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.
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.
When it comes to setting trends while still keeping in mind classic royal traditions, Kate Middleton walks the line without crossing it. Her style is classic yet still very modern—hello, she loves the cold-shoulder look as much as we do. The duchess also loves to mix up her beauty look—ICYMI, she apparently changes her hair for each pregnancy—but we dare you to name a time you’ve seen Kate wearing red nail polish or coral on her fingers. Coming up blank? It turns out there’s a very specific reason why.
Marie Claire UK reported recently that only natural-looking nails are permitted at official royal events—which tend to be where and when photos of her get taken. That kind of explains why Queen Elizabeth II has been wearing the same shade of polish, Essie’s Ballet Slippers, since 1989. According to Essie, it’s “the only color Her Majesty would wear.” It is a cult classic, after all. And hey, if you know what you like…
So why the no-bold-nail-polish rule in 2017? We love those shades, personally. But royals are expected to dress and behave according to strict, traditional codes—they can’t sign autographs, for example. And if it that’s the royal rule, we’ll respect it. The diamonds in Princess Diana’s tiara that Kate’s been known to wear make quite the statement anyway.
While watching new nail art trends and nail polish ideas emerge from Fashion Month is fun and all, it’s also kind of a drag considering most of what you see won’t be in stores until two seasons later. But that’s the thing with nail polish: Weather be damned, you wear it whenever and however you want. Regardless, we’ve waited, and the time has arrived to break out these nail colors, finishes, and designs from the fall 2017 runways. From quirky neutrals to gilded touches, there’s something here for everyone to get excited about. Click on through for the best fall nail polish ideas.
