5 Unexpected Nail Polish Colors to Take You From Spring to Summer

You’ve done it again: “it” being a manicure, that is. And in a few weeks, those perfectly lacquered chicklets will leave little half-moons of a bare nail in their wake, and you’ll have to take it all off and do it all again. It’s a cycle of polish, remover, polish, remover that you can’t seem to break—and, sure, gel polish exists, but it can’t stop your nails from growing out! It’s… exhausting.

That’s why a new wave of nail styles only bother taking up a little of your precious nail real estate—and you’ll be seeing the technique all over come summer. It’s the best option for when you have other things to worry about: no more awkward chips or grown-out bases, just the color, shine, and general put-together-ness you already love about having a manicure.

Lest you think a partial manicure sounds boring, I rounded up five of my favorite examples from Instagram that are anything but. (They’re ranked by skill level, so you can keep it easy or take on a challenge.) And if the DIY approach isn’t your thing, you can always bring a photo to your favorite nail tech for help—the beauty of the style is that it works just as well on every finger as when it’s just an accent. With you as the base color, you can make your own rules.