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Our summer plans this year? Indulge. Have the extra margarita, check out that smutty beach read (or three!), give yourself an extra hour to nap in the hammock, and swim until your fingers prune. It’s been a long winter (and spring).
By that measure, our toes will follow suit, taking sugary cues from our favorite sweet treats. The summer pedicure colors of 2026 are inspired by our favorite desserts, whether you crave a luscious scoop of creamy French vanilla, the perfect bite of pale green pistachio mochi, or a classic slice of deep red cherry pie. If you’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, there are still ways to indulge. Take yourself on vacation and try a pedi that matches the clear blue sky at the boardwalk or a pink coral reef while snorkeling. Buy yourself the bouquet of poppies and get an orange pedicure to match. You deserve it!
Below, the experts break down this summer’s sweetest pedicure colors to indulge in.
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- Creamy white
- Sky Blue
- Pistachio
- Cherry red
- Poppy
- Coral
- Milky nude
Creamy white
Courtesy of @nailnazi.mtl
A scoop of vanilla ice cream is a quintessential summer treat, and while the dessert may get a bit sticky on our nails, the creamy white color makes for a warm, clean pedicure. “The key is choosing a softer, more wearable white rather than anything too stark,” says Juanita Huber-Millet, founder and creative director of Townhouse. Much like with ice cream, there’s a spectrum to this color. For a brighter white vanilla bean, try Townhouse Flawless Polish in Meringue. Gucci Vernis à Ongles Nail Polish in Cecilia Ivory is a true custardy French vanilla, while Ella+Mila Nail Polish in Secret Garden falls beautifully between the two.
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Gucci
Cecilia Ivory
Nordstrom
Gucci
Bloomingdales
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Ella + Mila
Secret Garden
Beyond Polish
Ella + Mila
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Townhouse
Flawless Polish in Meringue
Townhouse
Sky Blue
Picture a perfect, breezy day on the Santa Monica Pier, complete with cotton candy and a Ferris wheel ride. Your toes, we imagine, are likely the same light, crisp blue as the sky. After multiple summers of cobalt and cornflower blue, “soft blues feel fresh, calming, and slightly unexpected for summer,” says Huber-Millet. Holo Taco Nail Polish in Too Good to Be Blue, and Olive and June Nail Polish in Honest and True both offer a noon sky of pale blue, while Londontown Lakur Enhanced Nail Colour in Hot Spring is a shade or two deeper (more of a late-afternoon sky).
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Holo Taco
Too Good To Be Blue
Holo Taco
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Lakur by Londontown
Hot Spring
Amazon
Londontown
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Olive & June
Honest and True
Olive & June
CVS
Pistachio
Courtesy of @bran.___momoko
With comforting salty-sweet gourmands and creamy scent profiles trending in fragrance, it’s no surprise that colors have followed suit. Several of our experts predict this sweet pistachio green will appear on toes this summer. “The shade reflects a modern-day lacquer with a ’50s vibe,” says Elle Gerstein, a New York-based nail artist, who likes the brighter matcha-esque hue of Essie Nail Polish in Crunch Crunch.
For something a little earthier, Los Angeles-based nail artist Hang Nguyen recommends Chanel Le Vernis in Cavalier Seul as a sage-y, grey-green alternative. And if you’re still thinking about that ice cream from before, Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer in Embark is the exact shade of pistachio mochi.
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Chanel
Le Vernis Chance in Cavalier Seul
Nordstrom
Chanel
Macy’s
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Essie
Crunch Crunch
Ulta Beauty
Essie
CVS
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Dazzle Dry
Embark
Amazon
Dazzle Dry
Cherry red
Stand in line for a cronut or crookie if you will, but there’s something to be said about classic desserts—pies, chocolate milkshakes, and banana splits—all with a cherry on top. If those all-American treats are what you crave, you’ll want a cool, cherry red pedicure to match. “It feels juicy and slightly moody,” says nail artist Sofiia Mazur, and that makes it perfect for those who like to stay in familiar territory without being too boring.
