One of my favorite things about season changes is being able to buy new shades of nail polish that go with the season. In my opinion, any time is a good time for buying nail polish, but new seasons make it even more exciting because I can’t wait to see what shades brands put out. The one thing I love more than pretty nail polish is affordable pretty nail polish, and I know I’m not the only one who gets a little stingy when it comes to spending money! So I have found some really pretty nail polishes that are super summer-worthy and cost less than $5.
1. Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in ‘Hot Tamale’ – $2.99
Wow, this is the most flavorful red-orange I’ve ever seen. The only time I ever wear orange nail polish is for Halloween, and I usually don’t like red-orange as a color at all, but this nail polish was just so appealing because it reminded me of all the colorful fruit pictures I’ve been seeing on Instagram for the summer. If this nail polish were a fruit, it’d definitely be something citrus-y and refreshing!
2. Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in ‘Coral Reef’ – $2.99
This color kind of reminds me of Patrick from Spongebob! It’s a really pretty pink that’s perfect for a playful day at the beach because it isn’t too light and it’s also not a hot pink (for some reason I don’t find hot pinks too appealing). Like all other Sally Hansen Hard As Nails products I’ve tried, the quality of this one is really good — not thin and watered down, but not thick and globby.
3. Wet n Wild Wild Shine in ‘Lavender Creme’ — $0.99
I like nail polishes from the Wild Shine collection because I find that the quality of the polish is pretty good for just a buck! The shades are all really pigmented, so I really only use two thin coats of polish. Plus, as the name suggests, it has a nice glossy finish, so I never feel the need to put on a top coat for shine. The color of the bottle isn’t exactly true to the color you get on your nails (the bottle color is just a teeny bit darker and prettier in my opinion), but nevertheless this is definitely a hot color for a summer party!
4. Jesse’s Girl in ‘Jasmine’ – $3.99
First thing’s first, I had no idea that I shared a name with this shade until I just checked the name on the bottle! Anyway, I honestly have never heard of Jesse’s Girl brand cosmetics before (I found it at my local Rite Aid) and I was just so taken with this light, minty color that I had to buy it! This cool color will definitely keep you cool for the summer because it’s just so chill and casual and wearable at literally any event — party; barbeque, outing with friends.
5. Salon Perfect in ‘Gone Sailing’ – $3.99
‘Gone Sailing’ is seriously the perfect name for this shade because it truly makes me feel like I have the sea at my fingertips. Okay, maybe not the entire sea, maybe just my own underwater kingdom. The color is gorgeous and so mermaid-like (and why wouldn’t you want to channel your inner mermaid for the summer?). Unlike the other polishes on this list, this one actually has no type of shiny finish whatsoever; it’s completely matte!
So these are some great summer colors if you’re on a budget, and they’re definitely my favorites this season! If I had to pick just one to crown my absolute favorite of the summer, it would definitely be ‘Jasmine’ because the mint color is so refreshing!
If you want to see more of my favorites, check out this list of products I totally fell head over heels for in May!
What’s your favorite summer nail color?
