Pool-Glazed Nails Are Trending for Summer 2026

A collage of blue glazed nails by @matejanova — (Image credit: @matejanova)

If you're anything like me today, you're looking gleefully at the weather forecast for the next few days and delighting in a long weekend in the uninterrupted sunshine. It feels like summer has officially arrived, and so now I'm planning out my next summer nails and even thinking about my summer holiday nails whilst I'm at it.

And as I was scrolling through my feeds today, my thumb stopped immediately over a glazed manicure. But not just your usual glazed milky nails. But prismatic pool chrome nails, and they could not be more perfect for the season.

A sheer manicure with blue chrome powder

This beautiful chrome manicure by Mateja Novakovic caught my eye. Following in the footsteps of the recent Chanel Cruise "mermaid" nails, it seems that colourful shimmers and chromes are a firm nail trend for summer 2026. Now, usually I'm a pink or milky chrome nail purist, but with the sheer pink base, this blue chrome powder mani gives the perfect nod to summer without being OTT, catching the light in the most beautiful way, like how light bounces off a glittering pool on a scorching UV index 8 day.

A close up of the blue chrome nails on @matejanova with her nails bent in towards her palm

Novakovic created this prismatic effect by using Manucurist's Blue Glazed Powder over her nail polish. Whilst she hasn't listed the exact shade name that she has used here, I'm guessing that she used Manucurist Hortencia, a sheer pink polish that she often uses for the base of her nail art. The sheer base allows the chrome powder to really shine, giving you a glimpse of aquatic blue every time the light catches your hands. It's a chic way to dip a toe into a blue nail look if you're a nail minimalist too.

Honestly? I cannot wait to try out this look. Scroll ahead for all the products you'll need to recreate it at home.

Shop the Look:

A side angle of @matejanova's blue chrome nails

Manucurist

Blue Glazed Powder

This is the exact chrome powder Mateja Novakovic used to create her blue glazed manicure.

Manucurist

Hortencia

Whilst Novakovic hasn't disclosed the nail colour she used for the base, my bet is that it's a Manucurist nail colour called Hortencia, a sheer pink polish that provides the perfect canvas for this look.

Manucurist

Discovery Kit

Manucurist's LED nail kit gives a gel nail effect, making it a great gel nail alternative that lasts up to 10 days.

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Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections.

With a degree in fashion journalism from the London College of Fashion, she has 10 years of industry experience and has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.

Eleanor’s journalistic focus is providing readers with honest and helpful beauty content. She has interviewed celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson.