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13 Best Nail Polishes for Summer

As the temperature rises and the sun stays longer, it’s time to get ready with all the bright colors you can wear this summer. One way of popping out your outfit is by picking bright-colored nail polishes for summer. It’s a simple addition that can totally change the mood to the vibrant cool vibes of the summer.

Nail polishes come in eye-catching colors. You can find nail polishes in all shades, from the darkest black color to transparent nail polishes. Also, you can go very artistic in the way you put on nail polish and mix and match colors. However, it isn’t only about the color, the brand name also makes a difference. Here is a list of the best nail polishes we have tried. That way, you don’t have to spend all summer looking for the best options.

Born Pretty Pastel Gel Nail Polish Set

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Born Pretty Pastel Gel Nail Polish Set inspired us with many color mixes we didn’t know they’ll look that great. As pastel colors become more trendy, we have been introducing them in most of our outfits and we were so pleased to find this set of six different pastel shades to leverage our style every day.

This collection isn’t the only available option from Born Pretty, there are many other options but this was our favorite. It looked different from all other nail polishes we had before. Also, the brand offers a super top coat that is sold separately to make the nail polish last longer. Go for this pack of six bottles and you’ll never regret it, we promise.

Pros

  • The pastel colors are so trendy this summer
  • The set includes six colors at a good price
  • It can last for more than 30 days with a super top coat

Cons

  • The colors aren’t highly pigmented

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MAYCHAO Gel Nail Polish

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For a rich and bold look, MAYCHAO Gel Nail Polish offers lots of colors including shimmery colors that take your overall look to a whole new level. We tried the champagne glitter and the neon orange colors to get an idea of two extremely different colors. Both were so rich and satisfying for us.

With the right application, you’ll get a long-lasting color that remains on your nails for almost three weeks! Even more, the brand is known for its cruelty-free direction, i.e. the nail polish wasn’t tested on animals. Also, most of the harmful ingredients used in making such products were eliminated. Hence, we loved this brand a lot and we would surely go for more colors.

Pros

  • There are shimmering and glossy colors
  • The pigment is very rich
  • It lasts for a long time

Cons

  • The application isn’t consistent

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AILLSA Sheer Nude Gel Nail Polish

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If you’re looking for a natural color that enhances your nail color, you can’t go wrong with AILLSA Sheer Nude Gel Nail Polish. This brand has lots and lots of colors to offer but the nude colors are our favorite. Although the colors aren’t so highly pigmented, we applied around three coats to get the color we wanted.

The best thing about nude colors is that they work on all skin tones. Nude colors aren’t only about pink and beige, there are a couple of shades you’ll discover yourself when checking out the color options of this nail polish. Considering its affordable price, we could pick more than one color to try and all of them were so lovely. The Knowledge Base Youtube channel did a short review on this nail polish, we encourage you to watch it here.

Pros

  • There are lots of colors including many nude colors
  • It has a low odor
  • The price is affordable

Cons

  • You need to apply more than one coat to get a rich color

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Beetles Gel Nail Polish

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With its hints of lime, hot pink, and coral orange colors, Beetles Gel Nail Polish is a very common brand to go for for the craziest summer manicure colors. We could find a color to pair with any floral outfit we wear to look stunning and just on-trend. We even think that the bottle itself looks as much stunning and elegant as the colors themselves.

Since it’s a gel nail polish, it had to be applied under LED light for a couple of seconds. This will guarantee you’ll get the best salon-like colors. Further, the known brand guarantees a vegan non-toxic formula that doesn’t harm the nails or the skin. Above all, the price isn’t too expensive, it’s actually cheaper than other less-known brands with lower-quality formulas.

Pros

  • The nail polish bottle looks elegant
  • There are too many colors to choose from
  • The quality is good

Cons

  • You need to apply more than one coat to get a perfect color

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Essie Nail Polish

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We wanted to have salon-quality nail polish without going for gel nail polishes or without even leaving our homes. Thus, we bought Essie Nail Polish as it had too many good reviews and they were right. With the proper application of this simple nail polish, you’ll get the quality you want of your favorite color.

The nail polish isn’t expensive, but if you want to get the same amazing results we got, you have to apply a base coat and a top coat. So, the least you can buy is three bottles which is still a good bargain for quality nail polishes. Generally, the colors are rich and attractive. You can find nude colors and other dark and bold colors to match all your outfits.

