Summer is on the horizon, which means it’s the perfect time to swap your milky white mani for more colorful nail polish shades. This season’s hottest nail color, for example, is a little unexpected, but it just makes us feel…well, happy. This is officially the year of—drum roll, please—butter yellow nails.
Butter yellow has been having a major moment, as spotted on the cheery runways of Burberry and Sandy Liang earlier this year. It took Selena Gomez, however, to turn the color into a viral sensation when her manicurist, Tom Bachik, posted a picture of her butter-inspired manicure on Instagram, which helped the sunny color soar in popularity.
Butter nails may not be for everyone, but there is a trick to pulling off the somewhat tricky shade. Instead of a bright neon yellow, opt for creamy, pastel shades. You should also consider your skin tone when picking the best buttery yellow polish. For instance, this color stands out on olive and deeper skin tones. For those with light or fair skin tones, look for milky yellow shades instead of golden yellow for the most flattering match. A butter yellow mani would be the perfect choice for a beach vacation or when used with your favorite self tanner to help make the shade pop.
Gomez’s manicurist used Mia Secret’s Gelux Gel Polish in Butter, however we rounded up eight similar shades to help you nail this delicious trend. (Pun intended.) We even included a press-on kit for those who want to try the shade before committing.
Best Butter Yellow Nail Polish Shades
- OPI Make My Daisy, $13
- Love by Essie On the Brighter Side, $12
- Dazzle Dry Frozen Lemonade, $22
- Chanel OVNI, $32
- Ph7 Beauty Pastel Yellow, $19
- KISS imPRESS Color Short Press-On Manicure Nails Lemon Zest, $8
- Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Sunbrella, $13
- China Glaze Lemon Fizz, $9
OPI Make My Daisy
From the pale pink Bubble Bath to the summery coral Cajun Shrimp, OPI has a way of nailing the new color trends. We have a feeling that Make My Daisy will soon be one of the most requested at the nail salon. This sunny yellow shade is a bit brighter than Gomez’s color—and is the perfect shade to show off a tan. Hello, vacation nails!
Love by Essie On the Brighter Side
This soft, pale yellow shade is probably the closest match to actual butter. Not only is the color spot-on, but you can feel good knowing that this plant-based vegan nail polish is 8-free, which means it doesn’t contain the eight potentially harmful chemicals found in many nail polishes.
Dazzle Dry Frozen Lemonade
Dazzle Dry’s Frozen Lemonade shade is a more opaque, chalky version of the butter yellow trend. This color is a great way to ease into yellow nails before venturing into brighter shades. It’s also a good choice for fair skin tones, but will flatter deeper skin tones, as well.
Still haven’t found the perfect butter yellow nail polish? Keep scrolling for more of our favorite Selena-inspired shades, including a press-on nail option.