Look for a red with a blue undertone (as opposed to warmer orange), like Beauty Pie Nail Polish in Piquante or Cracked Polish in Calabrian Pepper. But as we all know, the darker the cherry, the sweeter it is, and for that perfectly ripe shade, try Ssone Nail Lacquer in Rowan.
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Beauty Pie
Wondercolour in Piquante
Beauty Pie
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Ssone
Rowan
Anthropologie
Ssone
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Cracked Polish
Calabrian Pepper
Cracked Polish
Poppy
Courtesy of @yourtime_yourbeauty
Come Memorial Day, our bouquets of tulips and daffodils have wilted, and we’re focused on brighter summer buds like nasturtiums and cheery poppies. That fresh orange-red will also feel perfectly at home for hot-weather pedis. “A fresh pedicure with a pop of color is unbeatable,” says Analysse Hernandez, a Los Angeles-based nail artist, who loves the orange tint for a fun, neon-leaning twist on classic red.
Try the aptly named Hermès Les Mains Nail Enamel in Orange Poppy or Manicurist Nail Polish in Paris Coral Reef for a tinge more orange, or Orly Nail Lacquer in Hit the Gas if you want your poppy to skew neon without venturing into highlighter territory.
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Hermés
Orange Poppy
Nordstrom
Hermes
Macys’s
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Manucurist
Paris Coral Reef
Bluemercury
Manucurist
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Orly
Hit the Gas
Ulta Beauty
Orly
Coral
Life on land has become a little complicated as of late. So we might just file a change of address and dive beneath the surface of the South Pacific to live among the coral reefs. “Summer always brings a return to vibrant corals,” says Thea Green, founder of Nails.Inc. And the same is true for our toes: “It’s one of the most universally flattering pedicure shades because it instantly warms up the skin tone.”
So if living among exotic sea life isn’t possible (hard to breathe down there), at least your toes will get a summery escape. Try OPI Nail Polish in Shrimp Cocktail or Côte Nail Polish in Desert Petal for a punchy, vibrant orangey-pink, or ILNP Nail Polish in Sunny Days for a sweeter, more delicate pink, like the shade you’d see on lacy sea fan coral.
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Côte
Desert Petal
Côte
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ILNP
Sunny Days
Amazon
ILNP
Milky nude
Courtesy of @yourtime_yourbeauty
Believe it or not, not everyone loves chocolate and caramel. Some prefer the lighter touch of a marshmallow, a meringue, or a coconut sorbet. For them, a milky nude pedicure will be a perfect match. “The best part is that it goes with anything,” says Katie Masters, a Santa Monica-based nail artist and founder of Nail Thoughts, who notes that you can go cooler or warmer depending on your skin tone.
Gerstein adds that it’s also a great anchor for nail art (if, perhaps, you like your coconut sorbet with a vibrant, fresh-fruit topping). Static Nails Nail Polish in Coconut is a milky, semi-sheer nude that brightens up your natural nail color, while Nails.Inc It's Topless Nail Polish in Renee and Korres No No Nail Polish in Jelly Peach offer barely there, spun-sugar pink hues.
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Static Nails
Coconut
Amazon
Static Nails
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Nails.INC
Renee
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Walmart
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Korres
Jelly Peach
Korres
Meet the experts:
LargeChevron
- Elle Gerstein is a New York-based nail artist.
- Thea Green is a London-based nail artist and founder of Nails.Inc.
- Analysse Hernandez is a Los Angeles-based nail artist.
- Juanita Huber-Millet is the founder and creative director of Townhouse.
- Katie Masters is a Santa Monica-based nail artist and founder of Nail Thoughts.
- Sofiia Mazur is a Scottsdale-based nail artist and educator.
- Hang Nguyen is a Los Angeles-based nail artist.
Read more about the latest trends:
- Behold, the Biggest French Manicure Trends of 2026
- 6 Nail Color Trends That Are Taking Over in 2026
- Gem Nails Are the Most Nostalgic Nail Art Trend of 2026
- These Are the Best South Korean Nail Trends of 2026
