As we pack away our shorts and sandals to make way for the winter woollies, so to go the summer shades of nail polish, in favour of warmer tones.
Don’t get us wrong, we love our summer nail wardrobe of brights and pastels but they begin to look out of place next to paler skin and grey skies. Helping you make that transition, we have traded in our three summer favourites for something more winter appropriate.
Swap coral for: burnt orange
Bright corals are inherently associated with summer holidays, so once the weather turns, they can look out of place. Still keeping the orange undertones, we have traded in our coral for a burnt orange, which instantly looks autumnal. For a super luxe finish, apply two coats of topcoat to lock in the colour. Also keeping your hands well moisturised will make the colour last longer, so keep some hand cream in your handbag.
Our top picks:
Butter London Nail Lacquer in Sunbaker, £12
Essie Nail Polish in One of a Kind, £7.99
MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Tropical, £10
Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Nail Enamel in Long Shot, £6.99
OPI Nail Polish in A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find, £11.95
Swaps pastels for: deep colours
Pastel nails accentuate a tan but once this starts to fade, they can look wishy washy with pale winter skin. A strong colour will look really elegant against porcelain skin, particularly on toenails poking out of open toed boots. However, deep colours can be quite tricky to apply so be sure to have a cotton bud soaked in nail polish remover handy to touch up the edges and always wear a base coat to avoid staining.
Our top picks:
Nails inc Polish in Bruton Mews, £14
YSL La Laque Couture in Violet Baroque, £18.50
Lancome Vernis in Love in Rouge Cabaret, £13
Dior Vernis in Bar, £18.50
Soigne de Chocolat Collection in Absinthe, £11
Swap fluro for: frosted
Fluros are always good fun and capture the feel-good holiday vibe. But when it’s time to get back to reality, switching the bright yellows to a metallic gold makes it much more seasonal and work-appropriate. When nail polish dries it shrinks – if you wrap the nail tip in an extra coat of top coat it will stop the polish coming away from the nail and chipping.
Our top picks:
Chanel Le Vernis in Atmosphere, £18
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Game of Thrones, £9.99
Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy in Double Down, £6.99
Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish by Kate Moss in Saturn, £4.49
NARS Phillip Lim Collection in Gold Viper, £10