Style Nails 15 of the Most Iconic Nail Colors of All Time By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 6, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: @opi_professionals To us, a manicure isn't just a minor flourish we hurry ourselves through on a spare lunch hour. Nail color can make us feel put together and polished (pun intended), even when we don't feel that way on the inside. It's the kind of boost only a truly great polish can procure. Over the years, we've come to know certain shades as forever classic, borderline iconic. These are the sheer nudes, bright reds, and sultry shades on the dark side that never go out of style. There's history in these bottles, and they've stuck around for good reason. Trendy shades come and go, but the best are forever. For example, a variation of Revlon Red has been around since the 1930s; Chanel's Rouge Noir debuted in the 90s on a Parisian catwalk (giving the angsty decade a black cherry lacquer to match). Where you sit on the Ballet Slippers versus Bubble Bath debate is no business of ours, but we do have thoughts on any vampy purple you're using that's not Lincoln Park After Dark. Blasphemous. One thing we know for certain: Every one of these iconic nail polishes should grace your fingers at least once. Here are the 15 all-time best nail colors that have ever existed. 01 of 16 These Nail Colors Will Never Get Old 02 of 16 Ballet Slippers by Essie Essie 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 Buy Now 03 of 16 Cajun Shrimp by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 04 of 16 Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 05 of 16 Revlon Red by Revlon Walmart 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 Buy Now 06 of 16 Funny Bunny by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 07 of 16 Big Apple Red by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 08 of 16 Rouge Noir by Chanel Chanel 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 Buy Now 09 of 16 Chinchilly by Essie Essie 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 10 of 16 Light Pink Perfecto by Givenchy Givenchy 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 Buy Now 11 of 16 Caviar Bar by Essie Essie 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 Buy Now 12 of 16 Russian Roulette by Essie Essie 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 Buy Now 13 of 16 Black Onyx by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 14 of 16 Expresso by Sally Hansen Sally Hansen 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 Buy Now 15 of 16 Bubble Bath by OPI OPI 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 Buy Now 16 of 16 Rouge 999 by Dior Dior 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 Buy Now Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit