If you’ve got vacation on the brain, you’re not alone. We’re so ready to pack up our favorite new swimwear, our easiest and breeziest wardrobe pieces, and our travel-sized beauty essentials to jet off and unplug. But the pre-travel ritual that eclipses all others is that sweet manicure where you select the vacation nail color you’ll wear throughout your trip. It might seem like a small detail, but it’s low-key the most important preparatory step you’ll take.
Call us dramatic, but we’re firm believers that your vacation nail color sets the tone for your trip. Picking a classic or more neutral hue is great if you’re gearing up for a week of exploring sacred sites and dining in world-renowned restaurants, but if you’ve got beach hopping or day clubbing on the agenda, you might want to go with a more exciting shade. See how important your polish is for setting the vibe of the trip? Keep scrolling for our 10 favorite vacation-ready nail colors that will get you excited for travel season.
Black and white may sound like the most basic nail color choices, but they’re timeless classics for a reason. No matter what your vacation itinerary holds, you’ll never regret having your nails painted solid with these hues or adorned in designs using a combination of the two.
This year-round color is another classic that fits into any and every vacation aesthetic. During the warmer months, reach for a hue that skews more orange for a fun and fiery jolt of color.
Take a break from the winter-ready navy and step into lighter and brighter shades of blue for your next adventure. Whether it’s a nail bed covered in an opaque sapphire or royal blue or a negative space design using a more playful azure or robin’s egg, you really can’t go wrong.
Pastel nails have been pigeonholed as spring’s signature palette, but they’re always welcome on vacation. The white-tinged hues are soft and versatile and add the most subtle infusion of joy to any manicure.
Sure, you could go with a pretty beige manicure, but why not lean into the fashion set’s current favorites like brown and clay-toned green? They’re the chicest and least boring hues that are also super versatile and muted at the same time.
Speaking of green, vacation is the perfect time to go all out with hues across the spectrum. Forest green, seafoam, and variations of jade and mint are all great options.
Pink nail polish is always a vibe, but on vacation, it’s all about those ultra-light blush tones and saccharine hues of bubblegum pink. Mix-and-match or wear them alone for an undeniably sweet manicure.
Whether or not neon nails feel appropriate for your everyday life and style, vacation is the perfect opportunity is let loose and sport a vivid, eye-catching manicure that can light up a room. Every time you look down at your hands, you’ll be reminded to keep the party going.
You really can’t go wrong with a French manicure, and the trend has gotten revived in a major way over the last couple of years. A stylish update to the classic design—think double lines, negative space, or a unique color choice—is the perfect way to adapt it to match your vacation vibe.
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