10 Sea-Inspired Nail Designs to Channel Your Inner Mermaid

Behind the Trend Sea-Inspired Trend

Whether you’re spending your summer on the beach or poolside, lean into the waterproof beauty trend with sea-inspired nails (which, by the way, are a trending search term up 65% on Pinterest). Embrace your aquatic dreams with an iridescent mermaid mani, or lean into the watery depths with marbled deep green shades. Add some dimension to your nails with pearls, or get funky with some shell-shaped sequins. No matter where your creative current takes you, ocean-inspired nails are a great way to keep that vacation spirit alive (even if you’re not enjoying your time off just yet). If you’re swimming in ideas, don’t fall off the deep end—just take a look at our top ten sea-inspired manicures to help keep your creative worries at bay. 

Our Favorite Sea-Inspired Nail Looks

1. Siren Seashell Nails

Dive deep into the ocean-inspired theme with these seashell-shaped nails. Pull inspiration from the deep end of the coral reef, using earthy tones to decorate each nail’s sharp shell texture (best created with a wooden cuticle stick or nail tool). If you’re feeling fancy, add a pearl detail to your manicure to give it even more seaside charm. 

2. Water Bubbles Mani

Wherever you go, this manicure will ensure you have the most drip. Faux water droplets—made here with a clear, hard gel polish—create the illusion that your nails were just submerged in water, even if you’ve spent the whole day tanning in the sun. Whether you prefer hitting the nail salon or DIY-ing your manicure, replicate this “wet” look by gently dotting drops of clear gel extension polish to your prepped-and-primed nails. 

3. Under-the-Sea Oyster Nails

Treasure comes in all shapes and sizes, and often shells are just as pretty as their pearls. Pay tribute to the shiny underwater look with these reflective nails, which take nail art a step (or swim) forward. Recreate the mani by adding some mother-of-pearl appliqués to your nails, and for even more sheen, throw in some chrome details. Don’t worry about keeping things symmetrical; a true mermaid goes with the flow. 

4. Mermaid Scale Mani

Mesmerize your friends with this mermaid scale moment. To get the eclectic look, pick out some iridescent polishes to layer on your nails. Mix them together to create subtle ombrés, or dedicate each finger to a different nail polish. There’s no right or wrong way to paint your own “scales,” so embrace your inner mermaid however you see fit. 

5. Flirty Fishy Nails

Wave hello to compliments with this flirty fishy manicure. Try using a dotting tool and small detail brush to paint these cute sea creatures, or head to your local salon if it seems too complex to recreate. You can also hack the look with some fishy nail stickers, which you can throw on in a flash. Paired with a neutral base, this nail art really swims against the current without doing too much. 

6. Treasure Trove Nails

You won’t have to dive to the bottom of the ocean to get these nails. Start by using a sponge to create a subtle blue ombré effect, like your nails have been dipped into beachy blue waters. Then, decorate your nails with multicolor rhinestones, adorning your manicure with as many deep-sea treasures as you wish. 

7. Magical Water Mani

This manicure will have you wondering if you’re swimming in enchanted waters. Channel your inner siren with an iridescent blue nail polish, or get the magical look by topping off a regular blue polish with a dusting of chrome powder. For an extra splashy design, give your nails a “ripple” effect by sculpting small circles with a hard gel extension polish (or head to the salon for a professional touch). 

8. Pearl Princess Nails

What’s more precious than pearls? Dive deep into the sea-inspired nail trend with a manicure that pays tribute to one of the ocean’s most elusive treasures. All you’ll need here is your preferred shade of blue polish and pearl appliqués, the latter of which you can place wherever you see fit. Are you more of a minimal pearl girl or a maximalist pearl princess?

9. Ocean Jelly Nails

Jelly nails were practically made for this trend. Their semi-transparent color gives your manicure a crystalline finish—not unlike an actual jellyfish. First, pick out what kind of water you want to take inspiration from, whether that be tropical cerulean waves or deep sea blue. Then, take your jelly polish and mix it with a gel base coat (or top coat) to thin out the color and really get that sheer effect. Layer the polish to your liking. 

10. Sea Blue French Manicure

Remix the classic French manicure with a simple sea-inspired twist. Trade out white tips for a blue shade of your choosing, and for an added reflective effect, layer a chrome powder on top to give your manicure more dimension than a kiddie pool. Nothing says beach quite like a fresh blue mani-pedi!