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The intensified sunshine and inevitable sweatiness of summer may call for a lighter hand with foundation or a simple gloss instead of matte lips. A mainstay in our beauty routines, however, is nail polish. Summer nail colors are always fun to play around with. In fact, these warm-weather months might just lead to the best, brightest, and boldest nail art looks you try all year.
Sure, you may not reach for the same shades you used during the fall equinox or when prepping for a holiday party, but summer inspires just as many colorful nail ideas as the rest of the calendar. If you're looking for suggestions for your new favorite summertime nail lacquer, we've got the latest, greatest, and prettiest polish shades rounded up below.
- Hang Nguyen is a nail artist with Nailing Hollywood in Los Angeles.
- Galdina Jimenez is a nail artist and OPI education manager based in Oceanside, CA.
- Hemi Park is a nail artist and a LeChat Nails brand educator based in Los Angeles.
1. Bubblegum Pink
You know the saying: April showers bring bubblegum pink manicures (or something like that). Now that the dreary weather has cleared up, it's time for a pick-me-up. If a scoop of strawberry ice cream is how you celebrate the summer solstice, Zoya in Jodi is the perfect creamy hit of sweetness. If you want to up the ante a bit more, Deborah Lippman in Love Sensation has a touch of holographic shimmer.
2. Sunny Yellow
We can picture it now: A picnic in the park, gingham everywhere, and a sunny manicure to match an icy-cold glass of lemonade. Manicurist Galdina Jimenez predicts we'll see cheery yellow manicures everywhere this summer, but picking the right hue is key.
A pastel like Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in Ovni will stand out on medium to dark skin tones. Lighter skin tones might want a bit more saturation, like that of the banana-colored Static Nails Liquid Glass Lacquer in On the Bright Side.
3. Apricot
Not quite coral, and not quite orange, apricot is a sophisticated manicure middle ground that would look perfect on short, no-fuss natural nails. If your summer plans include sailing off of the coast of Nantucket, Gucci Glossy Nail Polish in Peggy Sunburn is the perfect preppy peach. If you're spending summer in the city, we like a cheeky, sugared apricot like OPI Nail Lacquer in Sanding in Stilettos.
4. Magenta
If Malibu Barbie slipped on her pink espadrilles and drove her pink Jeep Wrangler to the nail salon (top down, of course) this is the manicure she'd get: classic Mattel magenta. Essie in Swoon in the Lagoon is a pitch perfect hue for the Barbiecore trend and would look super sleek on almond-shaped nails (Barbie's favorite). If you want something a little less on-the-nose, Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Desir is a deeper, more sultry alternative.
5. Summer Sand
Picture yourself sitting under a palm tree on a Caribbean beach with warm turquoise water beneath your feet and a coconut cocktail in hand. To capture that experience in a manicure, you'll want an off-white to match the fine, white sand on the beach (you know, the kind that squeaks when you walk through it).
We like ORLY Breathable Treatment and Color in Almond Milk. If coconuts aren't your thing, match your nails to a stateside beach — maybe Santa Monica — with a shimmery sandy tan like CND Shellac Gel Polish in Bellini.
6. Kelly Green
Don't have someone to fan you with a giant banana leaf by the pool? A tropical green manicure is a good alternative (though generally less cooling). Paintbox Nail Lacquer in Like Kelly is a punchy green that pairs well with daytime BBQs and baseball games, while we can picture a sexy emerald green like JINsoon Nail Polish in Palma at a rooftop party on a hot summer night.
7. Metallic Blue
This summer, manicurist Hemi Park is trading in straightforward teals and cobalts for their way cooler metallic siblings. She recommends a mermaid blue-green like LeChat Dare to Wear Nail Lacquer in Siren Song for short nails. For longer manicures, a royal metallic blue like Peacci Nail Polish in Prussian Blue would be very Ziggy Stardust.
8. Neon
Neon was invented for summer manicures (and definitely not for advertising in the 1910s). "Neon colors are versatile and look great on all skin colors and on all different nail shapes and sizes," says nail artist Hang Nguyen.
For a glowstick green (the mother of all neon), we like ILNP in Playlist. If you're just dipping your fingertips in the neon pool and are feeling a little timid, stick to brighter hues of classic manicure colors like pink or coral. Day-glo fuchsia like Atomic Polish in Pastel Neon (Ne) Hot Pink is a good entry-level neon.
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9. Jelly Red
Remember those slingback jelly sandals you used to wear as a kid? Imagine them in a strawberry red. Now imagine that, but on your nails. Jelly red manicures are this year's classic red manicure — they hit all the same sexy notes, but with a bit of a '90s twist. Cirque Colors in Lucky Jelly is specifically formulated to give that glossy sheer look and Butter London Jelly Preserve Strengthening Treatment in Strawberry Rhubarb can be layered depending on how vibrant you want your jelly to be.
Additional reporting by Gabi Thorne and Marci Robin.
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