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Would You Wear… Yellow Nail Polish?

Written by 64 Comments

Katy Perry, Rihanna and a street style look showcase the yellow nail polish trend
Katy Perry, Rihanna and a street style look showcase the yellow nail polish trend.  Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3

Over the past year, it seems that nearly every color in the rainbow has been a “hot” nail polish shade, leaving us to ask: Is there any nail polish color that seems off-limits or totally strange these days? (For us, the answer is no.) In case you haven’t taken notice of the latest nail polish craze, yellow is the new hot color to use on your fingernails.

All shades of yellow – from pastel buttercup hues to bright summer neons – are popular right now. Katy Perry memorably rocked it on the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards, but others have followed in her footsteps. Photos have surfaced of Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani and other celebs rocking stunning yellow-toned nails.

Personally, while I love the idea of this trend, I had a difficult time wearing it. Yellow is my favorite color and while I love the look of yellow polish on others, I removed my yellow manicure quickly. Since I’m ultra-pale, the shade I chose just didn’t work on me – perhaps I need to try an even brighter yellow shade next time.

Unsure about what to wear with yellow polish?  The answer is: other colors!

How to wear yellow nail polish
Product Information: Top – Peacocks, Skirt – Topshop, Wedges – Zara, Belt – Topshop, Nail Polish – OPI via Amazon

What do you think about the yellow nail polish trend?

Leave a comment below and let’s discuss your thoughts on it! Is this a summery-fun nail polish trend or just simply silly? Is this a nail polish color that you would wear? Would you rock a bright neon or is a soft pastel more your taste?

Posted on on July 26, 2011 / Filed Under: Would You Wear? / Tags: , , , , , , ,

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64 Responses to “Would You Wear… Yellow Nail Polish?”

  1. 1
    July 26th, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Camille T

    Of course, have since January!

  2. 2
    July 26th, 2011 at 11:46 am

    Kristina

    I just painted my nails a bright pastel yellow last night! I think that as long as the color compliments your skin tone, and has enough coats that you can tell it’s nail polish and not some kind of fingernail fungus, it looks great! Haha :)

  3. 3
    July 26th, 2011 at 11:58 am

    Emily

    I’ve actually been looking for a golden yellow polish to wear with my black crackle to football games (I go to Mizzou, so our colors are gold and black), but that’s the only time I would wear yellow polish. Otherwise it’s not really my thing.

  4. 4
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    Faith

    Yep. Its call “TAXI”.

  5. 5
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    Faith

    Yep. Its called “TAXI”.

  6. 6
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    Prianka

    OMGZ! I’ve loved this color so much, I painted a lot of my stuff with yellow nail polish. I like this better on feet than hands.

  7. 7
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    Sarah

    I love this! Like some of the other commenters said, I think it’s all about finding the right shade of yellow for you :)

  8. 8
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    Nancy

    Just not on toenails…it looks sorta fungusy on feet imo

  9. 9
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Jess

    LOVE yellow nail polish!!

  10. 10
    July 26th, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    Denise

    Have since 2009. Same as others above Taxi. As others have stated, depends on the hue. Since I’m (a little tan in the summer) it doesn’t look like fungus. But I could see how a paler yellow could do that.

  11. 11
    July 26th, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    Samantha

    I did bright yellow a while back. It was fun.

  12. 12
    July 26th, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Emma

    I love the yellow trend! I’ve been loving it since last spring!! Super fun and now I threw on yellow glitter on my ring fingernail to add some style pop! Thanks for the post :)

  13. 13
    July 26th, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Katie

    I love this trend! I’m super pale too though so can only really pull it off in the summer when I’m vaguely tanner. I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri whatever the name is for their bright yellow. Doesn’t last long but perfect for a night out :]

  14. 14
    July 26th, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Jennifer

    Try “Lemon Fizz” by China Glaze or Deborah Lippman “Yellow Brick Road”. :) They both have great applications and some really nice shades. Between those two, you should be able to find one that works (I’m amazingly pale, too, but both look nice — and appreciate the contrast!)

