Nails are a very important part of my beauty routine and I adjust my nail color choices with each season. I am very much a pastel girl in the spring (in case you missed it, my spring nail polish favorites can be found here) and I love bright colors for summer. So with all that in mind, I decided that it would only make sense that I would share my personal summer nail polish favorites.  I will be linking each color below as well as some alternatives or similar options. Everyone has brand preferences (which I feel like is less formula for some and more nail brush width) so I will try to get a lot of different brands mentioned in today’s post! So let’s get started…

Essie – Bikini So Teeny : Honestly, if I had to pick one color that symbolized summer for me, it would be this one. This is a gorgeous periwinkle shade that is perfect for both hands and toes and you are guaranteed to get compliments while wearing this color. Something about this color makes tan skin look even better and I’m not sure if it’s the reminder of water (summer is all about hanging out at the pool or the beach after all) but something about this color screams summer to me. There are tiny shimmer specks that are barely visible once you put on the polish but add something special to the color.

Other alternatives: KL Polish in St.Clair (almost identical minus the shimmer) and Blue-Delicious by Red Carpet Manicure if you prefer gel instead. If you’re not familiar with KL Polish, read my review of the brand here.

OPI – Got Myself into a Jam-balaya : this polish is from last year’s New Orleans collection and is the perfect coral shade to bring out the color of your skin. The shade has more of a pink undertone than orange, which I personally prefer. This one is also great for both hands and toes and as a huge OPI fan, I can vouch for the formula. This shade would look especially gorgeous on deep skin tones and looks really cute peeking out of white or gold sandals.

Other alternatives: Essie’s California Coral provides a similar effect (for fans of Essie’s formula) and Covergirl’s Coral Silk.

Aurora Gel Effect – Old School Pink : I received this one in my Ipsy bag years ago and it’s still my go-to hot pink shade. This is my favorite for pedicures in the summer as it’s so bright and noticeable and definitely draws some attention. This formula is also amazing and holds without chipping for up to a week.

Other alternatives: China Glaze You Drive Me Coconuts is a similar shade of hot pink and KL Polish MIA is a hot pink with a blue undertone (very unique).

Ulta3 Sizzling Red – This is the perfect shade of red that you’ve been looking for. This is a true red with a formula that holds for days and the price is right (currently less than $3 on Amazon). I love wearing a red polish when wearing all white in the summer for that bright pop of color that’s still subtle. Definitely check this one out.

Other alternatives: Sally Hansen’s Red My Lips is one of my favorite formulas and the color is beautiful. OPI’s Big Apple Red is another great option.

OPI Kitty White: This is an ultra shimmery white (not glittery but shimmery) that looks amazing out in the sun as it bedazzles your hands making it impossible to look away. I don’t recommend this color on the toes but on the fingers it looks phenomenal. One warning – it does take up to 3-4 coats to make the color opaque but I think it’s totally worth the trouble. It was part of the OPI Hello Kitty Collection so it’s not available everywhere anymore but you can still snag it on Amazon.

Other Alternatives: Julep Color Treat Birthstone is similar but not quite the same effect.

Color Club Blue Heaven : This is the most unique of all the polishes I’ve talked about today. Think holographic but on steroids. This color reminds me a bit of those holographic Pokemon cards that were out when I was young. This is one where I don’t even have alternative recommendations because it’s so unique. The way this reflects in the sun is unreal and this is perfect for vacation if you don’t want to get shellac because if it chips, it’s not noticeable due to the high shimmers. I highly, highly recommend picking this one up.

There you have it for my favorite nail polishes for summer. Let me know what your favorite colors are for summer and I’ll be sure to check them out! After all, we have plenty of summer left! As always, thanks for reading!

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