A manicurist shared with woman&home which nail color is best if you want to enhance your summer glow – plus, which shades are most popular for summer, and which colour to avoid altogether.

Summer manicure season is in full swing, and we’ve been researching all of the summer nail trends that have been circulating this season, including vanilla chrome nails, Barbiecore nails, and more. Recently, though, we found out that are certain colors you should and should not be using during the summer months, and we were a little shocked to hear about this manicurist’s findings.

According to Liana Thompson, a manicure expert from Nails.co.uk, there’s a certain color that spikes in popularity in the summer months, and the shade even has the possibility to enhance your summer tan.

Liana said that orange nails specifically see an increased spike in popularity in the summer months, particularly July. “Searches for ‘orange nails’ surge worldwide every year in July, and have done for the last 5 years, showing that summer is a popular time for this nail shade,” she said.

Not only is the creamsicle shade extremely trendy and cute for summer nails, there actually could be a scientific reason why orange is a particularly smart shade to choose for your summer manicures. “Orange brings out the brown and red tint in your skin which is why it is a popular choice during peak-summer,” Liana said.

This electric orange polish with a tangy brightness and a creme and matte finish is perfect for the summer months, giving a bright and cheerful look to your summer mani.

Liana also explained which colour is a good alternative to orange due to its popularity in recent years – green. “‘Bottega Green’ is a shade of green that has stormed the fashion industry since 2021,” Liana said. “Since then we have seen every shade of green crop up in our wardrobes and on our nails, which helps explain why it is now the most popular nail colour of all-time according to our new study.”

As for the colour you should avoid? Liana recommends straying from yellow polish, despite the increase in popularity pale yellow hues have seen over the last few years – and the reason actually stems from colour psychology.

“Colour psychologists associate yellow with negative traits such as cowardice, deceitfulness, impulsiveness, and egoism,” Liana said.

Point blank: orange nails are taking the manicure scene by storm, and if you’re looking to accentuate your tan a little more this summer, test out the creamy hue to see if it works for you.