Pros

  • It offers flawless coverage when applied correctly
  • The colors are nice and trendy
  • You can apply easily at home

Cons

  • It stains easily

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Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish

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When everyone else is going to beauty salons to get their perfect gel nail polishes, we had this Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish. It’s made to be applied in the comfort of your home without the need for even a professional LED light system. We applied it on our nails just like what we do with traditional nail polishes and we got the effect of gel nail polishes.

We applied two coats of this nail polish as described on the bottle. Then, we bought the shiny top coat for a glossy finish just like gel nails at beauty salons. We were so much satisfied with the result considering that we didn’t pay even half of what we would have paid at a beauty salon. If you love makeup and want to try everything at home, you might be interested in those Dermstore Lash Enhancers as well.

Pros

  • It’s very easy to apply and remove
  • The nail polish is very watery
  • There is a top coat sold separately for a glossy finish

Cons

  • It doesn’t last for long

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RARJSM Holographic Nail Polish

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One of the shades we spotted while searching for summer nail polishes was RARJSM Holographic Nail Polish and all of its available color options. This nail polish is so unique that you would love to have all of its colors and put on a different color with each outfit. The shimmery multicolor effect reminds us of the nightclub neon lamps. It will be a perfect choice for summer nights.

Apart from the colors, this nail polish is generally not harmful with the lowest chemicals possible. We could easily know this from the smell as it produced a low smell. We believe the price is somehow suitable for the quality although it isn’t the cheapest option out there. If you want to see a real trial of this nail polish, watch this video from Vanessa’s Nails.

Pros

  • The shimmery multicolor options are unique
  • It produces a low smell
  • It’s good quality

Cons

  • The colors are different from the pictures

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GAOY Summer Jelly Gel Nail Polish

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If you’re so much into nude colors, nothing will beat GAOY Summer Jelly Gel Nail Polish for its collection of nude shades. This gel nail polish comes in sets of six different shades and there are different sets to choose from. Actually, we fell in love with all the sets and it was the hardest thing for us to choose from all of these lovely colors.

After we finally made our decision and picked one set, we applied the first color to see how long it lasts. To our surprise, this was one of the most long-lasting gel nail polishes we have tried. Given its nude color, we could use only one color all season.

Pros

  • The application is very easy
  • It’s a good value for money
  • The colors are long-lasting

Cons

  • It has a strong chemical smell

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Nicole Miller Mini Nail Polish Set

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Best for traveling. If you, like us, travel a lot, then getting the smallest packs of any products should be something you’re used to. Nicole Miller Mini Nail Polish Set is one of the small packs we found that suits travelers because even if you take the whole set with you, it won’t take up much space in the bag. The set consists of 15 colors, although we didn’t choose the colors, we liked the variety a lot.

“We were on a rush, so, we couldn’t decide which colors we exactly need for this trip. Having this set with all the 15 colors, we had too many choices to pick from to wear a different color every day. We’re so satisfied now.”

Dizzzi

Since it’s a set used mainly for travel, it isn’t a gel nail polish that requires professional LED light to dry. Just leave it in the air for minutes and you have your nail polish applied perfectly on your hands. Now, this set will be our first go-to option for traveling, and we’re willing to try new sets of the same brand as well. You might be interested in this review of the best Ulta Makeup Brush Sets to pick a small set for traveling as well.

Pros

  • The set consists of 15 different colors
  • They dry out quickly
  • The bottles are small enough for packing

Cons

  • The brushes aren’t the best quality

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Modelones Gel Nail Polish Set

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Best colors. The best gift you can get for any woman this summer is Modelones Gel Nail Polish Set. We brought this set as a gift for ourselves because we think every woman deserves to have this number of different colors. The set has 36 different shades of all the colors you can think of.

We were so much pleased when we found a primer, base, glossy top coat, and a matte top coat with the set. We didn’t need anything else to have the best nail polish that stands out and gives us the confidence we needed every day. The bottles aren’t so large but just enough to spend all year trying new colors every couple of weeks. Luckily, we had colors in the set that suit all seasons, not just summer.

