Back from enjoying your Euro summer? Pack away the vacation blues: here’s why you have to be paying attention to your summer nails. Fresh from summering abroad (or in your sunspot of a backyard), you might be reaching for a glittering body oil to extend the life of your glowing tan—but have you considered your next nail appointment as an optimum time to enhance your sunny complexion? Summer nails = summer tan with a longer shelf life, without the need to bake yourself in the sun. PSA: wear a good SPF everywhere, including your hands.
With the right colors, you can make your tan and your hands the basis of your summer ’fits. You can play around with brighter, bolder shades, which harmonize with the undertones of the skin. Or emphasize the warmth with spicier shades such as terracotta and chocolate brown, desert tones, or variants of a classic nude. The best summer nails, then, play with contrasts: white might be a go-to, but tones like charcoal gray or electric blue can become the perfect pop of color to energize the tan. And, then, there are seasonal classics like juicy orange nail polish, zesty yellows, or raspberry pink, as well as some streaks of neon, that still ring true for summer nails 2025. Below, Vogue breaks down some of the best summer nails to keep you looking radiant.
Spritz orange
What shade represents Euro summer best? A juicy, thirst-quenching orange of course. Situate yourself on the coast of Italy, clutching a cold drink. What’s your manicure saying?
The image that defines Italian riviera lounging is that of a cool, Spritz-based aperitif. Orange nail polish is perfect for enhancing a tan: a warm shade that plays up the almost spicy highlights in your skin, and that allow a golden complexion to shine.
Milky white
White nail polish is a classic color that emphasizes the warmer notes in your skin—it feels very ’80s Ibiza, totally Balearic. While you might think to reach for a chalky white, really, you should make way for the on-trend, milky, and delicate shades that give the manicure an almost creamy look.
Chocolate brown
Chocolate brown’s chokehold on the fashion and beauty space shows no sign of letting up, come spring, summer, or the forthcoming fall and winter seasons. The dark, chocolatey tone is elegant and refined, a good in-between for those that favor either nude or dark polishes, and that sits well against sun-kissed skin. The manicure, then, has an almost neutral look. Maybe you could enhance it too with some glitter or gold flecks—ask your nail tech.
The neon green
It takes a little courage, but a neon or highlighter green is an assuredly bold choice for highlighting your summer tan. It’s a no-fear-of-being-noticed shade. Keep your nails short for a simple shock of color and a harmonious silhouette.
Bubblegum pink
Best tried on the brightest end of the spectrum, a hot, hot pink is the ideal nail polish color for fair complexions that, despite their tan, need that high contrast. Shades of bubblegum or hot pink amp up the vibrancy while retaining some delicate allure to your outfit’s color palette.
Charcoal gray
Dark colors aren’t just for the festive season—these shades can provide unexpected depth and dimension when paired with a summer tan. That’s as long as you choose nail polishes with a luminous finish. Metallic, chrome, glitter and velvet effects: charcoal gray is the perfect solution if you want a darker twist to your manicure that keeps up with your megawatt tan.
Electric blue
Bold and unexpectedly sensual, electric blue nail polish contrasts perfectly with a tanned complexion. Seal it with a glossy top coat. This shade complements almond-shaped and long nails as much as it does short, square silhouettes— a true all-rounder, vroom vroom blue.