  15. 15
    July 26th, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Amanda

    I’ve had yellow nail polish for about a year now. I actually am wearing yellow nail polish on my toes that I put on like last May! LOL I love the color, and I absolutley LOVE the outfit you put together for it. ;)

  16. 16
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    Sally

    I can’t wear yellow polish without worrying other people will think it’s a fungus :P

  17. 17
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    Alyssa Pritchett

    Yellow polish? Yes Please! :)

  18. 18
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    laura

    Need sunglasses? by OPI is perfect

  19. 19
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:24 pm

    crystal

    would love to but can’t cuz not allowed @ work

  20. 20
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Leslie

    My fingers & toes are bright yellow right now! I love it and get tons of compliments… It’s “Sunshine” from Avon

  21. 21
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    Alia

    I think that yellow is a great color for nail polish. I recently painted my nails that color and then toned it down by using a black nail pen and white polish to create a leopard look!

  22. 22
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    FIRETRUCK

    Bye,bye, birdy! by Catrice is gorgeous! On my nails right now,i fell in love with this color :>

  23. 23
    July 26th, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    maxine

    Of course I would paint my nails yellow.

  24. 24
    July 26th, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    Marion

    YAY! I love yellow nailpolish. I’ve been wearing it since last year even if everyone thought I was crazy! I feel like such a trendsetter

  25. 25
    July 26th, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    Stari

    Right now I have that same shade of OPI yellow on my nails.. But with black shatter over it. I wouldnt wear a pale/pastel yellow though. It looks too much like nail fungus- and that’s gross. :/

  26. 26
    July 26th, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Karen Rodriguez

    yes ! i`m wearing it right now with a top coat of shattered pink :D

  27. 27
    July 26th, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    L

    Yes, but not on my toenails. For some reason they looked weird…

  28. 28
    July 26th, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    Cortney

    Love yellow nailpolish! I’m still looking for the perfect shade, though. :)

  29. 29
    July 26th, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    brittany

    Two years ago I bought Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri in “Lightening (yes, they really spell it like that)” and I STILL wear it all the time! It’s a bright yellow like a school bus or taxi cab. Yellow is my favorite color in general. :)

  30. 30
    July 26th, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    Danielle

    i have before/do currently/ will in the future. i honestly don’t think it’s that crazy. it’s such a happy color!

  31. 31
    July 26th, 2011 at 6:29 pm

    Lois

    I love the yellow nail polish trend, but I tried it a few months ago and the color I got clashed with my (admittedly pasty) skin tone, so I haven’t been brave enough to try it again. I do remember having yellow nail polish in the 90′s and thinking I was the coolest kid in elementary school :)

  32. 32
    July 26th, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    Shoe

    I love yellow nail polish! I’ve been wearing it since last year, and I even like a paler, buttery shade…

  33. 33
    July 26th, 2011 at 9:39 pm

    Ashlee

    I love this! My fav is Sally Hansen Insta Dry in Lightening!

  34. 34
    July 26th, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    Lexie

    I love yellow. I use NYC New York Color Long Lasting Nail Enamel in Taxi Yellow Creme. It’s normally around a dollar in stores and it’s not a super intense or super pastel color. Somewhere between the two, perhaps.

  35. 35
    July 26th, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    Casey

    My nails are actually a funky mix of the colors in that outfit right now (although a robins egg blue instead of the royal blue shoes, but the skirt matches my OPI Hot & Spicy almost perfectly!) I saw Christen Mitchell with the manicure I’m wearing a couple weeks back and loved it, so I mimicked it, it’s so fun, but for anyone afraid to try yellow because it might look like fungus, try mixing it with other colors instead of an all yellow mani and people wont get confused. Here’s the Christen Mitchell mani…

    Left hand: Robins egg blue on thumb and ring, orange (OPI hot and Spicy is what I used) on the index and middle, and yellow on the pinky (the OPI pictured above would be the perfect shade)

    Right hand: orange on thumb and middle, yellow on index and ring, and RE blue on pinky. I always get compliments on this mani when i do it.

  36. 36
    July 26th, 2011 at 11:22 pm

    Eleanor

    I love the yellow polish trend. I started wearing neon yellow last winter, along with other neons, to brighten up gray snowy days. I’ve also picked up a slightly paler yellow that really compliments my tan!

  37. 37
    July 27th, 2011 at 12:02 am

    Mayra

    Oh yeah I so would! Im currently wearing hot candy pink nails with one yellow (taxi) colored nail on each hand. It makes it pop more.

