What nail polish color will look best with your blue dress?
It’s a big question!
But for those of you with parties to get to, then here’s the quick and simple answer:
The best color nail polish is going to be one that complements the specific tone of blue that’s in your dress.
But if you want a quick, easy, foolproof nail polish idea that will work with any shade of blue dress then go for a neutral color like white/black/gray/nude or any other shade of blue.
There are a few key things to think about when you’re choosing the best nail polish color for your blue dress.
The shade and style of the dress, the occasion, the season, your skin tone, and your own personal style all factor in.
Ready to find your perfect match?
Let’s dive into blue!
Table of contents:
What shade of blue is your dress?
What color nail polish goes with a light blue dress?
What color nail polish goes with a dark blue dress?
What color nail polish goes with a navy blue dress?
What color nail polish goes with a royal blue dress?
What color nail polish goes with a cobalt blue dress?
5 things to consider when choosing a polish color:
- What style is your dress?
- What’s the occasion?
- What season is it?
- What’s your skintone?
- What’s your personal style?
What color nail polish goes with everything?
Should your nails match your dress?
Should you match your nail polish to your outfits?
Final thoughts and tips for choosing a nail polish color.
What shade of blue is your dress?
There are a ton of different blue shades ranging from light seafoamy and baby blues to dark indigos and deep sapphires.
So the first thing you need to do is to figure out what shade of blue your dress is.
Some people have a better knack for matching shades than others.
If you can identify the exact shade and undertones of your dress then that’s fabulous!
But if not, don’t sweat it, because we’re gonna keep this simple.
We’ll start with some foolproof nail color recommendations for light blue and dark blue dresses, and then we’ll look at some of the most popular shades of blue like navy, cobalt, and royal blue.
What color nail polish goes with a light blue dress?
The best polish colors to match a light blue dress are:
Pure whites
Examples:
OPI – Alpine Snow
Zoya – Purity
Essie – Blanc
Creams
Examples:
OPI – Tiramisu for two
Zoya – Jane
Essie – Urban jungle
Sandy beiges
Examples:
OPI – Samoan sand
Zoya – Avery
Essie – Mindful meditation
Tan / light browns
Examples:
OPI – It never ends
Zoya – Spencer
Essie – Low tide high slit
Darker shades of blue
Examples:
OPI -Correctamundo
Zoya – Neve
Essie – Midnight Cami
Peaches
Examples:
OPI – Machu peach-u
Zoya – Tessa
Essie – Peach side babe
Lavenders
Examples:
OPI – Lucky lucky lavender
Zoya – Abby
Essie – Nice is nice
Lilacs
Examples:
OPI – Do you lilac it?
Zoya – Vee
Essie – Lilacism
Dusty roses
Examples:
OPI – Rosy future
Zoya – Joss
Essie – Everything’s rosy
Corals
Examples:
OPI – Coral-ing your spirit animal
Zoya – Cassi
Essie – Coastal couture
Soft yellows
Examples:
OPI – Don’t tell a sol
Zoya – Bee
Essie – Atelier at the bay
Soft pinks
Examples:
OPI – Baby take a vow
Zoya – Joey
Essie – Matter of fiction
3 tips for choosing the right color nail polish for your light blue dress:
- Baby blues look great with grey, peach, white, pink, and darker blue shades.
- Sky blues look fantastic with jewel tones, creams, and white.
- If you are pairing blues, try to match the undertone of the color because that will look harmonious. – So, for example, if your dress is a light bluey-green or turquoise then you could choose a darker bluey-green polish (like teal) to compliment it.
What color nail polish goes with a dark blue dress?
The best polish colors to match a dark blue dress are:
Bright corals
Examples:
OPI – Live love carnival
Zoya – Virginia
Essie – Sunshine state of mind
Pale yellows
Examples:
OPI – Suzi’s slinging mezcal
Zoya – Bee
Essie – Sunny business
Bright yellows
Examples:
OPI – Don’t tell a sol
Zoya – Darcy
Essie – Avant-garment
Mustards
Examples:
OPI – Sun sea and sand in my pants
Zoya – Pippa
Essie – Fall for nyc
Mid to light grays
Examples:
OPI – Made your look
Zoya – Carey
Essie – Press pause
Lighter shades of blue
Examples:
OPI – To be continued
Zoya – Blu
Essie – Pret a surfer
Bright hot pinks
Examples:
OPI – La paz-itively hot
Zoya – Dacey
Essie – Secret story
Marigold or burnt oranges.
