From leopard print to fawn nails, animal print manicures have officially been taking over in 2026. Not your vibe? How about tiger print nail designs instead.
With Google searches for ‘tiger nails’ up 48% globally, it looks like the animal print is set to take the lead for summer’s fave manicure. Already making its mark on the fashion world – tiger print appeared on the recent runway shows at Chanel, Chloé and Jacquemus – and now beauty too.
“Nail trends are often heavily influenced by fashion trends, and right now we are seeing tiger print everywhere – from runways to celebrities like Kendall Jenner,” says Annabelle Taurua, beauty expert at Fresha. “Leopard print nails have been popular for years, so it feels like people are ready for the next evolution.”
Despite it’s appearance, tiger print doesn’t have to be a bold nail design. Minimal manicure lovers can dip their toe into the trend via French tips or play with colour combinations to go for something more muted. “Tiger print works beautifully on nails because the lines are fluid rather than harsh,” Annabelle says. “When paired with neutral tones such as soft browns, black or beige, it feels more elevated than loud and makes it a super wearable print. This balance is often what turns a fashion moment into a mainstream nail trend!”
As always with your manicure, making it personal to you is most important. Love chrome or cat-eye? Combine it with tiger print to achieve an out-of-this-world reimagining of the big cat. Be bold, have fun if that’s your vibe, or stick to the classics if that resonates more.
If you’re interested in tiger print nail designs, we’ve rounded up 17 of our fave manicures to help you hop on the trend early before it blows up.
