Since its unveiling at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day in 1978, the Pride flag has served as a powerful representation of and for the LGBTQ+ community. Not only does the Gilbert Baker-designed banner exude joy with its bright, bold colors, but each of its rainbow stripes bears a symbolic meaning — yellow, for example, represents the sun, while blue signifies serenity. It’s little wonder that, nearly 50 years after its debut, the flag is still ubiquitous within the community and during nationwide June Pride festivities, popping up on apparel, accessories, and even on manicures.
Rainbow nails aren’t just a great way to embrace your identity or allyship — they’re also just a fun, vibrant design choice for summer. And there are plenty of ways to wear them beyond adding six or eight colorful stripes to each fingertip. Consider blending a few nearby colors (like red, orange, and yellow) into a pretty, hazy gradient. Or adding a different hue to each finger, be that as an all-over solid swatch of color or in the form of French tips. You could try polka dots, add a fun top coat, or do some combination of all the above. Much like rainbows themselves, the possibilities have no end.
Intrigued? Scroll on for 13 rainbow nail ideas that will take you from Pride to Labor Day (and beyond).
Prismatic Pride
Celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec created this prismatic Pride-themed set, which features pristine color gradiation and immaculately executed geometric texture.
Rainbow Hearts
Lean into the love by wearing your heart on your fingertips. This manicure by nail artist Dayanna Sapiens complements rainbow swirls with rainbow heart accent nails.
Rainbow French
When it comes to DIY nail art, you simply can’t go wrong with a French manicure: It’s relatively low lift (if you’ve got patience and a fine-line nail art brush), and it always looks elegant. These clean rainbow crescents, created by nail artist Kristin Kuyper, are no exception.
Beyond The Rainbow
These nails by artist Sigourney Nuñez look beyond the rainbow, incorporating the colors of the Progress Pride Flag. (The additional colors represent the trans community and communities of color.)
Rainbow Heat
Rainbows get the jelly treatment in this striped mani. Nail artist Sierra used a fine-line nail art brush to paint slim strips of neon color down each digit. The final look is kind of giving heat map (complementary).
Rainbow Gradient
This jelly mani by artist Anna more than makes the grade(-ient). For a similar look, try painting two shades that are close on the color spectrum — like violet and indigo — onto a makeup sponge, then stamping it right onto your nails.
Watercolor Rainbow
You can also use a nail art brush to get the watercolor or gradient look. That’s how artist Claudia Hernandez created this dreamy, hazy set.
Pearlescent Rainbow
Speaking of dreamy, one could get lost in these shifty rainbow velvet nails by Megan K. With an assortment of velvet polishes and a pearlescent top coat, you could try your hand at recreating the look.
Dot The Rainbow
Nuñez captioned this one “dopamine dots,” and I must agree — it’s impossible not to feel a burst of energy after looking at these rainbow polka dots, set against a chic, clear base.
Pastel Rainbow
If you prefer more muted tones, consider adding pastel shades into the mix. As this Megan K manicure demonstrates, they can be just as impactful.
Rainbow Swirl
With a set of shimmery rainbow polishes (and a remarkable amount of patience), nail artist SuzieMoon designed this sparkling, hypnotic rainbow swirl.
Rainbow Stars
Nail artist Karin used a two-tone rainbow color scheme for this star-spangled French mani, which kind of gives off ‘70s vibes.
Vibrant Skittles
Much like a French mani, solid swaths of color are always a good (and easy to DIY) idea—especially in rainbow tones with subtle iridescent shimmer. Artist Melly K created this flawlessly manicured “Skittle” set.
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