6 ways to rock a summer mani with DIY nail art

Pretty shiny nails are a year-round staple but those with a modicum of colour coordination will sagely agree that summer is the most apt for all your bolds and brights. And what better way to amp up a summer manicure than to DIY some nail art for fingertips with serious oomph at a fraction of the effort? Armed with a solid lineup of vibrant polishes — try H&M Beauty for every possible colour under the sun — getting your nails up to speed is but a 2-step task with these six hacks from H&M:

1. Splatter it on
The humble drinking straw now has an unexpected use as your manicure splatter tool. Apply a base colour first and let dry, then dip one end of the straw into a contrasting nail colour before lightly blowing it onto each nail.

2. Paint by cellophane
If you've ever wanted marblised-looking nails, this is it. All you need is a base colour — fully dried, of course — then a quick swipe of a secondary colour which you will proceed to smudge with a wad of crumpled cellophane.

3. Confetti party
A polka dot mani has never been easier. Punch out colourful tissue wrap to get perfect tiny spheres, and stick 'em on with a pair of tweezers over wet polish in order to adhere the circles.

4. Fan-made art
As in your fan makeup brush, which you only need to lightly drag across your second coat of nail colour while it's still wet to create a feathery pattern.

5. Ombre hombre
Play up negative space nail art by using scotch tape and a makeup sponge for a minimalist, ombre effect. Gently pour out three dollops of nail colour first — adding white polish to two of the drops to lighten the hue — then run the sponge across all three colours. Swipe onto your taped nails and voila.

6. Brush-on whites
This is the most lowbrow graffiti nail art yet. Using a small and clean makeup brush dipped in white polish, casually stripe it across your nails and you're good to go.

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