Butter Nails Are Summer’s Most-Requested Manicure—Again

Look, butter nails. You know them now because yellow manicure has been everywhere Recent seasons: From buttery French manis to Hailey Bieber’s lemony tini in Mallorca to more golden mimosa and almost mango shades on our IG Explore page. Summer 2026? Nail art trends—and a cursory glance at the ladies in the salon chairs next to us—suggest that butter nails are here to stay.

Celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik has been banging the “butter” manicure drum for a while now. Bachik previously showed off long-time client Selena Gomez’s perfectly shaped oval nails, which were painted a light butter color. With a slightly vanilla hue, you can create a similar look at home using Chanel’s Le Vernis Ovni shade or Essie All Fun & Games.

“Butter nails continue to dominate summer because the color feels fresh, feminine and effortlessly flatters a variety of skin tones,” says manicurist Hannah Taylor, brand ambassador for The GelBottle Inc. Taylor likes to use the brand’s Sorbet All-In-One as the perfect butter yellow option: a soft, buildable cream polish. GelBottle Inc founder and CEO Daisy Kalnina suggests the brand go with a warm Queen Bee shade, a bright Banana Split shade, or layer Iced Chrome over a butter shade for glam maximalists who want to up the trend. “Butter yellow is quickly becoming the new neutral color of the season, blending seamlessly with the pastel tones and textures we’re seeing in summer fashion.”

It’s all over the summer 2026 runways: from Isabel Marant and Chloe’s crocheted and edgy ruffled bohemian styles, to Chanel’s sun-dappled, colorful resort collection in trembling sky blues and mint greens. Fashion designers often offer one (or two!) trendy colors with each new season, and during summer, we get a slew of buttery yellows. Of course, glamor always follows.