Teal Is Officially Summer’s Coolest Nail Color—Just Ask Charli XCX

While Brat green was a fabulous color to encapsulate a summer, I have to say the 2026 obsession with teal is speaking to me even more. The color is so nostalgic, looks amazing when paired with pink, and makes sense everywhere—from a cupholder to King Kylie’s wig closet and your wardrobe.

Or your manicure, perhaps? After all, teal has been all over the nail world this summer. We’ve seen it in “sequin miniskirt” and “sea glass” manicures, showcased in It girl photo dumps, and even on the hands of a certain summer color-coining star and her friends.

Keep reading to discover everything there is to know about the trend, including how to get the look yourself.

The Teal Nail Trend

Teal nails are exactly what they sound like: nails painted a brilliant, bright shade of blueish green.

While we’ve been leaning toward lighter, more Baja Blast-coded shades this summer, teal can go much deeper; we may just see this trend carried into the fall.

Where You’ve Seen It

If you were lucky enough to be at Charli XCX’s no-phones-allowed Metrograph Listening Party on July 10, you would’ve seen the artist’s fingers painted the perfect teal shade. If you weren’t there, the good news is that her phone was allowed so there are plenty of pictures of the nails—and her friends’ matching manis—available on Instagram.

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Get the Look

This manicure couldn’t be easier to tackle. All you (or your nail tech!) need to do is pick up a teal nail polish and start painting.

ILNP calls their Retro Teal polish a “time-traveling teal,” or their Oasis is a little lighter/more Charli-esque. They also have Music Box, a holographic teal-blue with a touch of turquoise twinkle, and Summer Lovin’, a pastel teal holographic shade.

If you’d rather have just a touch of shimmer, Orly’s Morning Dew is lovely. And if you’re looking to stick to the classics, I’m also a fan of Static Nails’ Little Beach House and Gucci’s Dorothy Turquoise.

Throw a matte top coat over either if you’re looking to get really middle school-coded, then hit the pool. Your mani deserves a background that’s just as refreshing.