The Summer Nail Shades You Weren't Expecting

This summer brings a heatwave of new nail shades and they're far from conventional corals. SS14 nails are putting a spanner in the works. With just three colours worth wearing, all you have to decide is how.

Blue

The Shade: Hitting the beach? Don’t even think about it until you’ve coated your nails in a high-octane aquamarine. Add a metallic coat to amp up the glam or alternatively an electric blue will look great for both daytime and night.

The Shape: Team dark blue hues with medium to long, square nails to elongate fingers.

The Super Tip: Attention nail art addicts: use bold blues to decorate white coated nails in sharp shapes for a futuristic finish.

The Edit: L’Oreal Paris Nail Colour in Azur Salopette £4.99, Butter London Nail Lacquer in Airy Fairy, £12, Sally Hansen Nail Colour in Batbano Blue, £6.99, CK One Nail Polish in Sea Glass, £9, Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer in 706, £20, Rimmel Nail Colour in Nymph, £4.49 Purple

The Shade: Usually reserved for winter months, purple is a summer newcomer. Violets will turn any style to statement or you can take it from office to park with a universal lilac shade.

The Shape: Give super-long nails a miss to avoid a vampy look (unless that’s what you’re into, of course). Mid-length oval nails make for a girly feel with lilac shades.

The Super Tip: Play with your purples and add a dark purple tip to a lighter base for an updated twist on the French manicure.

The Edit: Revlon Nail Enamel in Lavender Soap, £6.49, Laura Mercier Nail Lacquer in Reckless, £12.50, Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Flash Dance, £18, Kiko Nail Lacquer in Precious Amethyst, £5.90, O.P.I Nail Polish in Push & Pur-Pull, £11.95, ORLY Nail Lacquer in Saturated, £10.50 Orange

The Shade: Think you can’t get away with orange? Think again. There’s a shade for everyone. If you’re fair, go for an apricot shade to complement your skin tone, while bright oranges jump out against darker skin tones. Choose a glitter-laced polish for summer nights and if you’re usually loyal to red, try a blood orange shade, as it won’t seem too far-fetched.

The Shape: Orange is a versatile colour so you can get away with wearing it on long and short nails alike.

The Super Tip: For something a touch more creative, mix oranges together to create an ombre effect.

The Edit: YSL Nail Lacquer in Ambre Gingembre, £18.50, Nails Inc Preen Collection Nail Polish in Florida Coral, £12, Dior Nail Polish in Riviera, £18.50, Kiko Nail Lacquer in Delicious Mango, £5.90, Essie Nail Polish in Fling, £10.95, Topshop Nail Varnish in Bounce, £5 Pick up the July issue of Marie Claire and get a free Ciaté mini caviar manicure kit worth £10.