In case you haven't been paying attention to your calendar (hey, we're all busy), let us be the first to tell you: The Fourth of July is just 10 days away. Whether you expertly coordinated the holiday with your summer PTO and have been mapping out your vacation for the past three months or are still weighing your travel options, Independence Day means an extra blissful summer day off of work — and that in and of itself is worth celebrating.
In the spirit, we're recommending a fresh red, white, and blue manicure. In part because it's patriotic, but mostly because the stars, nautical stripes, and glitter fireworks accents make for the cutest nail art you'll wear all summer. Beyond standard bright-red polish, we've scoured Instagram and compiled a guide to chic and unique Fourth of July nail looks, to give you ample inspiration for your next manicure.
For this look, you'll need red, white, and blue polishes, a skinny nail-art brush to create the stripes, and a top coat with a touch of shimmer.
You can spot a cool NYC girl on the beach by her minimalist manicure — like this diagonal color play, courtesy of Manhattan's trendy Paintbox studio.
Polka-dotted fingernails are fun and festive no matter the occasion, but feel extra patriotic when they're red, white, and blue.
If you order a pack of press-on star decals now, they'll be at your door well before the Fourth.
Try a milky nude base with bright red and blue accents. Then, find yourself a spot on the hammock.
A double French tip with baby blue and deep red layered together is super understated.
Pick up an Essie polish in the sparkly royal blue Front Page Worthy and get your festive manicure in the time it take to paint one coat (plus dry time).
Elevate your go-to white manicure with blue and red stripes — and pair it with denim cut-offs.
Technically it's not red, white, or blue, but a metallic foil ombré tip is an obvious take on Fourth of July fireworks.
If you fall back on your standard red polish, add a few white stars to take your look to the next level.
We're calling this the tidal take on the Fourth of July mani — perfect if you'll be spending your day by the beach.
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