5 mins
Jet Set Nails
Browse LILLY DELMAGE’S roundup of destination-inspired designs & holiday-friendly product picks
Miranda Prusik
Amidst shopping for essentials and packing their suitcases, beauty enthusiasts often add ‘get destination-inspired nail art’ to their pre-holiday to-do lists. Nail art requests tailored to clients’ holidays allow you to get creative and incorporate location-based influences into designs.
Miranda Prusik, owner of Juniper Beauty, Colorado, notes: “As a nail artist, I have the privilege of bringing my clients’ visions to life, especially on meaningful occasions, such as honeymoons and holidays. I love that I have creative freedom, and that clients put their trust in me to achieve their goals.”
Olivia Annice
Idea generation station
Cheshire-based nail artist & educator, Olivia Annice, shares her advice for techs given destination-themed briefs: “Search ‘[client’s destination] nails’ on Instagram and Pinterest, and use online scrapbook boards to browse the work of other nail techs for inspiration. However, always ensure you credit their work if you use elements of their designs.
Miranda Prusik adds: “Instead of rrecreating landscapes from locations, consider their textures, patterns of light, the way colours shift at sunset or how the ocean moves. Let those subtle details form the basis of your nail creations. The most striking designs often come from interpreting a feeling or moment, rather than replicating an existing style or landscape.”
Andreia Professional Beach Please Gel Polish Collection £5.99 + VAT each www.salon-services.comwww.andreiaprofessional.com
Sara Pinto
Product pick
“The Andreia Professional Beach Please Gel Polish collection captures the essence of summer holidays with its vibrant, sun-drenched shades,” says Sara Pinto, nail product director at Andreia Professional. “The collection also includes ready-to-use nail art suggestions, offering professionals a variety of summer-inspired looks that can be adapted to each client’s travel plans or personal style.”
Natalie Reay
TECH TALK: My client’s cruise nails went viral
Manchester nail tech, Natalie Reay, and her client, Joanne Darby, spent over 12 months planning Joanne’s nail design for her cruise holiday. “The style featured blue block colour nails, one blue and white stripy nail, and a white nail with an anchor,” explains Joanne. She shared a photo of her manicure to the cruise’s Facebook group and received an overwhelming response. “I didn’t expect to receive so many replies. I had so many comments from people saying how much they loved them,” she says.
Joanne boarding the cruise.
Her nautical nails continued to draw attention throughout the cruise, and a fellow passenger requested their own anchor nail art from the on-board salon! A comment on theFacebookchat.
Not only was the experience exciting, but meaningful for Natalie, who says: “It proves that nails hold more than aesthetic meaning; they are conversation starters and confidence boosters. Joanne’s nail art sparked conversations, smiles and new connections, demonstrating how a set of nails can reflect a personality, turn heads and bring people together in unexpected ways.”
Scan to read more about the cruise-themed nail creation
Inspiration board
Tropical
talons
Flags, tropical plants and cheetah print combine in this vibrant nail style for a client of Indiana-based nail artist, @nailsbyloskii, who was travelling to Jamaica.
Inspiration board
European
influences
“My client was travelling to Iceland and wanted a manicure inspired by the beautiful scenery,” shares Miranda Prusik. “The design included references to the colourful landscape of Lndmannalaugar, the Northern Lights at Kirkjufell, Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland’s active volcanic systems, the Blue Lagoon and more!”
A holiday to the Amalfi Coast, Italy, inspired nail tech, Olivia Annice, to use online scrapbook boards to create on-theme art.
This versatile design by the Glitterbels team can mark client trips to any tropical destination.
Glitterbels 9mm Liner Brush with Lid £7.99 inc VAT
www.glitterbels.com
Glitterbels Acrylic Powder in Tropical Sunrise £7.99 inc VAT
www.glitterbels.com
A trip to Hawaii inspired this aqua-tastic manicure, featuring hand-painted turtles and hibiscus flowers atop blue ombré tips by California tech, @nailsby._itzel.
The GelBottle Inc 3D Studio Gel™ in Clear £12 + VAT
www.thegelbottle.com
Gelish Soak-Off Gel Polish in I’m All Cheers £16.99 + VAT
www.gelishmorgantaylor.co.ukInstagram.com/nailsby._itzel
Gelish educator &
Scratch Stars Polish & Paint Nail Artist of the Year
finalist 2025, Monika Ferreira, created this Havana-inspired style using Gelish Soak-Off Gel Polish shades.
Inspiration board
Safari
style
Lecenté Metallic Leopard Nail Art Foil £3.99 + VAT
www.lecente.com
OPI Nail Lacquer in Millennium Mocha £8 + VAT/RRP £15.60
uk.wella.professionalstore.com
Marketing destination nail art
“Create a sense of excitement and exclusivity by promoting your summer holiday designs as ‘limited edition’,” shares Sara Pinto. “Showcase eye-catching photos and videos on social media, ideally featuring clients enjoying their nails in sunny destinations. “Bundling services – such as a mini spa treatment with nail art or offering discounts for group bookings, which are perfect for holiday preparations with friends – can increase value,” Sara continues. “You can also start conversations with clients about upcoming travel plans, naturally introducing the idea of destination-inspired nail designs.”
“Wildlife and beautiful landscapes inspired this manicure,” shares French tech, Audrey De Sousa of @_adsbeauty. “I used a mix of neutral, earthy tones and animal print details to bring the safari theme to life – including leopard spots and zebra stripes.”
Audrey De Sousa
Inspiration board
A taste of
Asia
Ellis McDonald
“My client requested a Japan-themed nail design for an upcoming trip, so she brought inspiration photos to the appointment,” says Cheshire-based nail artist, Ellis McDonald of @bellissimo.beauty__. “I hand-painted lucky cats, koi fish, sushi, Mount Fuji and cherry blossom trees, and she even messaged me to say the locals loved looking at the nail art!”
The GelBottle Inc in Mont Blanc £15.95 + VAT
www.thegelbottle.com
Lesley Torres
Washington D.C. nail artist, Lesley Torres of @rottednails, share details about her sushi design: “Every nail exhibits different variations of the well-known Japanese delicacy, sushi – making it the perfect nail design for my client’s trip to Japan.”
Scratch’s
editorial & partnerships director, Helena Biggs, chose panda-themed nail art for a trip to China for the first
Nailympia China
competition. Nail tech, Rebecca Ellis of @beautyby__beck, Dartford, hand-painted panda faces alongside bamboo and flowers.
Inspiration board
Canadian
creations
Charmaine Baumber
Nail tech & Light Elegance UK educator, Charmaine Baumber, created a Canada-inspired design for a client’s holiday, featuring blood moons, wolves and forest decals. “My client showed me a stamping plate design that she wanted me to adapt. Seizing the challenge, we discussed colours and styles and booked in a longer appointment slot so I could hand-paint the designs,” Charmaine explains. “She was delighted with the result.”
Light Elegance ButterCream in Men are From Mars £17.95 + VAT
www.lightelegance.co.uk
Canada’s famous beavers, pancakes and maple syrup combine in this hand-painted design by Utah nail artist, Kenna Crump of @nailed_by_kenna.
Inspiration board
American
city breaks
A bride-to-be sought the creativity of Miranda Prusik of @juniperbeautyllc to curate nail art for her nuptials in Las Vegas.
What better way to celebrate a trip to New York than by sporting the New York Yankees baseball team logo and red apple hues? Nashville tech, Denise Dominguez Glass of @denise.d_nails, added French tips and 3D elements to this design for extra wow-factor.
“The most striking designs often come from interpreting a feeling or moment, rather than replicating an existing set or landscape.”