Orange Hued Manicures Are Bringing Bright Back This Summer

Summer is here, and with it, bright colors, picnics, and the glorious orange ball in the sky that makes it all possible. If you got all of your pastel manicure passions out during the spring, from milk bath nails to glazed donut fingers, it's time for something bright. The latest color craze for your nails during the hotter months is orange. There's no reason you have to wait for pumpkin spice season to wear this color because it works beautifully for July and August. 

There are a ton of ways to wear this orange trend, from decoration to hue, and it can give you a little warm inspiration for your summer sunbathing (wear sunscreen) with an icy glass of orange juice in your hand. 

Orange symbolizes happiness, warmth, adventure, boldness, fun, and confidence. This thirst-quenching color is going to make your pretty hands stand out. Let's look at some ways to wear it. 

If a light shimmer like the picture at the top of this article isn't daring enough for you, orange is a color that can work really well in bright metallics — you cannot look away from this glowing orange mani. It's also a great idea for a pedicure as well if wild nails are too distracting while you work. A color like this isn't going to put you in mind of pumpkins and falling leaves like a more muted tone would. This is pure juice, and it's got more of a Ferrari feel than something that invokes the spooky. 

The really cool thing about orange metallics is how stunning they look in the sunlight. The reflection, particularly with one that is more on the yellow/orange side, is the perfect kickstart to your day. (They also look really cool under pool water.)

If you really like the matte nail trend, orange is a great color for it. Sometimes matte nails can look a little ... dusty, if we're being honest, especially if you have drier hands. Orange matte is going to stand out and give you a glow, even without the shine. (Try mixing a shiny pattern on a matte background as well.)

We really love the swirls on this one, though you can do any number of designs here. Try a matte white background with some flowers or animal prints for a fun style that looks like a drawing. You can also do a matte orange background and add a fun logo like your favorite sports logo. The possibilities are endless. 

If flaming orange talons aren't your speed, remember that peach absolutely falls within the orange family. We're absolutely loving the design above with its pale peach background and painted-on fruit pieces, along with the leaves and flowers that go with them. Even with this small and subtle touch of orange, your nails are ready for summer. 

You can also do a plain pale peach as Jennifer Lopez did recently (via Allure), which has been all the rage, or try a slightly more orange color swirled into a cream for a creamsicle look. Truly, how can you get more summer than making your nails look like your favorite treat from the ice cream truck? 

If you're into the clear tips that everyone has been using lately, they're a great way to get orange into your nail fashion. We're loving the monarch butterfly-inspired design above. You can stay uniformly orange throughout, or you can throw in some yellow ones as well. 

Add in a few blue butterflies as well. Blue is directly opposite from orange on the color wheel, meaning it's a great complementary shade to make your nails stand out from the crowd. Plus, if you happen to be a Syracuse University alumna or a Mets fan, those are your colors, baby!

Is there any better use of orange nail polish than animal prints? A lot of the big cats have an orange hue, and leopard, tiger, and caracal cats are all right in that color scheme. Perhaps you have an orange tabby cat that you want to honor with some portrait nail art. You can even do a paler peach or burnt orange background and add your animal prints on there. It's also a great look for your toes if you want to keep your animal side contained until you hit the beach or break out those strappy sandals.

Play around and mix up your colors here, like turquoise spots on an orange background to make that color wheel work for you. 

Finally, there is no better art for orange nails than the fruit that bears the color's name. The orange slices above, with the lovely leaves added in on the two middle fingers, are a great way to signal your love for the season. Our mouths are watering just looking at those juicy designs. 

Don't be afraid of the color! There are endless ways to use it, whether it's an accent tone, the full manicure, or even jelly nails where you keep it a bit translucent so it looks like marmalade. Paddington would approve!

Enjoy your juicy digits, and we'll see you at the pool.