Polka Dots are This Summer’s Biggest Nail Trend
The latest trend to dot your feed? Quite literally, polka dot nails. This playful, vintage-inspired manicure is officially summer’s breakout star, showing up on the fingertips of Hailey Bieber, Dua Lipa, and Sabrina Carpenter. Whether glazed, rhinestoned, or painted in punchy pastels, polka dots are popping up in every possible variation, from minimalist accents to full-blown retro statements. Nail artists are embracing the versatility, mixing black and white classics with cherry red combos or soft blush-on-blush looks. It’s the perfect crossover of fashion and beauty, echoing the season’s obsession with dotted dresses and 60s nostalgia. Call it the mani equivalent of a lemon sorbet: refreshing, sweet, and a little bit cheeky.
Golden Hour Dots
Proof that less really can be more, this minimalist manicure pairs a soft blush base with micro gold studs for a quietly luxe finish. Created by nail artist Alysha Elise, the look plays with negative space and subtle texture, making it ideal for weddings, special occasions or just a touch of everyday elegance.
Flip Side Dots
Undecided on colour? Split the difference. One hand wears a glossy baby blue base sprinkled with merlot micro dots, the other inverts the palette with a deep wine background and pale blue spots. Graphic, playful and instantly eye catching.
Monochrome Mod
This set is a masterclass in contrast. With alternating tips, reverse patterns and layered dot sizes, the black and white palette goes full vintage drama. It’s giving retro glamour, sci-fi chic and a touch of op-art all at once.
Gloss Drop Dots
Barely there, but impossibly chic. These sheer, milky nails are topped with high-shine gloss droplets that mimic the look of morning dew or a soft glaze. It’s the most minimal take on polka dots yet, perfect for lovers of the clean-girl aesthetic.
Dotty French
This fresh spin on the classic French tip swaps out solid white for playful polka dots in rich black over a soft almond-beige arc. The result? Refined with a wink of fun. It’s the ideal balance between timeless and trend-forward.
Dot Roulette
This set doesn’t pick favourites. From bold red and sheer black to classic white and brown, every nail gets its own unique colour story and dot combo. Whether matte or glossy, full coverage or negative space, the variation makes it pure visual candy.
Icy Illusion
This cool-toned set blends crisp whites, pastel blues and foggy greys into a futuristic medley of dots and negative space. Alternating between full-colour overlays and precision-cut French tips, the look has an almost 3D effect that feels fresh and high-tech.
Lemon Pop Dots
Think lemonade with a twist. This cheerful set pairs buttery yellow French tips with playful cobalt polka dots scattered over a sheer base. Light, zesty and just a little bit retro, it's the kind of mani that turns heads and lifts moods.
Berry Twist
This look takes the classic polka dot to dessert-level indulgence. With alternating nails in raspberry pink and deep black cherry, each one is dotted with its colour-coded opposite, giving the effect of sugared icing. Sweet, punchy and completely wearable.
Cat-Eye Polka
Chrome meets contrast in this soft sage set, where shimmering magnetic polish adds a feline flicker to every dot. The polka-tip design gives just enough drama while keeping things sleek and sophisticated. Think: pearlcore meets polish tech.
Polka-Length Perfection
Proof that polka dots aren’t just for short nails, this dreamy almond set stretches soft blush pink into a full-length canvas for tonal spots. The result is ultra-feminine, elongating and subtly playful, like your favourite silk slip dress in manicure form.
Lady Dot Luck
Spotted tips meet literal lady luck in this joyful twist on French polka dots. Sunny yellow with bold black dots creates the perfect garden-party base, but it’s the 3D ladybird accents that steal the show. Equal parts kitsch and couture.
Maximalist Dots
More is definitely more in this high-impact set that takes polka dots into full-on punk territory. With a mix of studded tips, checkerboard dots, tartan slashes and glossy 3D embellishments, it’s an unapologetic clash of pattern, texture and attitude. Spiked, spliced and seriously fierce.