Pros

  • The set comes with the top and base coats
  • There are different sets with different color options
  • The price is suitable for the number of nail polishes you get

Cons

  • They aren’t the best quality

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OPI Nail Lacquer

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Featuring a wide brush, OPI Nail Lacquer is one of the easiest nail polishes to apply among all the options we tried. Its formula is so creamy and not too thick, so, putting on one coat of nail polish was just enough to get a rich color. But if you want a very opaque result, you might need to apply more than one coat.

Overall, it’s a high-quality nail polish with a high-quality formula. It doesn’t chip and it doesn’t have a strong smell as well. We had the nail polish applied for almost a week with no issues with chipping or peeling. For better results, we bought the base and top coats, so, we could have something similar to gel nail polishes without harming our nails and with no hassle in the application process. Learn more about this product on its official website!

Pros

  • It’s very easy to apply
  • It last for a long time
  • The color pigments are heavy

Cons

  • There aren’t too many colors.

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Vishine Nail Gel Polish

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Best stability. A hot pink nail polish can give your all-white beach dress a nice pop-up but you need to choose a really rich hot pink manicure. For this, we got Vishine Nail Gel Polish. This soak-off nail polish has very rich pigments as one coat is just enough to get a nice popping color. Yet, beware because some colors aren’t exactly as shown in the pictures.

Since it’s a gel nail polish, you need to apply it to get the result you want. Once applied in the right way, we got a long-lasting nail polish that lasted for more than 20 days. It didn’t chip or look less shiny, we loved the effect so much. We are encouraged to try more of the available colors because we’re sure of the quality now.

Pros

  • It last for long
  • The color pigment is rich
  • It has a non-toxic formula

Cons

  • The colors are a bit off

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ILNP Ultra Chrome Nail Polish

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Best colors. We were too confused at first because the number of colors was so so many that we kept browsing and forgetting what we have seen over and over again. ILNP Ultra Chrome Nail Polish is just of the color families ILNP offers. There are metallic, holographic, and normal color families. Needless to say, each family consists of tens of colors, so, an alert here, you’ll take all day before deciding on which color to buy.

After we finally did it and went for the Greatness option which is part of the Ultra Chrome family, we kept it on our nails to see how long it lasts. It didn’t fail us and it lasted for days before it started to chip. It was one of the best qualities we have ever tried for traditional nail polish. Also, it has a very unnoticeable smell which reflected its natural composition. We loved how this brand evokes a spirit of vividness and resilience in what they offer.

Pros

  • There are many color options and styles
  • It dries very quickly
  • The nail polish is high quality and doesn’t chip easily

Cons

  • It’s a bit pricey for a traditional nail polish

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Our Verdict!

A good way to start is to try the best of the best options first. So, we summed up the four best nail polishes based on things like price, colors, and stability. Check them out here.

How To Choose The Best Nail Polishes for Summer?

Since you’re here now, you probably have checked the nail polishes we mentioned above and knew that there might be other things rather than the colors to consider when buying. Below is our list of considerations we had to bear in mind while preparing this list.

Quality

Nail polishes are applied directly to the nails, so, we had to take care of their quality as we don’t want to harm our nails by any means. There are many options with vitamin C and other useful nutrients for the nails. These were our favorites in terms of quality. Yet, you don’t have to get nail polishes with added vitamins, just make sure that the materials and chemicals used won’t harm your nails.

Longevity

The worst thing that might happen to a woman who has spent hours applying nail polish arts on her nails is getting the colors peeled off. Hence, while looking for the perfect nail polish, we checked the longevity or how long this nail polish lasts. Needless to say, the longer the better but without harming the nails of course.

Colors

Finally, the colors are a personal taste, so, we didn’t have so many criteria while picking the best nail polishes concerning the colors. The only thing you have to check is whether this color is matte, shimmering, or shiny because each option gives a totally different look even if it’s the same color. Also, check whether you should put on several coats to get the rich color you see in the image, or if one coat is just enough.

What summer nail polish color goes with everything?

If you want to apply one color for days and weeks, then go for the nude colors because they’ll match most of your outfits. On top of them is the white color that goes with everything.

Are gel nail polishes better than traditional ones?

Gel nail polishes last longer and they don’t peel off easily like traditional nail polishes. So, for summer vacations and beach days, gel nail polish will be a better option.

What will happen if I applied nail polish every day?

Although nail polishes look great, too much of them might harm your nail and weaken them. You can check out these best Vitacost vitamins and supplements as some of them work very well in replenishing and supporting nail growth.