“Fruit Skin” Nails Are Trending—How to Get the Look

Don’t you just loooove fruit? I do. And so does Lorde. In an installment of the perfect Perfectly Imperfect newsletter sent out on Friday, May 30, the 28-year-old gave her take on why fruit is the best. It’s not a hot take, but it’s a good one.

“Are you taking fruit for granted? I was,” she wrote. “Orbs of sweetness and vitality that come in their own wrapper and can be enjoyed wherever. I highly recommend eating fruit in bed with someone you’re kissing.”

Brilliant advice… but also a little messy? (I know, I know—that’s the point.) Luckily, there’s another way to appreciate all that natural sweetness and color in any situation you find yourself in this summer. The best part? You don’t even need to wait for peak produce season to hop on the “Fruit Skin” nail trend.

The “Fruit Skin” Manicure Trend

“Fruit Skin” nails are exactly what they sound like: nails that look like the outer layer of a ripe piece of fruit. Yours can resemble grapes (red or green), watermelon, apples, peaches, or figs. Any fruit will do, as long as you can capture the intricacies of their soft, multicolored skins.

The other main thing to remember here is that these are realistic fruit designs. We love the cute, emoji-esque “Farmer’s Market” nails that were popular last summer, but this is something entirely different.

How to Get the Look

I hate to break it to you, but this is a look that might be best accomplished by a professional. As simple as the vision is, it’s intricate! Do you see those tiny hairs? The stripiness that doesn’t look streaky?

Luckily, most nail artists are so good at taking a bite out of some fresh inspiration. We’ve gathered a whole bunch of examples that you can show off when you’re ready to pick some “Fruit Skin” nails of your own.

The Best Fruit Skin Nail Inspiration

Are you a bigger fan of red grapes or green grapes? Have you tried them frozen? You should, and you should also try them on your nails; the nail tech doing this particular design color matched their polishes to the reds and greens of the fruit exactly.

If only Persephone would’ve just gone for pom seed nails instead of eating the fruit…But also, maybe it’s best things worked out the way they did? Now we have the seasons, and seasonal nail trends like this one.

There are so many varieties of apples out there, and the same goes for apple-inspired fruit skin nails. Pay attention to how the nail artist paints on those little yellow stripes before going in with the red tone. And those little spots! Perfection.

An apple (mani) a day keeps us fed with perfect nail content. This set is a little moodier, with a darker red/purple tone utilized alongside that greenish yellow.

And last but not least: the peachiest nails you’ve ever seen. Stick with the fuzzy looking finish or mix things up by adding a glossy top coat.

Now, do you have your next appointment scheduled? These looks are ripe for the painting.