  38. 38
    July 27th, 2011 at 1:11 am

    Lizzie

    I love wearing yellow nail polish. I did this about 3 summers ago to a Everyday Sunday concert I got to meet the band and the drummer said that he like my nails! I have been wearing it ever since:)

  39. 39
    July 27th, 2011 at 1:17 am

    Kimberly

    I JUST took off my pale yellow, well looks like i was ahead of the trend. slightly. :)

  40. 40
    July 27th, 2011 at 1:22 am

    georgia

    i used to wear yellow nailpolish in highschool (i’m now 22) and everyone thought i was weird… WELL LOOK AT ME NOW! i was five years ahead of the trend! :P
    LOVE yellow polish! but tend to go for more orangey/coral shades nowadays… but if yellow is trendy then i better go find that old (probably now crusty) bottle of pure sunshine nail polish!

  41. 41
    July 27th, 2011 at 2:21 am

    Jenny in Jacquard

    Haven’t tried it, but I love the way it pops with the outfit that you picked out. I think I’ll be giving it a whirl! :)

  42. 42
    July 27th, 2011 at 3:02 am

    Joanna

    I’m excited to see this post because just yesterday I used the yellow nail polish I had and now I feel super proud to see that the CF team is recommending it!!

  43. 43
    July 27th, 2011 at 3:51 am

    Vera

    I absolutely loved wearing this color, until my pianoteacher asked me if I had dropped my hand in a tank of deadly chemicals.

  44. 44
    July 27th, 2011 at 8:23 am

    Angela

    Yes! I love my yellow nail polish! I prefer a soft, pastel buttercup shade. Anything too bright just screams ‘highlighter’ or ‘school bus’ to me. As others have said, just make sure it’s decently opaque. I’m not sure how long the trend will last, but it’s fun for summer! :)

  45. 45
    July 27th, 2011 at 12:00 pm

    Nikki

    I love yellow nail polish its my go to color of the season

  46. 46
    July 27th, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    Lisa

    Like FIRETRUCK said, Catrice’s yellow is fantastic! I’m in the pale side so the super bright, bold yellow looks a little harsh on me, but Bye, Bye Birdie has the perfect amount of softness. Been rocking it for the last few months.

  47. 47
    July 27th, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    Kelly

    That outfit is PERFECT! Great choices!

  48. 48
    July 28th, 2011 at 6:15 pm

    Tarynn

    Guess what I was wearing as I read this? Mine is China Glaze – Lemon Fizz. It’s pastel, but bright enough to still be bold.

  49. 49
    July 30th, 2011 at 10:25 am

    Court

    I’m not a big fan of yellow so I can’t see myself wearing yellow nail polish.

  50. 50
    July 31st, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Valerie

    Pastel I would, but never bright and definitely never on my toenails. If I wanted yellow nails I would pick up smoking.

  51. 51
    August 1st, 2011 at 7:13 am

    Manpreet

    I actually did my nails just like RiRi in that picture and I got a lot of great comments from random people :)

  52. 52
    August 3rd, 2011 at 3:15 am

    Hayley

    Yes,I would.I see nothing wrong with it.I love it!!!.I worn yellow nail polish a lot during high school.That was long before it was popular with famous people

  53. 53
    August 5th, 2011 at 10:38 am

    Andrea

    i actually have that color! Hahha yeah i definatley would It shows you are bright and bubbily!

  54. 54
    August 5th, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Andrea

    i actually have that color! Hahha yeah i definatley would It shows you are bright and bubbily!!

  55. 55
    August 5th, 2011 at 11:15 am

    Dawn

    I’ve worn it once, but is was too bright for my fair skin.

  56. 56
    August 5th, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    nadia

    YES! it looks fabulous with a tan!

  57. 57
    August 5th, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    kimberly

    I am absolutely addicted to it. I’ve work it for most of the year! I use lightening by Sally Hansen

  58. 58
    August 8th, 2011 at 12:35 am

    Lucie

    heck yeah! omigosh i lurveee yellow nail polish :) … i was mostly inspired when i saw lisa eldridge wear yellow nail polish on chanel makeup confidential – perfect nail color for summer especially!!

  59. 59
    August 8th, 2011 at 2:33 am

    Scott

    Yes it works well!!!! I love it

  60. 60
    August 10th, 2011 at 6:17 am

    leijin

    I just paint your nails shine yellow cake final night! I believe since the complementary colour of your skin, and has sufficient layers that you just can say it’s toenail polish and never some kind of toenail fungus, it appears great! Haha:)

  61. 61
    August 18th, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    Antoinette Miller

    i’ve worn yellow nail polish for years!

  62. 62
    September 17th, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Miche Purses

    i have to say, yellow nails is too much for me. I prefer french manicure.

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