Examples:
OPI – My chihuahua doesn’t bite anymore
Zoya – Marigold
Essie – Yes I canyon
Olive Greens
Examples:
OPI – Olive for green
Zoya – Arbor
Essie – Precious cargo-gol
Emerald greens
Examples:
OPI – Suzi-san climbs fuji san
Zoya – Giovanna
Essie – Night owl
Rich purples
Examples:
OPI – Let’s take an elfie
Zoya – Liv
Essie – New year new hue
Cherry reds
Examples:
OPI – Big apple red
Zoya – Sooki
Essie – Cherry on top
Gold
Examples:
OPI – This gold sleighs me
Zoya – Kerry
Essie – Million mile hues
3 Tips for choosing the right polish color for your dark blue dress.
- Midnight blue looks great with baby blues, oranges, and gold.
- Royal blue looks amazing with coral, peach, blush pinks, pale yellows, and light grays.
- Navy blue really pops next to mustard, hot pink, cherry red, and mint green.
What color nail polish goes with a navy blue dress?
Navy is one of the most versatile shades of blue.
Technically navy is a neutral color, so you can pair it with any other neutral (like gray, white, black, brown or beige) as well as a whole load of fun colors like mustard, hot pink, cherry red and orange.
If you wanna see a full list of nail polish colors that go with everything, (because some of them might surprise you) check out our “14 nail polish colors that go with any outfit” post.
Here are some of the best nail polish colors to match your navy dress:
Neutrals:
Pure white
Examples:
OPI – Alpine Snow
Zoya – Purity
Essie – Blanc
Gray
Examples:
OPI – I can never hut up
Zoya – Tove
Essie – Cocktail bling
Nude
Examples:
OPI – Let’s be friends
Zoya – Presley
Essie – Go go geisha
Beige
Examples:
OPI – The beige of reason
Zoya – Chantal
Essie – Buns up
Ivory
Examples:
OPI – Shellabrate good times
Zoya – Jaqueline
Essie – Going steady
Non neutrals:
Mustard
Examples:
OPI – Sun sea and sand in my pants
Zoya – pippa
Essie – Fall for nyc
Cherry red
Examples:
OPI – Big apple red
Zoya – Sooki
Essie – Cherry on top
Hot pink
Examples:
OPI – La paz-itively hot
Zoya – Dacey
Essie – Secret story
Blush
Examples:
OPI – Stop it I’m blushing
Zoya – Agnes
Essie – Crush and blush
Silver or gold
Examples:
OPI – Silver on ice
Zoya – Seraphina
Essie – Good as gold
Red
Examples:
OPI – Relentless ruby
Zoya – Carmen
Essie – Rock the runway
Sage green
Examples:
OPI – S- ageless beauty
Zoya – Sage
Essie – Sage you love me
Mint green
Examples:
OPI – This cost me a mint
Zoya – Dillon
Essie – Mint candy apple
Burgundy
Examples:
OPI – Como se llama?
Zoya – Toni
Essie – Ace of shades
Coral
Examples:
OPI – Coral-ling your spirit animal
Zoya – Clementine
Essie – Tart deco
Turquoise
Examples:
OPI – Teal the cows come home
Zoya – Talia
Essie – Turquoise and caicos
What color nail polish goes with a royal blue dress?
Royal blue is lighter than navy and is a deep and vivid eye-catching shade of blue.
A royal blue dress will look great with coral, peach, hot pink, blush pink, emerald, lime green, off-white, gold, or yellow nail polish. You can also pair it with neutral colors like black, gray, and white or with any other blue shade.
Many red nail polish shades can look too intense with royal blue, so it’s better to opt for oranges and yellows instead.
