6 summer nail shades to hold onto

For some unknown reason, as soon as the weather cools down and we start artfully layering our clothes, we drop those bright, neon, and pastel nail polish shades from our rotation. Suddenly, we alternate between greys, navies, berries, and – when we’re feeling adventurous – burnt oranges.

But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to ditch those colours that make summer so…summery. They’re bright, they’re vibrant, and they make us feel happy. So why don’t we let them stick around for a little longer? Season be damned!

If you’re totally on this summer-nail-shades-in-autumn bandwagon (you little rebel, you!), then here are six excellent colours you’ll want to include in your nail colour kit. Summery good vibes guaranteed.

WHITE

A stark white manicure screams summer, and while that glow of yours may be fading, you’ll still feel the full effects of the clean, sharp colour. Plus, the white hue will add a fresh finish to any outfit you wear – even it’s trackies and a t-shirt!

Handy hint: While we always encourage you to paint on a top coat, it’s absolutely essential for a white manicure. If you leave this step out, that crisp white will start to look a little dirty after a few hours.

Try:

CND VINYLUX in Cream Puff
Face of Australia Colour Pro Nail Enamel in Cool Cotton
OPI in Alpine Snow
Opallac Gel Polish in White Affair

SALMON

If coral and white had a baby, salmon would be it. And the colour brings with it the best bits from each of its parents – the vibrancy and punch from coral, and the smooth, creamy finish from white.

Handy hint: Just like coral, salmon shades can be more pink-based and more orange-based. If you have cool skin tone, pick one that’s more pink-based, like the Sally Hansen shade above, and if you have a warm skin tone, go for one with a bit more orange (like the CND shade).

Try:

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Malibu Peach
CND VINYLUX in Salmon Run
Chi Chi Nail Polish in Get Out of My Head
Max Factor Glossfinity in Cute Coral

CORAL

While bright coral polish looks amazing on toes surrounded by sand, come autumn it’s actually a pretty great shade for weekend wear. It’s the kind of colour that makes you say, “Yassss! It’s the weekend! Time to have some fun with my beauty look.”

Handy hint: Provided the weather is still warm enough, go nuts with the coral on your toes during autumn (sans sand, even). Just make sure you stay on top of it – chipped toenail polish is a faux pas no matter the season.

Try:

INTENSAE Nail Lacquer in Mars
Australis Nail Colour in Malibu Breeze
OPI in OPI On Collins Ave
Rokk96 nail polish in Sweetie Pie

BARBIE PINK

Let’s be clear – hot pink and Barbie pink give off completely different vibes. Hot pink is bright. It’s vibrant; it says, “Maybe I’ll go to a boat party today, I don’t know.” The latter is a touch softer, a bit creamier, and way girlier. It’s the kind of pink you wear when you want to rock a bright hue that isn’t too bright. Basically, Barbie pink is a great everyday colour to cheer up those autumn blues.

Handy hint: To make your pink to pop even more, try layering one coat of it over one coat of white.

Try:

CND VINYLUX in Hot Pop Pink
ModelCo Party Proof Nail Polish in I’m Hot You’re Not
Fuse Gelnamel Colour Gelnamel in Na-No Way!
Maybelline New York Color Show Nail Color in Pinkalicious

LILAC

Lilac is a shade that blends in quite nicely with all the other pastel colours going on in summer, but in autumn, it’ll take centre stage among the greys and berries. People will stop and notice, and say, “Cool nails!”

Handy hint: Up the ante on your lilac mani by painting a feature nail with a glitter top coat. Either gold or rose gold work really well with the hue. Tres trendy!

Try:

essie in play date
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Water Orchid
ModelCo Party Proof Nail Polish in Paparazzi Purple
Sensational Colour Gel Polish in Heirloom Lilac

BLUE

There are no specifics here – any shade of blue will do! Blue is always an unexpected shade (which works well in summer because people play around with colours), which makes it a great choice for an autumn manicure that’s different from the rest. Now you just need to figure out if you’ll opt for sky blue, pastel blue, royal blue, blue-purple or sapphire.

Handy hint: For a more autumn-appropriate blue mani, go for a nice, deep navy. Just make sure you tell everyone that it’s blue, not ‘almost black’.