Summertime is in full swing and it’s all about wearing your cutest sandals and letting your fingers and toes do the talking! I love the season, and it’s the perfect time to take risks with your safe, typical mani/pedi. Of course being a bella on a budget, you might be giving yourself a lot of at-home touch-ups. Here’s the hottest trends I’ve seen, and the polishes you need to pull them off!

#1 — Multicolored Nails.

So fun, so cute, so perfect for summer! The multicolored nail trend is very youthful and perfect for those who love to be trendsetters.

Super fly ATL blogger Necole Bitchie’s making it a phenomenon in hot, bright pink and black. How does my Twitter homegirl do it? — with a different color on the ring left hand, and on the pointer finger of the right hand. I had to ask what colors she’s rocking and Necole admitted that she gets her nails done at the salon, but she believes the color is called “Electrick Pink.” The closest match I could find for that name was by my beloved and super-cheap Milani. Check out the reviews on Makeup Alley! Bright neon pink is guaranteed to turn heads. Get yours at CVS.

Necole’s been rocking the pink and black, but recently she switched it up and went zebra on one nail.

I’ve been seeing some great variations of the multicolored nail trend — Erika at Makeup Bag did some lovely red and blue “patriotic nails” over the holiday weekend. So cute! You can alternate two different colors, or you could go all the way with “Skittles nails” as my homegirl Brittany from Clumps of Mascara calls it. You can stay in the same color family or go for the jewel toned brights like Brittany did. Fun, fun, fun!

#2 — Pale and classy

As a little one, I always wondered why my Aunty Gemma always wore the same shimmery white nailpolish all the time. Now that I’m older, I totally get it! Pale nails can be tame enough to wear to work, but they look oh so beautiful on brown skin. Pale toenails with a pair of gold or silver sandals = so sexy.

OPI Bubble Bath is just such a shade — pale, pale pink that brushes on so perfectly the first application around, you’ll swear you had a professional manicure done. Subtle, classy, clean, sexy. Love it! And if you purchase OPI’s Bubble Bath in July or August, you’ll be supporting Look Good…Feel Better, a national public service program that helps women cope with appearance-related changes from cancer treatment. During July and August, OPI will contribute a portion of the proceeds of every bottle of Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer sold, with a minimum contribution of $25,000, to Look Good…Feel Better. Sweet deal, right?

#3 — Glitz and Glamour

I know most of my bellas on a budget hit the drugstore for their nailpolish fix…but every now and then it can be worth it, splurging on a fancy polish that makes you feel like a superstar from the minute you slick it on. I’m talking about putting some essie Limted Edition Love, Beverly Hills xx Nail Colour with 24K Pure Gold in the mix. $16.99 is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to nailpolish. Achoo!

Lancome Le Vernis in Exotique Kiss is a limited edition coral pink with an iridescent gold shimmer that looks so stunningly gorgeous in the sun. $18 a bottle, but you’ll want to wear it again and again to get your money’s worth.

And the bangin’ bronzy gold I’m sporting in this pic is MAC’s Style Warrior in Mercenary. They describe the $11 polish as “frosted blackened bronze,” but I describe it as PURE FIRE. Stunning in the light. Photo doesn’t do it justice.

and trend #4 — DIY Nail Art

I am so not skilled with nailpolish — when I do my nails I do them sloppy and wait till the next shower to peel away the spillage around my fingernails. But more and more of my amigas are trying sweet DIY nail art, and I’m almost inspired to try it myself! The PBG at 52 Flavors frequently wears fabulously bright nail colors with cool diagonals and funky patterns. Homegirl’s got skills! And thanks to nail art pens like those by Sally Hansen, it’s easier than ever to jazz up your hands with some unexpected patterns. Love it!

However you rock your mani/pedi, work it to the fullest! How are you wearing your nails this season, bellas?