Butter yellow nails are about to own 2025, and if you’re not on board yet—fix that. This shade is soft, warm, and basically a golden-hour filter for your hands. But the real fun? How you style it. From glazed Frenchies to maximalist swirls, dainty florals to half moons, we’re serving 35 best ways to wear butter yellow. Scroll down, get inspired, and prepare for your prettiest mani era yet.
1. Ombre Nails
Butter yellow fading into pink with blooming gel florals? Absolutely dreamy. This ombre mani is giving soft-girl meets trendy queen. A spring/summer essential.
2. Deep French Mani
Skip the classic French nails and go deep. Drag that yellow French smile line wayyy down and pair it with a milky white base. It’s glam, elongating, and absolutely giving model hands.
3. Line Work
An easy, effective way to wear butter yellow: solid buttery nails + sheer white accents with freehand lines. Clean, minimal, and totally DIY-able. Stunning.
4. Solid Mani
Butter yellow can totally stand on its own – go full opaque for a soft pastel vibe or keep it sheer for that trendy jelly finish. Either way, just make sure it’s glossy.
5. Butter Yellow Chrome
Butter-yellow French tips + full-coverage nails, all sealed with a chrome glaze – simple, stunning, and straight-up glowing. If you love glazed donut nails, this is their soft, buttery cousin.
6. Floral French
Cutest way to flex butter yellow? Floral Frenchies, obviously. Paint pastel-yellow smile lines, pop daisy-style flowers on feature nail, and you’ve got a cute-girl mani set for the whole spring-summer run.
7. Accent French Tip
If you’re not feeling full nail art but still want a little something-something: add one or two accent French tips to your butter yellow nails. Simple, stunning, and low-effort slay.
8. Glazed French
Butter yellow French tips on a clear base, but then hit it with that chrome glaze? HELLO ☀️. It’s soft, shimmery, and straight-up hypnotizing in the sunlight.
9. Oversized Flowers
For the girlies who love a good bloom-core moment: butter yellow French tips, then go off with bright pink flowers and tiny rhinestones. Pink and yellow is a color-blocked moment that always serves.
10. Lemon Accents
You already know we love fruity nails for the warm season. So obviously, we’re doing lemon art on a butter yellow base. Fresh, cute, and totally summer-coded.
11. Coquette Nails
Buttery Frenchies with stacked floral art AND hand-painted bows? We’re calling this one sunny coquette and she’s floral, flirty, and way too pretty to gatekeep.
12. Gradient Nails
Butter yellow owns the summer gradient game. Fade it into pink on each nail – switch up the direction for extra visual interest. Melted sherbet vibes, anyone?
13. Half-Moon Details
Sheer white base, perfect cuticles (obvi), and a little butter yellow half-moon at the cuticles? Minimalist heaven. This is clean-girl aesthetic but with a little pop of color.
14. Polka Dots
Polka dots are exploding in 2025 – and so is the blue-plus-yellow combo. Knock out both trends in one mani: a butter-yellow base (full coat or French) and tap on pastel-blue dots everywhere.
15. Negative Space
Not a fan of extra nail art? Negative space is your bestie. Add soft yellow swoops, leave some bare nail, then glaze it all up for a shiny contrast moment.
16. Daisy Mani
Are we all obsessed with daisy manis, or just me? Pale yellow is the perfect base for delicate floral accents—do a French tip and sprinkle some daisies at the tips. Cottagecore perfection.
17. Plaid Nails
Calling all preppy girlies—this is your yellow mani. Mix butter yellow and bright yellow, then add plaid art on accent nails. It’s giving tennis club meets Pinterest-core, and I love that for you.
18. Classic French
Swap the classic white French for a soft buttery yellow and instantly level up your soft girl aesthetic. You will be reaching for this one all spring and summer.
19. 3D Accents
For the girlies who need maximum trend energy—do butter yellow French tips, add a chrome finish, sculpted swirls on accent nails, and a few tiny gems. It’s giving soft but extra, and we love that.
20. Striped Nails
Stripe art is flooding the nail feeds this spring–summer, so go butter-yellow and layer in a pop of lemon for contrast. Mix vertical with horizontal lines, and you’re rocking a bright, trend-savvy mani.
21. Sunflower Nails
NOT THE SUNFLOWERS. 😭 This mani is so cute with butter yellow as the base and chunky sunflower designs on accent nails. It’s a little artsy, a little spring/summer core, and a whole moment.
22. Celestial French
Yes, bestie, you can wear chrome stars with butter yellow, and yes, it will look flawless. Do a soft French tip, then throw on silver celestial charms for that perfect blend of ethereal and trendy.
23. Mix & Match
We’re throwing the entire nail kit at this one. French tips in butter yellow, then sculpted flowers, pearls, stars, rhinestones, aura, you name it. It’s a chaotic slay and we love her.
24. Cherry Accents
Cherry nail art is that girl right now, so obviously, we’re putting tiny cherries on glazed butter yellow Frenchies. The cutest mashup of trendy + sweet.
25. Yellow Swirls
If swirls are your personality trait, meet your new fave mani. Butter yellow ombré base, then go wild with yellow swirls all over. It’s giving sunshine, movement, and main character energy.
26. Pastel Flowers
Thick pale yellow French tips, then go off with colorful pastel flowers all over. Soft-on-soft for a color block moment that’s too cute to handle.
27. Glitter Accents
Negative space, but make it blingy. Butter yellow against a natural base, but then we’re throwing in some strategic glitter placement for extra sparkle. Soft but still serving drama.
28. Textured French
Texture is everywhere in 2025, but you don’t have to go full maximalist. Keep it sleek: trace clear-gel swirls over those Frenchies and call it a day.
29. Micro French
The quiet-luxury girlies are about to swoon. Clear glossy base + micro French tips in butter yellow. It’s subtle, it’s elevated, and it’s clean girl-coded energy.
30. Florals & Chrome
If you’re in your floral era, do this: A white chrome mani with chunky butter yellow and purple flowers. The mix-and-match floral look makes butter yellow pop in the best way possible.
31. Heart French
Butter yellow French tips on a natural base = classic. But add tiny heart accents on a couple of nails? Instant adorable energy. This is that cute girl aesthetic locked in.
32. Gold Accent
Swirls again? Duh. But this time, we’re making them gold chrome. Solid butter yellow nails plus gilded swirls on accent nails = an elevated slay for when you want to be soft but still rich-coded.
33. Tiny Flowers
Solid butter yellow + French tips + tiny white daisies on accent nails + chrome glaze = sunny AND shiny. It’s giving sweet-girl energy with sparkle, and we’re obsessed.
34. Accent Edges
Another interesting way to play with negative space—solid pastel yellow nails + strategic circle cutouts on accent nails that expose the natural base. This will get ALL the double taps.
35. Flowers & Bees
You want cute? You’re getting CUTE. Mix solid and French butter yellow nails, then add tiny bees and daisy art before glazing it all up. It’s sweet as honey and spring mani perfection.
TPI’s Polish Recommendations
Budget Picks
- Pacifica Plant Magic Happy Yellow
- Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Sunbrella
- Sinful Colors Unicorn
Mid-Range Faves
- Essie Gel Couture Atelier at The Bay
- OPI Infinite Shine This Chic is Bananas
- Lights Lacquer Banana Split
Luxury Splurges
- Chanel Le Vernis OVNI
- Gucci Vernis À Ongles Cecilia Ivory
- Dior Vernis Lemon Glow
And THAT’S how you do butter yellow nails in 2025. Found a fave? Drop it in the comments, send this to the group chat, and get your nail tech ready—it’s time to serve looks. 💛