Here are some of the best nail polish colors to match your dress:
Light gray
Examples:
OPI – I can never hut up
Zoya – August
Essie – Master plan
Coral
Examples:
OPI – Coral-ling your spirit animal
Zoya – Clementine
Essie – Tart deco
Peach
Examples:
OPI – Machu peach-u
Zoya – Tessa
Essie – Peach side babe
Hot pink
Examples:
OPI – La paz-itively hot
Zoya – Dacey
Essie – Secret story
Blush pink
Examples:
OPI – You’re blushing again
Zoya – AJ
Essie – In a blush
Emerald green
OPI – Stay off the lawn
Zoya – Honor matte velvet
Essie – Jade to measure
Lime green
Examples:
OPI – To the finish lime
Zoya – Tilda
Essie – Chillato
Off white
Examples:
OPI – Suzi chases portu-geese
Zoya – Adel
Essie – Urban jungle
Gold
Examples:
OPI – Suzi’s slinging mezcal
Zoya – Ziv
Essie – Million mile hues
Yellow
Examples:
OPI – Exotic birds do not tweet
Zoya – Daisy
Essie – Sweet supply
Orange
Examples:
OPI – Endurance race to the finish
Zoya – Kylie
Essie – Geranium
What color nail polish goes with a cobalt blue dress?
With a cobalt blue dress, you can wear a neutral nail polish color like navy, white, black charcoal gray, and camel because these colors go with anything. Or you can pair it with a wine, grape, pastel blue, blue-green, coral, bright yellow, or orange shade.
Here are the best nail polish colors to match your cobalt blue dress:
Navy
Examples:
OPI – Russian navy
Zoya – Ryan
Essie – Caviar bar
- White
Examples:
OPI – Pearl of wisdom
Zoya – Purity
Essie – Blanc
- Silver and gold
Examples:
OPI – Silver on ice
Zoya – Alicia
Essie – Caught on tape
- Camel
Examples:
OPI – Barefoot in Barcelona
Zoya – Spencer
Essie – Low tide high slit
- Pastel blues
Examples:
OPI – Gelato on my mind
Zoya – Lillian
Essie – Bikini so teeny
- Wine
Examples:
OPI – Malaga wine
Zoya – Veronica
Essie – Bordeaux
- Grape purples
Examples:
OPI – Grapely admired
Zoya – Lael
Essie – Sweet not sour
Charcoal grays
Examples:
OPI – Strong coal-ition
Zoya – Tieran
Essie – On mute
- Coral
Examples:
OPI – Coral-chroma
Zoya – Virginia
Essie – Feelin’ poppy
- True reds
Examples:
OPI – Coca-cola red
Zoya – Tanya
Essie – Really red
- Emerald, kelly, and mint greens
Examples:
OPI – Stay off the lawn
Zoya – Josie
Essie – Mint candy apple
- Bright bold yellows
Examples:
OPI – Exotic birds do not tweet
Zoya – Daisy
Essie – Sweet supply
- Vibrant oranges
Examples:
OPI – Suzi needs a loch-smith
Zoya – Thandie
Essie – Meet me at sunset
5 things to consider when choosing a polish color:
1. What style is your dress?
Ok, so you know the shade of your dress and you have your list of polish colors that match from the options above.
The next step is to think about the style of your dress and the look you are going for because that’s going to influence your choice of color.
Let’s say that you have 2 dresses in the exact same shade of navy blue.
One is a floaty strappy summer dress and the other is a formal wrap dress.
The polish colors on your shortlist will go with both dresses, but the nail polish color you choose might be different depending on the style of each dress and the general mood that you want to create.
For example, you might pair your blue floaty summer dress with a playful color like hot pink or bright yellow because those are bright cheery shades that work for summer.
But you might prefer to pair your navy wrap dress with a neutral like white or light gray because that’s going to create a more sophisticated and minimal look.
2. What’s the occasion?
The occasion is going to play a huge role in what color nail polish you choose because some colors are just wrong for certain occasions.
Think about it. You can wear a navy blue dress to either a wedding or a funeral.
A gold, silver, yellow, cherry red or hot pink polish might be perfect for a wedding, but most of those colors are totally inappropriate for a funeral!
The nail polish color you choose might also differ for a first date and a job interview for example.
Because on a date you want to appear flirty, romantic and fun, but on a job interview you want to seem well put together.
