, use a dotting pen to dot on red and blue dots, choosing one color for each nail. A dotting pen is best to use for the polka dots because they should all come out the same size.
- 15. Geometric: Have your client rock a geometric design by adding shapes like triangles and squares on each nail in different patriotic colors.
- 16. Red and Blue Chevron: Add a thick V of red nail polish to the top of the nail and directly beneath that mimic the same shape in blue polish.
Best Practices for Clean Lines and Angles
Keeping your lines and angles clean and straight isn’t the easiest task. Here are some tips to help you out when it comes to designs on this list that are a little harder to achieve:
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Clean your nail brush correctly after each use. If it’s not in tip-top condition it’s not going to do a good job. For line work and fine details, the brush needs to remain at a fine point.
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The angle at which you hold the brush is vital! If you want thin lines, hold the brush at a 90-degree angle to the surface of the nail. Alternatively, if you need a thicker line, you can hold it at a 45-degree angle.
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The amount of pressure you put on the brush as you press it onto the nail will determine the way the design comes out. The lighter the pressure, the easier it is to control.
- Don’t load up the brush with polish. Instead, roll it into the polish so the entire brush is covered in polish.
Add Some Glitter
- 17. Glitter Gradient: Go big with glitter covering the entire nail in descending colors. Make sure you use a good base coat so the glitter is easier to remove when it’s time for a new look.
- 18. Glitter Details: If they don’t want every nail completely covered with glitter, you can do glitter stars on a couple of fingers and glitter stripes on the rest.
- 19. Glitter Angled Lines: Start by painting the nails all white. Then pick up some blue glitter and paint one angle on one side of the nail bed and some red glitter on the opposite side of the nail bed.
- 20. Fireworks: Start this style by painting the nails red and adding gold vertical stripes. On two of the nails, add an abstract “kaboom” design resembling a star with uneven points. Then glitter up the explosions for a more stunning impact.
- 21. Firework Tips: For a more lowkey glitter look, paint the nails all white and add red, blue, and silver glitter to the tips of the nails.
Complementary Colors
To nail these design ideas, make sure your color palettes are spot on. If your client wants a warm red, be sure to pick a complementary warm blue. Try and make sure your colors look good together before beginning the manicure.
Colors for Different Skin Tones
Some of our nail art recommendations called for a neutral base shade. While you can use any color you like that looks good to you, there are certain shades that look best with certain skin tones. These colors will make your skin tone really pop!
- For Fair Skin: Look for a super-sheer pink
- For Medium Skin: Go for a subtle, sheer tan
- For Olive Skin: Try a pink-tinged beige
- For Dark Skin: Pick a milky toffee shade
- For Fair Skin: Try a subtle orange
- For Medium Skin: Go for bright yellows
- Olive Skin: Go for a bright, rich orange
- Dark Skin: Try a true, buttery yellow
In Conclusion
Some of these looks are definitely going to take some creativity and a lot of effort and attention to detail. With a bit of patience, you can definitely crush these nail designs, and the outcome will be so rewarding, you’ll probably want to celebrate it too! Don’t forget that V Beauty Pure has all the supplies and products you need to bring these designs to life.
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