15 of the Most Iconic Nail Colors of All Time

Over the last 40 years, this barely-there pale pink has remained a favorite of celebrities, royals (Queen Elizabeth, we're looking at you), and all of Essie's customer base (which is, as we know, mammoth). It looks good on everyone and works for every occasion.

BUY IT: $8.75; amazon.com

This is where red likes to summer. The beloved shade is the most perfect pinky (read: notorange) coral-red in the whole world.

BUY IT: $10.50; amazon.com

This is the ultimate winter classic. It's best described as "where midnight meets purple." After two creamy coats, it commands the room in an almost-black aubergine.

BUY IT: $9; target.com

Revlon Red—ever heard of it? Of course you have. This glossy strawberry shade comes off cheerier than any blue-toned red. Plus, Revlon's chip-resistant formula will never go out of style.

BUY IT: $3.97; amazon.com

White nails aren't for the faint of heart—but this soft, slightly sheer white will silence the naysayers. It's anything but stark.

Salon tip: The day our nail esthetician recommended one coat Funny Bunny, followed by one coat Ballet Slippers, was a real game-changer. Sheer pink meets creamy white? Perfection.

BUY IT: $10.50; amazon.com

Is it the most iconic red of all time? You bet. OPI's Big Apple Red is a perfect true red if you're looking for a manicure á la Rita Hayworth.

BUY IT: $10.50; opi.com

Debuted at Paris Fashion Week in the mid-90s, this iconic shade makes every woman feel like an absolute fox. That's perhaps why it's one of the most coveted lacquers ever made. It's a vampy black cherry color worth wearing at least once.

BUY IT: $28; barneys.com

How to describe a perfect taupey gray? We imagine something chic, sophisticated, and anything but frilly or stuffy. We imagine this nail color. Southern gals love this gray-beige (with purpley undertones) as a never-let-you-down neutral.

BUY IT: $8.99; target.com

This couture shade is like if Ballet Slippers got a backbone. Creamy, opaque, and unrelentingly full-bodied, it's the perfect pale pink for everyone's inner Elle Woods.

BUY IT: $24; barneys.com

This might be a newer nominee—but what it lacks in age, it makes up for in decadent, dark, and racy long-wear color. Expect a dark navy so deep and mesmerizing that you won't want to take it off all winter.

BUY IT: $11.59; target.com

Meet Big Apple's fiery orange-red counterpart, Russian Roulette. Even the name sounds a tad more rip-roaring, hm? If your skin tone runs warm, this orangey red is your most flattering new friend.

BUY IT: $9.60; amazon.com

Any belle with a dark side knows this blackest black shade. It's like an ultra-glossy coat of armor for your nails.

BUY IT: $10.50; ulta.com

Sally Hansen is quite the lady to know in the beauty world, and this shade is one of her crown jewels. The deep, dusky pink color is consistently one of the brand's top sellers.

BUY IT: $4.20; amazon.com

This is OPI's answer to Ballet Slippers. It's a pale, sweet pink that masters the art of barely-there color. (It's also dreamy when layered with Funny Bunny.)

BUY IT: $10.50; amazon.com

In 1953, Christian Dior sought the perfect red to complement his designs—and he found it. This is Dior’s hero hue, which comes through in a shade so true and pigmented that you'll feel like a 50s starlet upon first swipe.

BUY IT: $28, macys.com