2026 Nail Colour Trends: The Month-by-Month Guide

How to read this guide

Each month, the team selects a small palette of OPI shades from our ~200 salon references — the ones that make sense at that point in the year, in the light of the moment, with the season's wardrobe. This guide gathers them on a single page, month by month, from January to December. Past months are detailed shade by shade; upcoming months are sketched and fill in across the year. Bookmark it: this is the living trends pillar, not a frozen article.

The principle is constant: winter pushes toward density (pigment has to hold against the artificial light of Parisian offices and bistros), spring toward luminous pastels, summer toward solar saturations that resist sun, salt and chlorine. Nothing here is left to chance.

January — dense winter

January imposes its codes: a dense palette, finishes that catch artificial light, shades that pair with a wool coat. Six shades frame the month.

• Deep burgundy — Got the Blues for Red: winter Parisian chic, near-black indoors, burgundy red in daylight. The safe pick under a navy or black coat.
• Midnight blue — Less is Norse: the chic, unexpected option beyond the burgundy/nude binary, perfect with an ecru coat.
• Forest green — You're a Star!: a softly shimmering deep green, ideal for creative roles and sharp against a grey coat.
• Café-au-lait taupe — Berlin There Done That: the dense nude that steps out of beige without entering full colour.
• Rosy nude — Tickle My France-y: the untouchable Parisian classic, for formal meetings and everyday alike.
• Pearl grey — Suzi Without a Paddle: satin, near-mineral, especially chic on short nails.

February — Valentine's & Candlemas

A pivot month: heading toward the 14th, through Candlemas and Mardi Gras. Colour turns more expressive without leaving winter density behind.

• Big Apple Red: OPI's most iconic cherry red, the safe Valentine's pick, at ease on every skin tone.
• Bubble Bath: a chameleon powder pink, more rosy or more cream depending on the skin — the professional everyday.
• Lincoln Park After Dark: a deep plum, our favourite alternative to burgundy, gorgeous for evenings out or in a matte finish.
• Got the Blues for Red: velvet burgundy, the dressed-up option for the 14th.
• Funny Bunny: a creamy off-white, the typical Candlemas look — alone or as the base of a very soft french.
• Tickle My France-y: the office beige nude, an absolute go-anywhere.

March — the first pastels

The sky clears, the wardrobe lightens, we step out of winter burgundy. March announces spring without a hard break from late-February neutrals.

• Peony pink — Mod About You: warmer than powder pink, it lights up fair skin at the office.
• Pistachio green — You're Such a BudaPest: the most distinctive shade of spring 2026, glossy "candy" or matte "design".
• Pastel lilac — Do You Lilac It?: a pale, near-greyed violet, one of those universal colours that flatter almost every skin tone.
• Sky blue — Suzi Without a Paddle: optimistic and spring-like, superb as a reverse french over a nude base.
• Mimosa yellow — Sun-Rise Up: a soft, fresh-butter yellow, as an accent on a single nail to dare without risk.
• Pearly beige — Samoan Sand: a subtle rosy sheen, the perfect base for a modern french.

April — full spring, heading for the May bank holiday

Full spring settles in and the pre-May window opens: a semi-permanent applied mid-April holds perfectly through the 1 May long weekend. Six characters for six occasions.

• Peony pink: deep feminine radiance, no harshness, for fair to golden skin.
• Pistachio green: chic daring on short nails, gorgeous on olive and deeper skin.
• Lilac: the season's safe bet, a powdery pastel that's elegant and neutral in its boldness.
• Sky blue: pre-departure freshness, one to keep in reserve for those heading south.
• Soft coral: the outpost of summer, rosier than an orange — our signature for terrace lunches.
• Milk white: sophisticated minimalism, slightly creamy, visually lengthening short nails.

April is also the month of peach fuzz, the soft creamy peach that replaces over-saturated corals: at OPI, Cozu-melted in the Sun is the closest match, You've Got That Glas-glow a rosier version for fair skin. Ideal on a short almond shape.