3. What season is it?
Shades and tones of nail polish are often seasonal, so the best polish color for your favorite blue dress might change depending on when you are wearing it.
With that in mind, here are some of the best polishes for your blue dress based on the seasons:
What’s the best nail polish color for a blue dress in spring?
Spring is a great time to bust out the baby blues, soft yellows, and ballerina pinks – so go crazy.
Think pastels and bright fresh colors like mint green and turquoise.
Whites, off whites, and nudes are also great for pairing with a blue dress in spring because they work with everything else in your wardrobe, too.
Spring nail polish colors that work with a blue dress:
OPI – It’s a boy
Zoya – Dot
Essie – Mint candy apple
What’s the best nail polish color for a blue dress in summer?
Summer is the perfect time for bold colors like hot pink, bright orange, and vivid yellow so don’t be afraid to go loud and proud!
You might want to choose strong, playful, bright or even neon colors that really make an impact so you can draw attention to the awesome nails that you spent ages doing!
Cherry reds, cobalt blues, bright corals, fuchsias, and grape purples are all perfect choices to match your blue dress in summer because they are strong and impactful.
Or you could go for soft peaches, muted corals, lilacs, and blush pinks for a softer summer look.
Summer nail polish colors that work with a blue dress:
OPI – Do you lilac it?
Zoya – Juvia
Essie – Sweet supply
What’s the best nail polish color for a blue dress in fall?
Mustards, blue-greens, and burnt oranges will look amazing with a blue dress in fall.
You might also wanna try dark teal, olive, orangey reds, wine, burgundy shades, and gold.
Camel is a great neutral shade for fall too because it works with so many of the colors we associate with autumn.
Fall nail polish colors that work with a blue dress:
OPI – Raisin’ the bar
Zoya – Danica
Essie – Star studded
What’s the best nail polish color for a blue dress in winter?
For winter, I’d recommend pairing your blue dress with darker, moodier, and edgier shades.
Think deep purples, metallics, dark vampy reds, and black.
In winter, I love to wear a blue dress with icy cool blue nails, hunter and emerald greens, and plenty of sparkle because you gotta have sparkle in winter!
Winter nail polish colors that work with a blue dress:
OPI – Bling it on
Zoya – Lidia
Essie – Wrapped in rubies
4. What’s your skin tone?
You probably already try to match your makeup and clothes to your skin tone, but do you ever think about your skin tone when you’re choosing a nail polish color?
You should, because the right nail polish color for your skin will help you achieve a harmonious overall look with no clashing tones – tres chic!
For a full explanation of how to choose the right nail polish for your skin tone, check out this post.
But on a basic level, you just need to know if you’re warm or cool-toned so you know which color group works for you.
The quickest way to check this is to look at the veins in your wrist in natural light.
- Blue means cool
- Green means warm
- If you can’t tell – maybe you’re a neutral
If you’re cool, you should go for cool-toned nail polishes like these because they will harmonize best with your coloring:
INSERT ZOYA PICS cool filters
If you’re warm or olive-skinned, then go for warmer tones like these as they will look best against your skin:
INSERT ZOYA PICS warm filters
Trouble spotting the difference between warm and cool tones?
Check out this handy visual guide.
INSERT WARM AND COOL SHADES OF COLORS HERE
5. What’s your personal style?
My final tip when choosing a nail polish color is to consider your personal style because everyone is unique!
Like things clean, crisp, and minimal? – go for a neutral.
Edgy, rock chick wannabe? Vamp it up with a deep purple or oxblood red.
Like a bold colorful look that will get you noticed? So bring on the brightness and bling!
Before you settle on a nail color, it’s also a good idea to think about the accessories you have because you can pick up on a color in a handbag for instance, and create harmony.
You may want to match or harmonize with a color in a handbag, scarf, or piece of jewelry you own as an accent color.
For example, I have a blue dress that I love to wear with a teal and pink bag (l adore teal and pink together!).
Can you guess what my go-to polish shades are?
Teal or pink of course!
In fact, I’d go with teal in fall and winter and pink in summer and spring.
When it comes to color and personal style, there are no rules, only guidelines.
So the most important question you should ask yourself is Do I like this color combo?
