We like the icy, Baby Spice blue of ORLY Written in the Stars or the holographic purple of ILNP in Pool Party, which may or may not match a certain inflatable armchair from Limited Too that we may or may not have had in our bedroom.
Electric red
A fire-engine red pedicure is like the little black dress of the nail world — the perfect choice for just about any occasion. Whether you’re jetting off to Miami, exploring Paris (pronounced Pear-ee, in this instance, obviously), or just kicking back on your porch with a good book, electric red will always do the trick.
Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Arancio Vibrante is a classic (especially if you have plans to visit Pear-ee). But if you want to try something a little more playful, Cirque Colors in Lucky Jelly has a slightly transparent finish, like old-school jelly sandals.
Vanilla
Open-toed shoes and a double scoop of vanilla ice cream make for a snapshot of Americana summer. Throw in a fireworks display or a baseball game and you have yourself a certified Norman Rockwell painting. To truly complete the picture, add a vanilla-hued pedicure. If you prefer your ice cream extra creamy, LeChat Nails in Vanilla Cream is a yellow-based French vanilla, while OPI in My Vampire Is Buff is a lighter, more neutral vanilla.
Punchy pink
When the weather starts heating up, so does the color scheme. A bright pink summer pedicure is tried-and-true, and for good reason. “All shapes, nail lengths, and skin tones look great with neon colors,” says Los Angeles-based nail artist Hang Nguyen.
Nails Inc 73% Plant Power Nail Polish in Earth Loves You is a Barbie hot pink that will give you super opaque coverage with two coats. If you prefer a blue-hued hot pink, we like JINSoon in Hella for a watermelon-candy color.
Lemonade
Hailey Bieber seems to set every nail trend these days (good luck finding Tin Can Man chrome powder in stock anywhere), so when she switched up her baby pink glazed-donut nails for a refreshing lemonade yellow, we knew it would be a hit — especially with sunnier days on the way.
For a sweet lemon yellow, we like Lakur by Londontown in Notting the Fancy, or Pear Nova Classic Lacquer in Lemon Drop Logic for a little more saturation and pop.
Coral
Pinks and corals have been a staple of summer pedicures for as long as nail polish has existed (maybe don’t quote us on that). Despite how popular the coral shade is, though, it can be a little tricky to pull off if you don’t take your skin tone into consideration. “I suggest more of a nude undertone if you have a lighter skin tone, so the color doesn’t wash you out,” says Los Angeles-based nail artist Amy Le. “A pink undertone works well for darker skin tones.”
J. Hannah in Himalayan Salt is a peachy-neutral coral for those lighter skin tones, while Cote in No. 1 Light Creamy Pink Coral would look great on darker skin, as Le suggests.
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