One of the best things about summer—right behind the Fourth of July sales, the joy of setting your out-of-office message to go on vacation, and all the new shoes—is the fun that comes with landing on the perfect pedicure shade now that your feet can finally see the light of day. This, of course, is easier said than done when you’re standing in front of a hundred options at the nail salon, which is why we polled everyone around the office to share what they’ve been wearing. If you’re anything like our editors, your primal impulse is probably to grab something colorful and bright. But if punchy pinks and corals aren’t your thing, a few staffers also make a strong case for summer darks and neutrals with a kick. (I’m all about a moody purple year-round, personally, but—hey—to each her own.) So if you find yourself stuck staring at the same bottle during your next pedi run, here are 12 of our favorite summer nail colors for toes, below.
Fourth of July nail art often gets a bad rap for being too literal, too kitschy, or too cheesy. However, in recent months, we’ve seen a cool uptick in the ways bloggers, nail artists, and it-girl salons are doing red, white, and blue. “Your 12-year-old niece goes to a barbecue” these nail ideas are not. Instead, here you’ll find fresh new takes on stars and stripes, negative space (yep, the trend is still riding strong), and subtle, summer-y designs that’ll look just as good with a beer and sparkler in hand as they will when you head back to work after the holiday. Click on to find the best nail ideas for the Fourth.
From now until Labor Day, my nail beat goes a little something like this: Scan the never-ending options at the corner salon (or rummage through my own hefty stash if I’m DIY-ing at home) with the intention of choosing a hot new shade and enthusiastically posting on the ‘gram to prove that I’ve finally broken out of my polish rut. But then I chicken out and default to a Day-Glo pink that screams summer, because I’m just that embarrassingly predictable. Turns out my fellow Glamour colleagues are too. That’s why, in honor of National Nail Polish Day (yup, that’s a thing, and it’s today June 1), we’ve rounded up a list of our most beloved warm-weather nail polish shades. Here’s what we’ll be living in all summer long.
With royal weddings, tiny things start to take on huge stakes. In the fashion realm, it’s finally fascinators’ time to shine, and with beauty, everyone holds their breath to see if the Queen’s nail polish policy will be upheld. Not familiar? The Queen loves delicate, translucent nail shades, and palace lore has it that she finds colorful nail polish (even traditionally classic shades like cherry red) vulgar.
So what did Meghan Markle pick for her wedding nail polish? While she’s made waves for breaking royal protocol with her messy buns that she favors, Meghan opted to wear a neutral pink-y beige manicure for the royal wedding. It’s unclear what the exact shade is at this moment, but both the Queen and Kate Middleton tend to favor Essie.
Duchess Kate, for example, wore Essie’s Allure for her wedding in 2011. And the Queen has been a long-time fan of Ballet Slippers ever since her hairstylist requested a bottle for her in 1989—the same year that Meghan was born. A bottle of it is currently sold every two seconds, and in 2018 alone, almost 80,000 bottles have been sold. While Meghan’s manicure looks slightly more opaque than the sheer Ballet Slippers, it’s the polish most royal fans have been betting she’d wear.
PHOTO: WPA Pool
PHOTO: WPA Pool
PHOTO: WPA Pool
She’s abided by the polish rule since announcing her engagement back in November 2017, as a perusal from her appearances show:
PHOTO: Christopher Furlong
On December 1, she went with this opaque light pink for a World AIDS Day charity fair.
On December 21, in her official engagement photos.
PHOTO: Charles McQuillan
On March 23, she went with a similarly pale shade for her and Prince Harry’s trip to Northern Ireland.
PHOTO: Max Mumby/Indigo
April 25 brought more of the same, albeit with what looks like a slightly pinker spin.
This story is still developing, and we’ll update this post when more details emerge.
Humanity’s interest in all things sparkly may go up tenfold during the holiday season, but unlike our neighbor’s Christmas lights, glittery nails won’t look out of place a few months from now. Twinkly polish takes any party look up a notch this time of year, but we’re the first ones to advocate for some OTT fingertips on a random day in March, too. Shimmery shades also have another distinct advantage: they’re beyond easy to apply and touch up, so even die-hard salon manicure devotees can manage at home without disastrous results, and if they chip, it’s usually barely noticeable. This winter, go for a classic metallic like gold or silver, pair a festive red with a plush velvet dress, or indulge your inner six-year-old with sparkly pink or electric blue. That way, next time you’re feeling a little Grinch-like—such as, say, when your flight home is delayed for the third time—at least your nails will be in the holiday spirit. Shop 19 of our most-wanted glitter polishes below.
One of the best things about winter—right behind the holiday sales, the festive bags, and layers of cozy fabric we’ll cocoon in from now until March—is the fun that comes with swapping the bright shades we’ve had in rotation for something more evocative of sweater weather. We’re talking nail colors that look good peeking out of an oversized knit or under a sparkly clutch. Essentially the mani equivalent of Mariah Carey’s All I Want, the joy they bring is instant. With that time of year upon us, we enlisted our editors to share the shades they can’t wait to wear this season. Ahead, the 11 winter nail polish colors they swear by.
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