Whether you are headed to the cottage to soak up the sun, or are on your way to the ultimate outdoor barbeque, there’s nothing like a sleek and colourful manicure right in time for summer. Step outside the box from the classic one colour on the tips and one on the toes and mix it up with these fresh, vibrant designs we’ve rounded up! From beautiful flowers to runway inspired patterns, here are a few exciting nail ideas to try now.

Photo: jessicawashick on Instagram 

Matte black and white flowers with crystals

For a seasonal take on the classic polka dot mani, try painting your nails with a matte black. Next, use that black as a canvas and decorate your nails with small matte white dots painted in a circular group to resemble the petals of a flower. Finally, add a touch of sparkle by adding one nail-safe crystal to he middle of each flower for a contrasting matte and sparkly sure to take your nail game to a whole new level.

Photo: marienails on Instagram

Ocean tips with a clear base

Get inspired by beach days and adorn your nails with a touch of the ocean! First, coat your nails with a simple primer base to achieve a shiny, clear canvas.  Next, take a bright white color and just paint the very tips of your nails in an abstract, wave-like shape, making peaks and valleys in the space closest to the cuticle. The next step is to paint the very end of your sips in the same way you did the white with a light blue colour, and then doing the same thing again but even closer to the lip with a dark blue shade. Finish the look off by outlining the white part of the wave in black using a small brush.

Photo: mpnails on Instagram 

Runway inspired tropical prints

Should you have a little extra time on your hands (no pun intended), Stella McCartney’s Resort 2016 collection might inspire you just as much as it did nail artist Madeline Poole. This nail art features a blood orange shade from Sally Hansen as a base and a tropical scalloped design on top. After painting the base coat, apply a dark colour in a scalloped fashion, and decorate with summery palm trees and seasonal flowers using pastels and bright greens.

Photo: purplenailbox on Instagram

Shimmering galaxy nails

Take your nail art out of this world with this space-inspired galaxy nail design. This galactic look features a layer of dotted white, frayed portions of bright green and light blue, and specs of silver glitter all on top of a deep navy blue. This design is supposed to be a little abstract so you really can’t go wrong with this starry design!