Work with your style, taste, and what accessories you have and you’ll rock it.
What color nail polish goes with everything?
Great news! There are some nail polish colors that will not only go with your blue dress, but with everything else in your closet too!
In my collection, the 14 nail polishes that go with any outfit are the ones I use the most because it just makes life easier.
So what polishes should you reach for when you want your nails to work with whatever you’re wearing for 2 to 3 weeks or more?
Well, first you have your neutrals.
Neutrals are technically “colors with little to no color” and they are extremely versatile.
No matter what you’re wearing, you can’t go wrong with neutral nail polish.
Here’s a list of neutral nail polish colors that will work with anything and everything in your closet:
Pure black
A pure black (like OPI’s black onyx) can really anchor any outfit. But it can be too stark if you’re pale.
Fair-skinned beauties – unless you want the goth look – go for navy instead.
Pure white
A pure white (like Zoya’s Purity) works for everyone and in every season, go crazy!
Gray
Some things will go slightly better than others depending on the shade because gray often has another color as an undertone.
So, if you’re cool skinned go for a blue-based gray like Zoya’s Tommy and if you are warm opt for a warm-based grey like Essie’s Binge worthy.
Navy
Navy polish is sophistication in a jar!
Nude
Pinky nudes work best for fair skin, beigy nudes are best for medium skin tones and creamy brown nudes work well for dark skin.
Beige
If beige seems a little boring you can totally jazz it up with a touch of gold or a few gems and it will still work with anything!
Cream
Another great choice for year-round manis that won’t cause any clashes.
Ivory
Ivory is white with a subtle yellow tone so it will work for anyone, but it’s particularly lovely on warmer skin tones.
You can wear a neutral polish with any color and you can mix and match neutral colors together too.
See, told you they were versatile! ;
Before you do your happy dance, hold on a sec, because there are a few more nail polish colors that go with everything!
Listed below are 5 more colors that are not technically neutrals but that work like neutrals.
You can wear these colors with any outfit, too!
- Sage green
- Olive Green
- Brown
- Classic red
- Blush pink
Red might seem like it doesn’t belong in this list as it’s a full-on color.
But thanks to the French red has become a classic color, so you can wear red polish with anything.
Fun fact – french women don’t like to change their polish color, they find a shade of red they like and stick to it! Same thing with lipstick – oh la la!
Should your nails match your dress?
Of course, you want your nails and your dress to get along, and you certainly don’t want them to clash!
But changing your nails so that they match every dress you wear perfectly just isn’t realistic.
That’s why neutral nail polishes are my go-to.
Choosing a color that goes with multiple dresses or outfits gives you the freedom to wear any dress you like to that special event, and it means that you can change your mind if you want, too!
Wearing neutral nail polish colors like those listed above saves you time and money and allows you to look pulled together in anything you choose to wear.
Should you match your nail polish to your outfit?
Rather than matching each outfit to a different nail polish, why not try coordinating your wardrobe and your polishes?
Here’s how:
Go through your wardrobe and note down the colors you like to wear most.
Then find a color that works for most of your clothes.
Do you have a closet full of neutrals? If so, you might want to wear nail polishes that add a pop of color because it will add interest.
A closet full of bold prints and strong colors? Then neutral polishes will work with most of your clothes.
Final thoughts and tips for choosing a nail polish color.
Choosing the right shade of polish for your blue dress can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.
If you want to keep it chic and simple you can play it safe by going for any other shade of blue or by choosing a neutral nail polish color that goes with everything, blue dress included!
And if you want to go deep into it, then analyze your skin tone and look for a polish that matches the undertones in both your skin and your dress.
You can also look at your accessories to find an accent color that you can duplicate on your nails and you can even get inspiration from your favorite lipstick or eyeshadow shades too (matching nails and bold lip anyone?)
I hope this post has given you some inspiration and that you feel super confident that you can choose the perfect shade of polish to go with your blue dress!
Happy painting 🙂
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Other great posts:
Picking the perfect polish to match your Champagne dress: A guide
Coral dress? Nailed it! A guide to pairing your dress with the perfect polish
Fuschia dress, fabulous nails: The ultimate guide to matching your polish
Matching your green dress with the perfect nail polish: A guide
