It’s around this time of year that we start feeling those dreaded winter blues. Now that the holidays are over, including Valentine’s Day, it’s only natural that we get a little depressed. Spring is still pretty far away (31 days to be exact) so we’re stuck with the snow and cold temps. While all of our flirty spring dresses and strappy sandals remain tucked away in our closets for now, there’s one way to embrace the soon-to-be warmer weather. We’re talking about transitional nail polish shades that work for both late winter and spring.
Instead of just painting on pastels or super bright hues, set your sights on more moderate shades. Think Pantone-approved blues, deeper pinks and variations on purple, like mauve. Metallics are allowed, but go with bronze or copper as opposed to silver and gold. And don’t be afraid to experiment with nail art. Whether you’re still in love with negative space manis or prefer the mismatched take where you paint every finger a different color, these transitional nail polish shades are destined to be your new go-tos straight through spring.
When the weather warms up, you can even rock these colors on your toes as well as your fingers. Then toward the end of spring, you can move on to the aforementioned pastels, lighter pinks and neon hues. Feel free to keep a few of these transitional nail polish shades in rotation as long as your manis are mismatched.
See the slideshow above for the best transitional nail polish shades that’ll help you survive the tail end of winter. They won’t make it any warmer, but at least you’ll have a constant reminder that spring’s on the way.
2020 Spring Nail Polish Colors to Wear Now
-
Essie
Flying Solo Nail Polish Collection in Check Your Baggage, $9 at Ulta Beauty
This creamy yellow is bright, but not too bright, making it the perfect way to ease into spring a few weeks early.
-
Chanel
Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Mirage, $28 at Chanel
Chanel's new marvelous dark mauve is unexpected for spring so it's a great transitional option.
-
Smith & Cult
Nail Polish in Exit the Void, $18 at Smith & Cult
A polished periwinkle that's the ideal dusky mix of blue and purple.
-
Zoya
Nail Polish in Leif, $10 at Zoya
Light sage is a subtler way to go green.
-
JINsoon
Nail Polish in Hope, $18 at JINsoon
This isn't your go-to pumpkin spice hue for fall. It's a Creamsicle-inspired orange bright enough to work for spring and in the meantime, it'll pull you out of the winter doldrums.
-
Christian Louboutin Beauty
Nail Polish in Dragonflash, $30 at Net-a-Porter
Turn things up with a terrific turquoise hue that'll still seem hot once the weather warms up.
-
Orly
Nail Lacquer in Positive Coral-ation, $9.50 at Orly
Save those petal pinks for late spring. This coral color is better suited to bridge the gap between late winter and an early spring.
-
Olive & June
7-Free Nail Polish in CNH, $8 at Olive & June
Pantone picked Classic Blue as the color of 2020 and this versatile shade fits the bill. Wear it now AND later.
-
Deborah Lippmann
Gel Lab Pro Color in Natural Woman, $20 at Deborah Lippmann
While you're probably thinking nudes won't really pop come spring, this creamy almond shade is just vivid enough to change your mind.
-
Ella+Mila
Nail Polish in Heartbreaker, $10.50 at Ella+Mila
Split the difference between the two seasons with a deep pink that really pops.
-
Nails inc
Nail Polish in Call Me On Your Shell Phone, $11 at Nails inc
Metallics are always in season and this golden bronze has us dreaming of spring and summer down at the shore.