7 Tips for Dark Nail Polish This Summer

As far as nail polish goes, summer’s traditionally a time of baby pinks and bright neons, but who wants to follow those kind of rules? Buck the trend and reach for oxblood, navy, or eggplant. “There are a couple of reasons why dark colors rock in the summer,” says L’Oreal’s celebrity manicurist, Tom Bachik. “They look strong, powerful, and deliberate. There’s an attitude to dark; I love that they’re sophisticated and sexy and chic, but they’re also very youthful and rebellious.”

However, dark nails look best super shiny, and are ruined at the first chip, so we asked Bachik, who works with everyone from Zooey Deschanel to Jennifer Lopez, the best way to pull off unexpected hues right now.

The darker you go, the more neutral the color becomes.
“As they start to approach black, deep colors become neutralized and work on virtually any skin tone,” Bachik says.

Choose colors that have the same temperature as your skin tone.
“I find that nail color works a lot like makeup color, so you still stay in your tone if you’re warm or cool,” says Bachik. That means warm-toned skin looks best in deep reds and purples, while moody blues and grays look ravishing on cooler complexions.

Stick with a crème formula.
“I love a high gloss, cream finish because it’s beautiful and clean,” Bachik says. In order for dark polish to impart that sense of neutrality, it needs a sophisticated creamy texture instead of matte or shimmer.

Choose a non-color.
Bachik says, “I think dark grays are going to take over black.” He attributes the rise of the color to the 50 Shades phenomenon; we attribute it to the fact that it goes with everything and looks good on everyone.

Use a thin topcoat to maintain a high gloss shine.
Sand exfoliates your nails like it does your skin, so Bachik says to use a thin topcoat to maintain their luster. “Apply a fresh coat of it every two to three days to refresh your manicure, to bring back that high-gloss shine, and to add a little extra layer of protection so that the manicure lasts longer,” Bachik says.

Use cuticle oil to prevent chips.
The worst part about dark nail polish is that you have to remove it as soon as it chips. Turns out, topcoat isn’t the only solution. “Polish dries out over time and becomes brittle, so cuticle oil actually helps your manicure stay hydrated and flexible,” Bachik says.

Keep your nails short and round (for the most part).
“Contrast the hardness of the color with a shorter nail and a softer, more natural shape,” Bachik says. If you wouldn’t dream of clipping your hard-earned talons, just make sure they’re almond-shaped. “If you have a longer nail and you’ve got a flat square edge with a dark color, there’s a lot going on,” he says. “But, when it comes to length and shape, it’s about sticking to what’s neutral and natural to you.”

Photo: Marcus Ohlsson