When we think back on the defining beauty moments of the decade, nails are front and center. Hear us out: The most popular nail colors and trends often reflect their respective times. In an era where nail art props abound and the engagement manicure has become a very real (and specific) kind of pressure, it makes sense to take a closer look at the bottles we’re gravitating toward for the perfect Instagram shot. The past 10 years have brought us elaborate spins on nostalgic trends—like squishy jelly nails and the immortal French manicure. But in the interest of distilling these moments down to their most basic forms, we’re focusing on the standalone shades that made their mark.

So what exactly gives a nail polish notoriety? Sometimes, a well-timed celebrity associations raises particular shades to new heights. Other launches start trends of their own. “I know all I wore in 2012 was Essie Mint Candy Apple,” reminisced one Glamour editor while we were brainstorming this story. (She was later vindicated by our research; the data shows that Mint Candy Apple was a 2013 top seller.) We talked to three of the top nail polish brands to discover the most popular shades year-to-year from 2010 to 2019. Scroll through for a detailed look at the 11 bestselling shades of the decade—and what made them so iconic.