11 Butter Yellow Nail Ideas — & How To DIY Them At Home

From millennial pink to mocha mousse, countless color trends have captivated fashion and beauty. This spring, there’s no question that butter yellow is having its moment in the sun; the understated hue first caught our attention during last year’s spring runway collections (which are now hitting boutiques) and has been virtually inescapable now that warmer weather has finally entered the chat. And as much as we have a color crush on butter yellow dresses and accessories, we would argue that the pastel shade is prettiest when worn on your fingertips.

“Butter yellow is the perfect neutral to celebrate spring,” New York City-based nail artist Miss Pop tells Refinery29. “It’s light and feels especially fresh and sunny as we leave winter behind.” Ahead, we scoured our Explore pages and beyond to find the freshest takes on butter yellow nail art — and they’re easier to DIY than you think. Below, find 11 designs that we’ll be wearing all spring long.

Daisies are a quintessential spring motif, making them a perfect match for nail art design featuring butter yellow nail art — like this look crafted by Amy Rickaby. Use a dotting tool to carefully make five small dots in the color of your choice (white being the go-to), leaving room for a middle dot. “Essie’s Rev It Up is the perfect buttery yellow for the center of a daisy [in a] floral look,” recommends Miss Pop.

Another clever use of butter yellow? Paint a constellation on your nails (like this look courtesy of Miss Pop) with a long, thin detail brush like Doublemoss’ Arte 4 to meticulously craft stars, mixing and matching colors for extra fun factor.

Skip the nail art altogether and take your butter yellow mani to the next level with a chrome finish, inspired by this look by Anahi Victoria. Start with a pale yellow base with peachy undertones (like Lights Lacquer in Afternoon Tea), and add chrome powder on top for a luminous finish. 

The aura nail trend is still alive and well, thank you very much — and it works perfectly with the butter yellow color trend. Get this look created by Jasmine Allen at home by applying a milky white base to nails, and carefully dab on a hazy aura motif in your gradient choice of sunny yellows using a disposable sponge. (Miss Pop loves OPI’s Infinite Shine in Slay Hello to Yellow, a sheer bright yellow with a hint of sparkle.)

A French tip will never go out of style. You can use a brush, nail stamp tool, or sticker guides to create the classic shape (created here by manicurist Mina on Instagram) in a warm buttery hue like Essie’s Gel Couture in Atelier By The Bay. For extra luster, add a dusting of chrome powder.

Feeling groovy? Butter yellow swirls (like this set by Charlotte Cliff) are a fun motif for DIY nail art because they don’t need to be perfectly even. Just grab a striping brush and an opaque, gel-like nail polish (anything too sheer will require multiple strokes) like OPI’s Infinite Shine in This Chic Is Bananas.

At the risk of sounding like the ingredients for a tasty marinade, lemon and butter appear to be a springtime match made in heaven. Alley Cats Salon’s cheeky take on a classic French tip features meticulously painted lemon wedges adorning nail tips. 

Polka dots are a quintessential spring print, making them a natural choice for nail art — manicurist Cassie Morse’s look here is a prime example. Since butter yellow is basically a springtime neutral, it’ll look great with any color dots you choose (or several, if you desire). Simply grab your dotting tool and palette, and let your creativity do the rest. You can even explore using a sheer base, like Essie’s Nail Art Studio Jelly Gloss Nail Polish in Buttercup Jelly, for a fresh take on the trend.

This liquid metal manicure by manicurist Shannon Grey is a work of art. Get a similar effect at home with some 3D nail stickers sourced from Etsy and Amazon. For the base, we love Chanel’s Le Vernis in Ovni for an added touch of luxe.

Combine several sweet motifs — dainty bows, tulip bouquets, and pearls — for this utterly charming springtime mani moment by nail artist Stacey Machin. Here, decals will be the easiest way to DIY at home. For a similar look, we love Deco Beauty’s Petal nail art stickers, which can be applied with tweezers and set with top coat for a salon-quality effect.

This dazzling manicure by manicurist Holdyn Kim lends major wow factor thanks to crystal studs and chic French tips. Once you’ve settled on your base color (and any nail art, like the French tips here), apply stick-on nail gems like these ones from Ulta Beauty — no glue required.