The Lemonade Nail Trend Is Refreshingly Sweet

Here comes the sun… or is that your manicure? The dawn of a new nail trend is upon us and it’s ready to quench your thirst with its fruity sweetness. Hailey Bieber—she of the viral glazed donut mani—has (indirectly) proclaimed that spring and summer 2023's nails are best served over ice and sipped with a straw. The Rhode founder and model hasn’t abandoned her now-signature frosted chrome manicures, but she’s branched out from white, chocolate, and strawberry to an even more delicious springy hue: lemonade yellow. And when Hailey steps out with her nails manicured in a fresh new shade, you better believe we pay attention—and call our manicurist. Ahead, everything you need to know about the springy trend.

The Trend

Yellow nails practically scream spring, but they tend to be overshadowed by slightly more popular hues like robin’s egg, baby pink, and lilac purple. However, the color is growing in popularity because it’s basically happiness personified; you just feel more cheerful with a fresh coat of buttery yellow on your nails.

“Yellow is such a happy color and it just reminds me of the sun and the smiley emoji,” says celebrity manicurist Zola Ganzorigt, who created the original glazed donut nails for Hailey and is also responsible for her lemonade set, not to mention the nails of stars like Sydney Sweeney and Kylie Jenner.

But this isn’t the retro marigold or autumnal mustard hue you’re used to, nor is it the vivid primary color on its throne of the color wheel. Lemonade nails look almost exactly like a frosty, icy cold glass of the summery beverage: not quite as bold and bright as the fruit, but almost like a freshly squeezed glass over ice, melting in the heat.

Mrs. Bieber loves the look so much, she even wore lemonade nails—or rather, passionfruit nails—for the tropical photoshoot to promote her latest Peptide Lip Treatment, the juicy Passionfruit Jelly. In fact, the fruity lip product actually sparked the idea for the original manicure itself, and thus, a trend was born. “The inspiration for Hailey’s yellow glazed nails was her new Passionfruit Lip Treatment,” Ganzorigt shared. “I’ve already started to get so many yellow nail requests from my clients and I’m sure it’s going to be this spring’s color.”

How to Get the Look

Pastel yellow nails are so much fun to wear, but the polish technique can be tricky. If your polish looks streaky or patchy, consider prepping with a lighter color before reaching for your polish.  “Yellow is one of the hardest colors to apply,” says Ganzorigt. “Using a white base before applying the yellow will make a big difference.” Wait until your nails are fully dry before applying subsequent coats and paint slowly and carefully for the most even application.

Yellow comes in so many different variations and undertones that nailing the perfect color for your skintone can feel overwhelming, but Ganzorigt has a simple rule of thumb to follow whether you’re shopping or staring down the many options at the salon. “Yellow is such a good pop of color. If you have warm-toned skin, orange-toned yellows would look better and if you have a pink skin tone, green-toned or lemon yellow will stand out more,” she explains. Her top picks, which she used on Bieber, are OPI’s Nail Lacquer in Don’t Tell a Sol, a sweet and bright sunshine yellow, and Blinded by the Ring Light, a lemon pie pastel. Consider your thirst quenched.