"Pool Water" Nails Are Trending On TikTok & They're Perfect For Summer

‘Tis the season for poolside lounging and beach-bound getaways aplenty — and in the world of beauty (and especially on-trend nail art), the end of Memorial Day Weekend also marks the start of crisp white pedicures, ocean-inspired mermaidcore tips, and beyond.

Seemingly every single day, a new buzzy nail art trend is swirling all over the For You pages of TikTok scrollers, with vanilla French, balletcore manis, and aura nails a few recent standouts. As for the latest eye-catching look to take centerstage? “Pool water” nails. And surprisingly, the sweet summertime set isn’t all that difficult to recreate at home for the DIY babes who prefer a quick and easy mani in lieu of lengthy salon visits.

Pool water nails look exactly as they sound — like the rippling, bright blue surface of a crystal clear swimming pool. Depending on your preferred shade of cool-toned nail lacquer, it can either give off the vibe of a stunning resort pool, or even a calm Caribbean ocean with that signature shade of light turquoise.

A NailTok creator by the name of Maddox shares her own tutorial with gel polishes, sharing that a jelly-like sheer blue nail polish topped with a thin layer of sheer white is the perfect base for this particular nail art. And akin to the lip gloss manicure trend, the jelly finish provides some serious high-shine.

Instead of curing under an LED lamp as per usual, she says to instead begin dotting on blobs of clear gel polish all over the nail, creating an almost turtle shell-like effect as the dots begin to spread. Once you’re happy with the water-inspired look, cure the entire nail.

Feeling a bit daring for your upcoming pool-side events? You may want to give this viral nail trend a try.