May — the pastel-to-solar transition

May is the hinge: still on pastels and luminous nudes, but starting to warm the palette before high summer. It's the month where almost everything works — a fine window for early weddings and the first terraces.

• Lilac — Do You Lilac It?: still leading, carrying across the whole of spring.
• Peach fuzz — Cozu-melted in the Sun: the muted, healthy-glow peach, perfect in mid-season.
• Soft coral: the first real warmth, still gentle.
• Milk white — Funny Bunny: the creamy office-chic that also works for ceremonies.
• Peony pink: to own spring in full bloom.

June — the ceremony pivot month

Neither tender spring nor full solar summer: June swings between the two. It's the season of weddings, Whitsun and the first weekends by the sea. Five shades go everywhere.

• Solar coral — Aloha From OPI: the eternal best-seller, warming pale and tanned skin alike, the signature shade of terrace season.
• Cream white — Funny Bunny: pearly milk white, glamorous on tanned skin, perfect for a formal wedding and summer pedicure.
• Pearly pink — Aphrodite's Pink Nightie: universal across skin tones, romantic without being sweet, the safe bet of ceremony season.
• Sage green — That's What Friends Are Thor: a muted, near-light-khaki sage, the sophisticated alternative to nudes, seen on fashion editors.
• Vibrant turquoise — Suzi Without a Paddle: a Mediterranean pop, perfect on short nails and for a holiday pedicure.

June also opens navy season — no longer a winter colour: Russian Navy (the classic), Less Is Norse (soft denim), Yoga-Ta Get This Blue! (bright cobalt). Navy flatters a tan and stays stable for three weeks under a sun that turns reds pink.

July — full sun and holidays

The most solar month of the year: seaside holidays, civil weddings, summer events. Six shades cover every occasion.

• Coral Sunset — Cajun Shrimp: warm orange-coral, the seaside-holiday shade, it doesn't fade in the sun and holds against salt.
• Milk white — Funny Bunny: milky cream white, the wedding and tennis-whites shade; best worn as a french on very sunny holidays.
• Lagoon blue — Suzi Without a Paddle: vibrant Mediterranean turquoise, ideal for a summer pedicure and a hands-feet combo with a coral.
• Powder pink — Bubble Bath: the absolute go-anywhere, from everyday to travel, a discreet guest shade.
• Jersey yellow — Sun, Sea, and Sand in My Pants: pure solar yellow, best on one or two accent nails or in a graphic french.
• Lime green — Pump Up the Volume: tart apple green, striking as an accent or in a two-tone french with coral.

For an event, add a gold or bronze accent, or a discreet neon on a single nail — the simplest way to dare without going overboard. Signature summer combos: coral hands + lagoon-blue feet for holidays, milk-white hands + coral feet for a wedding.

The second half of the year: what's coming

The rest of the guide fills in as the year unfolds. Here's the direction the palette takes after summer:

• August — solar extension: keep coral, lagoon blue and navy, with gold-bronze as an accent on tanned skin. Coming: the detailed selection.
• September — back to work: a return to structured nudes and the first deep tones (nascent burgundy, forest green). Coming.
• October — full autumn: terracotta, chocolate brown, plum and khaki step in. Coming.
• November — autumn velvet: burgundy, aubergine and dense taupe, matte finishes. Coming.
• December — festivities: deep red, gold, chrome and forest green for end-of-year looks. Coming.

Format & wear

Every shade in the guide is applied in OPI semi-permanent, LED photopolymerisation, cuticle-oil finish. Three formats:

Wear is 2 to 3 weeks on hands (up to 3-4 weeks in summer on a careful application), 4 to 6 weeks on feet. To make it last: cuticle oil every night, gloves for washing up, professional removal only. Simple nail art — two-tone french, chrome, blended ombré — is +10 € and lets you combine two shades of the month.