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The 24 Best Nail Colors for Summer 2024
Shop editors' and experts' favorite shades of the season
No time of year celebrates and showcases nails more than summertime. The season of sandals is finally here, so that means it's time to refresh your manicure and pedicure more regularly. But nailing down which new polish shade to try is no easy task. To help, we’ve sought out the advice of a few experts in the know, including celebrity and editorial nail artists Jin Soon Choi, Betina Goldstein, Imarni, Julie Kandalec, Naima Coleman, Angel My Linh, and Queenie Nguyen.
Shop the Best Summer Nail Polish Colors
From the unexpected (hello butter yellow and chartreuse) to the classics (red and nude are always in fashion), we’ve narrowed down the top shades nail enthusiasts love right now. Here are the best summer 2024 nail colors for your most stylish mani and pedi yet.
Related: The Best Summer 2024 Nail Trends
Metallics
Metallics are back, but this summer they are taking on a more chic, glam, and sophisticated touch, Choi says. Think rose gold, translucent silver, or pearly white shades. “Picture wearing these metallic colors on a sunny day, with your nails and toenails catching the light to create a stunning, luminous effect,” she adds. “I call it ‘light-catching nails."
Your spirit fingers will be even more effective this summer once they're painted with this dazzling silver polish from Emilie Heathe.
Metallics are endlessly on trend, but rose gold, like Choi’s version, Spiffy, is rarely seen. Swipe on and show it off.
The world is your oyster when you use this shiny pearlescent sheer shade.
Jelly (and Jam) Nails
Fashion trends often bleed into beauty (and vice versa), but the sharp, rapid rise of jelly sandals and the corresponding jelly-finish nail polishes are especially impressively paired. And perfect for summer, says Choi, Coleman, and Kandalec. Jelly nails have a range of popularity this summer, including pastel colors with a jelly finish. The softness of the hues and finish take on more of a modern sheer, Choi says, making them super wearable and fantastic for daily use.
But jelly nails can also go big. This summer, expect a greater multitude of bold jelly colors, Kandalec says, like sheer washes of more saturated colors (i.e., “a sheer violet in lieu of opaque lilac,” adds Kandalec). This modern take on jelly even has a new name. “They are called ‘jam’ colors or ‘jam nails," like how fruit jam is more opaque than jelly,” Kandalec adds.
Sometimes, two trends combine for one super trend, as is the case with metallic and reflective jelly hues, as seen at NailCon in Seoul by Kandalec.
Match your favorite drink to your nails with this matcha green jelly nail polish. The sheer, yet buildable finish allows for customization, too.
Perfectly on trend, this jelly polish (which veers into jam territory) in a vivid orange-red hue is a trendsetter. Choi says the bright translucent hue is reminiscent of balsam flower petals.
Sheer lilac with a milky, buildable look dances between nude and jelly territory, perfectly representing both trends this summer.
Vivid Reds
Red is always a good idea. This summer’s red is bold and energetic. Choi is betting on red-orange shades, like the hue that was featured on the Brandon Maxwell Spring/Summer 2024 Runway. "Red manicures never go out of style because they're striking yet classic shades that are associated with passion and love," Choi previously told Bazaar.com.
Cherry red will also be popular, says celebrity nail artist Angel My Linh. “It’s usually a more fall/winter color but with the mob wife trend that recently took over from the clean girl aesthetic, I think more people are opting for the bright classic colors,” adds Linh.
Perhaps you’re still searching for the perfect classic true red. Grab this gel-like polish from nail pro Lippmann, which is also enhanced with enriching ingredients like keratin, biotin, and rice protein.
Tenoverten's Ludlow is a cool-toned shade inspired by New York City that will help you stand out from the pack in a sea of red manicures.
The wildly popular German brand Gitti has finally come stateside, and it has quickly become a favorite among Bazaar editors. The plant-based nail polishes have some of the cleanest formulas on the market, yet they are still high-performance and wonderfully long-lasting. Like this fiery red-orange hue, the shades are bold and adventurous, too.
A Variety of Yellows
Butter yellow is already a viral hit this summer, but expect a whole slew of yellows to take off too, says Chanel nail artist Betina Goldstein. “I think we are going to see a lot of hues of yellow this summer, including ivory, eggshell, and canary-jelly yellow, as well as shades of chartreuse,” Goldstein adds.
This buttery yellow hue is so idyllic, pair it with a matching yellow summer dress for a charming look.
Hermes Nail Enamel in Jaune Imperial
Try this ochre shade if you’re afraid to dip your toe in the yellow polish pond. After all, only Hermes could make yellow look this timeless and chic.
Love it or hate it, chartreuse is back and bigger than ever.
Green Theme
Speaking of chartreuse, green is still showing staying power. “I'm loving bright greens, which works on all skin tones,” Coleman says. And Nguyen predicts that green will continue to be a popular color well past the summer season—and we're here for it.
Here's another bright green option from OPI that has rave reviews.
A bright green shade, like this one from Gucci, is the perfect way to add a playful pop of color to your next look.
Nailtopia Nail Lacquer in Green Goddess
This avocado green hue looks impossibly modern and fresh this summer.
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