By Alison McGill
Rainbow brights are not just a hot fashion trend for summer, but are on point in the beauty world too, particularly for nails. For those of us who want a more impactful look than the barely-there American or French manicure, reaching for vivid nail polish hues is the way to make a statement this season.
From pumped up pink to emoji-inspired yellow, these are summer’s hottest nail shades.
Pool Party Blue
Think nails that literally match the colour of an aquamarine pool liner. Dive into turquoise and cerulean shades for summer and have some fun with them—pool blues make the perfect backdrop for creative nail art.
TRY: Gucci Glossy Nail Polish in Marcia Cobalt, $39 at sephora.com or CND Boats & Bikinis, $12, matandmax.com.
Unapologetic Orange
If you like your nail polish loud and proud, tangerine tones are a choice pick. Reach for true orange tones that don’t read red, and pair with longer almond-shaped nails which give fingers and elongated effect.
TRY: Hermes Nail Enamel in Orange Poppy, $63, hermes.com or Londontown Lakur in Camden Chic, $18, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
Watermelon Pink
With Harry Styles’ complete discography as our soundtrack of summer, watermelon shades remain our choice pink this season. Our favourite way to wear watermelon is as a juicy tone-on-tone manicure topped with a super-shine enhancing topcoat, or mixed and matched with electric orange.
TRY: Essie Nail Lacquer in Cute as a Button, $10, shoppersdrugmart.ca and OPI Infinite Shine 2 in Girl Without Limits, $16, amazon.ca.
Electric Yellow
Nails polish the colour of your emoji smileys keyboard have been charting for a few summer seasons, but for 2022 the choice bright is unequivocally a zesty citrus shade. Surprisingly, this is a nail polish colour that flatters almost all skin tones—you’ll be wearing it on repeat through September.
TRY: Sephora Collection Color Hit Mini Nail Polish in Yellow Car, $7, sephora.com and Zoya Nail Polish in Pippa, $15, zoya.com.
Gorgeous Grape
Consider this summer’s power purple. Bright and bold, it’s a juiced-up alternative from the muted lilac nail polish colours that took us through winter and early spring.
TRY: China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Left My Heart in Havana, $8, chinaglaze.com and Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish in Rule Breaker, $26, sephora.com.
Good Vibes Green
Earth tones have been having a moment, but for summer green is a standout nail polish shade, particularly gorgeous grass, or mint greens. Pair with short, ‘squoval’ shaped nails for a chic sporty vibe.
TRY: OPI Infinite Shine 2 in Make Rainbows, $16, amazon.ca and Butter London Nail Lacquer in Good Vibes, $24, shoppersdrugmart.com.