Lemon Zest Nails Are The Sweet And Sour Trend Of The Summer

Scrolling through the summer nail trends of 2023, it's clear to see how much inspiration nail artists are getting from food — and we're loving it! With dozens of fruit milk manicure looks and orange creamsicle nails, people are truly embracing the sweet treats that come along with summertime. And now, we're adding lemon zest nails to the list of juicy fruit-inspired nails for your next sweet summer manicure.

There are lots of creative takes on this citrusy trend. With a quick "lemon nails" search on Instagram, you can see there's not just one way to achieve the look. Some nail artists paint whole lemons, while others add slices that peek out of the corner of each nail. You can also add green leaves for extra details. If you're low on time and want to get lemon zest nails at home, you can also buy lemon nail stickers and top them with clear polish. Let your imagination roam free among the lemon trees and find a lemony look you love.

Lemony nail art is a fun and creative way to sweeten up your 'naked nail summer' by adding a hint of color to your nude shades. You can keep some nails painted with your nude tone, and then accent other nails with lemon slices and green leaves.

For this trend, some people like to paint the lemons on every nail. But you can also accent just one nail to keep the lemon look simple. It's common that people will accent the middle or ring finger and then paint the other nails a solid yellow color. 

If you love multi-colored manicures, you can go beyond just yellow. Blue is the lemony hue's complementary color which gives you a gorgeous color contrast when you add the bright yellow nail art on top of it. You can also add interest with stripes or dots.

Not everyone likes a super bright yellow on their nails, and a lemony manicure can still look stunning with more muted tones. Pastels are perfect for spring and summer, and this definitely includes yellow. Check out OPI's Blinded by the Ring Light polish, a creamy light yellow shade for your lemon nails.

Can't get enough of a high-shine chrome mani? Try out the lemon zest nail trend paired with a shade of gold chrome polish. This will add shine and shimmer to your vibrant nails. Paint the chrome on just the tips, or coat the whole nail on certain fingers if you want to show off more of the gold. 

Maybe you can't decide between the fruits you want on your nails. No worries — you can add them all! Paint each nail with a different fruit-inspired theme along with your lemons, such as cherries, limes, or berries. Or, you can paint multiple fruits on each nail for a bundle of sweetness on your fingertips. 

If you don't like the look of lemon nail art for your manicure, you can simply capture the aura of a lemon with bright yellow tips. After all, colorblocking French nails has become a super popular and vibrant way to rock the French tip look. The nails above were painted with the Lemon Juice gel polish by DND Gel.