I Can't Stop With Purple Nail Polish Lately—These Are the Most Wearable Shades
Maybe it's just me, but I've always felt like purple is one of the most underrated nail colors on the polish spectrum. But here's the kicker: It totally shouldn't be! Although "purple" may, initially, conjure the tacky, psychedelic, Barbie-esque nail vibes of our junior high years, there are so many different shades, finishes, and directions you can go with the hue. Borderline black, a surprisingly sophisticated duo-chrome topper, and even a glowing shade of neon can all have surprising versatility and wearability.
Whether you're a "dark nail polishes only" type of person or someone more willing to indulge your wild side, I've selected 15 stunning purple nail colors that feel 100% cool and 0% cheesy. From cult classics like OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark to new finds sure to strike your fancy, I've crafted the ultimate purple nail color gold mine just below. Keep scrolling and get ready to shop!
If you love dark purples, try…
OPI Nail Polish in Lincoln Park After Dark
Does it get more iconic than OPI's beloved shade Lincoln Park After Dark? It's an all-time best seller from the brand, and the moody "Is it black, or is it purple?" finish is everything we want in a rich and dramatic nail look.
JinSoon Nail Polish in Fable
Whenever I'm craving a juicy purple nail color that's not quite as dark and brooding as OPI's cult favorite above, I reach for Fable by JinSoon. It's a striking shade of glossy aubergine and is beautifully flattering on all skin tones.
J. Hannah Nail Polish in Ikebana
As it's hazy, chic, and a tad more grayish purple than black or red, I love how striking and sophisticated J. Hannah's Ikebana looks on fingers—it's a purple nail color that has garnered me lots of compliments and questions.
Static Nails Liquid Glass Lacquer in Arsenic
If you're a Static Nails virgin, investing in a glassy purple nail color is the perfect excuse to dip your toe in. The brand is nontoxic, 8-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and made right here in the U.S., and its spectrum of colors and the salon-level shine you get are unparalleled. If you've got purple on the mind, like me, this shade called Arsenic is poisonously good. (Sorry, could not resist!)
LaPierre Cosmetics Nail Polish in Psyche
FYI: This deep purple shimmer looks brighter in the bottle than it will on your nails. LaPierre describes the vibe as "futuristic," and if you're looking to upgrade your normal dark-purple mani for something with a little more pizazz, Psyche is your girl.
If you love bright purples, try…
Olive and June Nail Polish in Fierce Loving
I'm just going to say it—Olive and June just wins when it comes to the bright-purple nail color category. I have a few hues I just can't shake, and this electric shade of lilac called Fierce Loving is a year-round essential. (It's also an instant mood lifter.)
Olive and June Nail Polish in Bold Unshaken
Next up, let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite Olive and June nail colors, Bold Unshaken. It's the perfect antidote if you want something dynamic and bright but a little bit deeper.
Essie Nail Polish in Tangoed In Love
Consider Essie's Tangoed In Love the ultimate neon take on purple. It looks flashy, glowy, and bright atop your fingertips but not at all tacky or cheap like some purple nail colors do.
Base Coat Nail Polish in Vixen
I'm always in hot pursuit of truly effective nontoxic nail polishes that tick all of my boxes: great color variety, durable, long-lasting wear, ultra-shiny finish… Believe it or not, many fail the test. That said, Base Coat is one of the few exceptions. I'm currently eyeing this bright-purple nail color called Vixen (uh, so good), but I'm never able to just pick one.
ILNP Nail Polish in Purple Plasma
ILNP is your one-stop shop for all things shiny and shimmering in the land of nail polish. The brand's supply of purple sparklers doesn't disappoint, but if I had to choose a favorite child, I'd go with Purple Plasma—a bold holographic number that's not for the faint of heart but is downright dreamy thanks to the jolty purple base smartly offset with hints of red and gold sparkle.
If you love pastel purples, try…
Orly Nail Polish in The Snuggle Is Real
According to my fellow beauty editor Courtney Higgs, this cuddly shade of pastel purple is one of her all-time go-tos when it comes to crafting the perfect purple mani.
Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in Mirage
No purple nail color roundup could ever be complete without Mirage by Chanel. It's quite literally one of the prettiest and universally flattering shades of purple on the market, and while it's definitely expensive, you'll wear it so often it will be well worth the investment. Plus, it's the perfect go-between if you're waffling on whether or not to go pink or purple.
Dear Sundays Nail Polish in No. 28 Lavender Gray
Celebrity manicurist Mazz Hanna introduced me to a smoky lavender hue by Oribe a few years ago, and to this day, it's one of my most-used bottles within my polish stash. Sadly, the exact shade seems to be discontinued, but this one from Dear Sundays is the best doppelgänger I could find. Since it's more gray than pink, it feels a little more dramatic and mysterious than your basic pastel-purple nail color, which I love!
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Lacey Lilac
As far as bargains go, I don't think it gets better than this delicate lilac number from Sally Hansen. Plus, since it's part of the brand's Xtreme Wear line, it will stay vibrant, shiny, and strong for days (and days and days!).
Zoya Nail Polish in Zara
If you've ever jumped over to Zoya's website, you already know how much of a black hole it is when it comes to outrageously beautiful nail colors. I never make it out without purchasing at least 10 new bottles (whoops), and this gauzy shade of pastel purple has been a recent standout. That golden duo-chrome finish is seriously so good.
Up next, The Only Nail Colors Worth Wearing This Spring, According to WWW Editors
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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