If you’re feeling uninspired by your Instagram feed lately, perhaps you need another source for creative ideas. Look no further because celebrity nail technician and educator Tammy Taylor has just the summer nail inspo you need, as well as the perfect colors and products to execute.
From managing her multi-million-dollar company, to making educational nail tutorials for YouTube, to creating show-stopping nail looks on Billie Eilish, Taylor’s deep immersion into the industry has made her a chief authority on all things nails.
On Her Summer 2022 Nail Collections
Born and raised in (and a current resident of) Southern California, Taylor knows summer better than most. She draws from her surroundings to get inspiration for the color collections of her namesake company, Tammy Taylor Nails. SoCal is not only her home; it’s her heart.
The bright colors of the California coast gave her the ideas for the shades of her newest summer collections: Beach Dreams, which includes slightly shimmery versions of a teal, a bright yellow, and a soft pink, and In Love With Summer, which includes a pastel orange, a lime green, and a light blue.
“I go to the beach at least once a week with my grandson,” Taylor explains, “so everything from driving down PCH, colorful swimsuits, and even my surfboard I’ve had since I was 12 were huge inspirations to these collections. They’re colors that make you happy and feel like you’re on vacation, even when you’re not.”
As for which of her summer colors is her favorite, Taylor is partial to Soak Up the Sun, the bright yellow in Beach Dreams. “When creating my colors, I always make sure they are something I would personally wear,” she adds.
On Her Beachy Summer Nail Designs
Each Tammy Taylor summer collection is available in both lacquer and gel polish to suit your needs, which is helpful when deciding what designs you want to create and how to create them. Recognizing how you personally work can also help you form ideas. Maybe inspiration strikes you as you’re working. Taylor prefers to plan out her photo shoot designs ahead of time, even taking time to sketch them out so that everything looks cohesive in the end.
It’s all too easy to get lost in the Insta scrolling without really finding anything to inspire you or clear instructions on how something was done. Luckily, Taylor has created tons of helpful YouTube tutorials to teach you how to do specific summer nail designs using these colors, including flowers, ocean waves, and seashells.
On Summer Nail Trends
In addition to what she likes to do for her own designs, Taylor also enjoys scoping out the current summer nail trends. Here are the designs she’s seeing a lot of this summer:
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Color Blocking French – “Instead of doing the traditional pink and white, use pink and a bright color free-edge; or mix and match your favorite colors in a colorful French style!”
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Abstract – “Fun and funky patterns have been trending and are here to stay for a while. Swirls, orbs, blobs, and 3D effects using your favorite color scheme.”
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Chrome & Dazzle Dust – “Chrome is coming back in a fun way. Instead of chroming the entire nail, I've been seeing accents of chrome throughout nail art and absolutely love it. I think it adds the finishing touch to any nail design.”
But her favorite nail trends of summer 2022 are those that use blooming gel. The way in which the gel spreads out the color makes for a cool effect that could be perfect for a wide range of summer nail art. “I think Blooming Nail Art Gel is incredible because it allows you to create endless designs: snakeskin, alligator, tortoiseshell, watercolor, floral, clouds, and so much more!” Taylor says.
On Working with Billie Eilish
Although Taylor only takes a select few clients these days, Billie Eilish remains one of her favorites to collaborate with. “Working with Billie is always so much fun,” Taylor reflects.
The dark pop singer and voice of Generation Z is known for her daring, experimental looks at events and on magazine covers. These looks often include a long set of Tammy Taylor nails that the pair works together on to form ideas. As Eilish is one of today’s most beloved celebrities, her looks are always being evaluated by the public, and the nails must perfectly enhance each outfit. Sounds hard, but this is a fun challenge for the two of them. “She is so confident and creative,” Taylor says. “She knows what she likes and doesn't like. Billie brings me her ideas and vision, and then we collaborate to create the final look.”
So, our last bit of advice: Collaborating with your clients is sometimes the most fun and productive way to brainstorm. Bouncing ideas off each other will often produce something that neither of you could come up with alone. There are hardly any rules when it comes to summer nails, so let your creativity run wild.
Shop the entire Tammy Taylor line at tammytaylornails.com.
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