Our favourite beauty trick for instant polish (excuse the pun)? Red nails. Timeless, chic and bold, the enduring appeal of a scarlet mani will never fade. Sure, we love a fun trend, (see: milky pink, glazed donut chromes and even surprise smash-hits like baby blue and espresso) but, throughout 2025, and continuing confidently into 2026, red has never lost ground.
“I feel like red nails have come into a chic era at the moment,” confirmed celebrity manicurist, Michelle Humphrey, who counts Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter as clients. “Less is more and what better way to sex up a look than a statement red nail,” she insists. “Think expensive and luxury vibes here,” she adds.
How to wear red nail polish
The good news is, there’s room to play within the one trend – after all there’s a big difference between shouty orange-red and sophisticated bordeaux. “It works perfectly for all seasons, as it’s so timeless,” A-list manicurist, and senior Mylee ambassador, Tinu Bello, told us. “Deep cherry and merlot reds will be hot [at the beginning of the year], with tomato and post box reds dominating the summer months,” she added.
The fact is, red is a classic, especially on your nails. It’s stood the test of time, from ‘20s flappers, to ’40s Jenny Wrens, to ’50s Marilyn Monroe, to today where bright fire-engine and sultry merlot are as covetable and versatile as ever.
And, it offers a whole spectrum of opportunities. Sunny days, when you’re dining al fresco, calls for a cheery orange-spiked sunrise red (cracking with a tan). For chilly spells when you’re back in your favourite cosy knit, you might fancy a sultry deep cherry. For off-duty days a brick red is a cool switch from ruby. And for a shade you can’t go wrong with, pillar box red works well on everyone.
Best DIY red nail polishes
Here are some of our favourite ways to wear red nail polish…
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