You may have heard that April showers bring May flowers, but the month that inspires endless springtime stories also provides inspiration for nail polish colors that reflect the joy of the season. Whether you like to keep your nails clean and minimalist or spruce them up with eye-catching nail art and 3D details, the right nail polish shade can serve as a springboard for spring nail inspiration. We’re halfway through the month of April, and we’re keeping an eye on the polish colors that will define it.
Now, with the help of a celebrity nail artist, the trend has earned its name (and a spot on our spring-manicure inspiration board). Below, we’re sharing our findings with you, along with several nail looks that have us struggling to schedule our monthly manicure appointments. Scroll ahead to see every April nail color worth trying before the month ends.
What nail colors are trending for April?
What better way to celebrate blooming flowers, bright blue skies and the return of sparkle to our wardrobes than wearing manicures that are just as colorful and eye-catching? This April, celebrity nail artist for Sally Hansen stephanie stone Tells us that this will be the month to mess with nails. “We’ve seen a lot of adventurous nail art coming out of Coachella, and I think these dopamine nails will be well-adapted throughout the summer,” she says. While creamy, neutral shades will still be on the scene as we head into the warmer months, you can totally expect to see a surge in vibrant, energetic colors with the season’s best nail art trends like rainbow French tips, berry polka dots, and lavender chrome.
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According to Stone, the rainbow-French-tip trend combines the classic with the experimental. “You can get it with a micro-french to make it more discreet or wear it on longer square tips to really get a statement look. The key is to use bright colors that are really eye-catching!” Stone says. Her favorite polishes for this are from Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dry Electric Fills collection: neon nitro ($6), a creamy neon green, and peachy flare ($6), coral-peach color. Micro polka-dot manicure will also come into vogue in April. “Last year, reverse-colored polka dots on each hand hit the Internet faster than Dubai Chocolate. However, polka dots have stood the test of time and are still resonating among nail art lovers, this time in a rich berry and soft cream color options,” Stone adds.
To jazz up berry polka-dot nails, she recommends using two polishes from the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Flower Powder collection. Dragon Fruit Crush ($6), for a fuchsia colored flush, and vanilla bean vibe ($6), a bright white. Additionally, Stone shared that the lavender chrome manicure is the ideal choice for individuals who like to wear a simple statement nail and Sally Hansen’s ube-delicious ($6), a shimmering purple, is “art in a bottle.” For a more subtle lavender finish, Stone prefers Whirlway Wildflower ($6) Matte dry-down for a sleek satin look.
pure honey
Sunny manicures are on the rise this spring, and honey-hued polish shades reflecting the rising temperatures are inspiring a change from the butter-yellow tones we saw last year. While many of the viral yellow manicures in our feed lately have been creamy and opaque, these honey-colored nails have a splash of orange for added warmth that’s highly complementary to all skin tones.
See:
dnd
gel polish set in honey
leafy green
Year after year, we see creamy green nails emerge as the world around us begins to blossom once again. This April, our nails will be reminiscent of everything from dew-tipped blades of grass after a spring storm to delicate buds just before they bloom with green nail polish with white undertones. The finished look is light, airy and energetic.
See:
OPI
Nature Strong Nail Polish in Sage for Later
Essie
Nail Polish in Turquoise and Caico
cloud white
The opaque cream manicure we loved at the beginning of winter is returning this season with added warmth for a milky finish on nails of all shapes and lengths. This fashion-forward manicure from Milan-based creative nail artist Oksana Zavora is short and clean with a bright, milky white color and tiny chrome details that give these nails a minimalist, futuristic feel.
See:
Essie
nail polish in marshmallow
OPI
nail polish in funny bunny
petal pink
Pink manicure looks especially romantic in April when flowers bloom and velvety petals mingle with the rain, so it’s no surprise to us that pink nails are once again taking the beauty world by storm. These bright, pretty nails from London and Barcelona-based nail artist Mateja Novakovic are the epitome of a clean manicure with a semi-transparent pink polish that brings out the shine. It’s delicate and timeless—perfect for spring.
See:
doctor’s solution
Rich Nail Polish in Perfect Petal Pink
C.N.D
Vinylux Long Wear Polish in Negligee
lovely lavender
Playful pastel shades have been on our minds (and our Instagram feeds) lately, and lavender polish shades like the one above have officially got our attention for April. Nail artist and lifestyle content creator Iram Shelton took inspiration from Tom Ford’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection while creating these nails. They’ll be on our minds as we move into the latter half of the season.
See:
Essie
Nail polish in cool and collected
OPI
I Am What I Nail Polish in Amethyst
mute berry
We first started noticing the buzz of cool berry manicures at the end of winter, seeing the moody, romantic shade take over fashionistas. New York to Amsterdam. To create this striking manicure look, Novakovic used Bio Sculpt Gemini Nourishing Nail Polish in Chipped Bark ($10). Juicy nail polish colors like these are on their way to becoming a new neutral for year-round wear, as we’ve seen from oxblood and burgundy shades that were once widely reserved for fall.
See:
nailberry
L’Oxygen Nail Polish in Fashionista
Essie
mismatched nail polish
blue cream
in the caption of one instagram postCelebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen wrote that she’ll be trying out blue polish more often this season. “The blue feels quite soft for spring, but it still has that clean, put-together look that I always come back to,” she shared alongside a photo of a dual-tone manicure. The contrasting blue colors provide a great choice for the transition between winter and spring months, as they are in the same palette.
See:
distance
Nail Polish in Cloud True Blue
OPI
Nail Polish in It’s a Boy
buttercup yellow
If you’re still totally obsessed with the butter nail trend and aren’t ready to let it go, rest assured that this April celebrate bright and sunny shades of yellow. Plus, an even older and creamier version of the trend is experiencing a renaissance just in time for all your vibrant springtime plans: buttercup yellow. The shade is playful and dopamine-inducing featuring a diffused yellow with a whisper of white.
See:
OPI
Nail Polish in Blinded by Ring Light
londontown
Better color in buttercup
Misty Blue
Another blue shade we’ll be dreaming about throughout April and May is this soft stormy-blue shade. The color offers an opaque and glossy finish with blue-gray tones that is neutral enough for rainy late-spring days. This manicure is the equivalent of the comfort that a steaming cup of London Fog brings.
See:
zoya
Kristen in nail polish
Butter London
nail polish in the fog of london
chantilly cream
If a pearly white manicure in the middle of spring isn’t what you naturally gravitate towards, consider requesting this warm, cream nail polish for upcoming April nail appointments. The elegant shade offers a versatile and neutral option for a manicure that feels modern and clean. Nail artist Julia Diogo used Bio Sculpture Gemini Nourishing Nail Polish in Cream ($10) to create these screenshot-worthy nails.
See:
Essie
Expressi Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Daily Grind
olive and june
Swan Quick Dry Nail Polish
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