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Summer 2025 is a season of extremes, and not just in the weather forecast. Fashion is ping-ponging between buttery soft and glacier cool. While the hair is either chopped into a breezy crop or cascading in undone mermaid waves, nails are going through chaos. It is either "clean girl on a silent meditation retreat" or "deep sea disco ball." There's no middle ground this year; it's just a full commitment to the bit.
The most delightfully niche nail trend of the summer is both nostalgic and shiny, and it's all thanks to Dallas-based nail artist Cameron Short, better known on social media as Really Niche Nails. Her viral press-on set was inspired by a surprisingly wholesome source: a post on Reddit.
"As a traditional artist, I didn't want to just copy the original work," Short explains to Vogue Beauty, "I took one look at the photo and started frantically searching for real fishing lure references online."
Cue over 100 fishing lures saved to her camera roll, a dive into childhood memories of fishing trips, and the birth of what can only be described as the summer's most alluring nail trend. "I remembered using bright pink, purple, and yellow bait as a kid," Short told the publication. "There wasn't a method to my madness—I just knew I had to capture the joy and nostalgia of those early mornings at the lake."
What started as a quirky, glitter-drenched set of press-ons became a sensation. Her Etsy shop is now flooded with requests, and fans aren't just getting any old packaging. "I wanted people to get the full experience," she says. "So I ship the nails in real tackle boxes—with actual bait inside."
Nail Art That Swims
Zooming out, nail trends this season are sharply divided into two camps: barely-there neutrals (think sheer milky whites, clear gloss, soft butter yellow) or bold, concept-driven looks that lean into themes, textures, and storytelling. If your nails aren't whispering or screaming, they're off-message.
The "clean girl" look still reigns on one side of the spectrum, simple, glossy, and almond-shaped. But 2025 is clearly making room for a resurgence of personality, whimsy, and artistic storytelling. From shiny chrome fish scales to bright bait-inspired tips, the point is to get noticed, or to slay while sipping an oat milk iced latte quietly.
The throughline? Self-expression over trends. And when the trend is self-expression, everyone wins.