Blush pink, crisp white and sheer beige will always be timeless nail polish options for those whose manicure preferences are minimalist. However, if you’re looking for a modern option to add to your color rotation this summer, why not try a trendy buttery yellow? Wealthy, creamy and not too Bold, this shade is taking over Instagram, TikTok and the fingertips of stars like Selena Gomez because it’s a seasonal alternative for anyone who’s afraid of neon green, tangerine, scorching pink, you know.
If you think buttery yellow is everywhere these days, it’s not a figment of your imagination. While tomato red defined last summer’s fashion and beauty trends, this inconspicuous shade is becoming this year’s hottest color. And for good reason. In the manicure department, since buttery yellow is neutral, it pairs nicely with plenty of other shades, allowing it to be seamlessly incorporated into multi-colored nail designs. So if you’ve been considering a 2024 refresh for popular designs like French tips, negative space, and crescents, adding this current color to the mix is a very chic answer.
Get inspired by the summer manicure trend with 10 buttery yellow nail ideas from top artists.
French chrome manicure
Refresh your favorite French manicure like a nail artist Sarah Haider by painting the tips a decadent buttery yellow and finishing them with a coat of pure silver chrome.
Retro swirls
Beat customary summer nail polish shades with this retro manicure. Chocolate brown combined with butter looks luxurious, decadent and completely unexpected on a 90-plus degree day.
Mix and match
Creating a elaborate project on your own takes time, patience and a steady hand. If you’re missing all three, simply mixing and matching your nails with contrasting shades will do the trick on its own. Butter and Robin’s egg blue make for a foolproof seasonal color combination.
Square French hands
Return to your favorite nail shape from the beginning of history by choosing square French tips painted in this very fashionable shade.
Solid butter
Compared to viral beauty trends inspired by fruits and vegetables, butter is an unlikely reference material for summer manicures. However, this solid almond-shaped set by the famed nail technician Tomek Bachik this is proof of how chic a fine shade looks on your nails.
Fine daisies
If you’re someone who only sticks to neutral shades of nail polish, utilize the yellow butter as an anchor for the white daisy petals. This is not only a choice consistent with nature, it is also the most subtle way to add color to your manicure.
Juicy Lemons
Fruit motifs are the basis of summer fashion and this also applies to your manicures. If lemon yellow is a bit too bold for your typical Polish color repertoire, try a design in a muted butter shade for a more subdued finish. Painting fruit on just a few nails and adding French tips to the rest is also a more minimalist approach to the trend.
Negative space with dots
Do you love negative space and polka dot nail art? Why not combine them both AND add trendy buttery yellow to the mix for extra points? Diminutive contrasting metallic blue and gold dots add next-level detail to this manicure, but you can utilize any shades you like to match it to your nails.
Glazed butter
Just using a shimmering, buttery yellow polish will enhance any manicure. Here, the manicurist Iram Shelton shows how nice this color looks on compact, square nails.
Coquettish bows
Decorate a classic French manicure by adding small, fine bows to the buttery tips. Paint the design with a rose gold metallic polish to add a bit of eye-catching sparkle that will sparkle in the summer sun.
