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, here's the quick and simple answer:

The best color nail polish is going to be one that compliments 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:

  1. What style is your dress?
  2. What's the occasion?
  3. What season is it?
  4. What's your skintone?
  5. 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 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, 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, which means 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 a 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 navy 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 an fun, but on a job interview you want to seem put together.

3.   What season is it?

Shades and tones of nail polish are often seasonal, so the best polish color for your favourite 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 your awesome nails that you spent ages doing!

Cherry reds, cobalt blues, bright corals, fuschias 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, bluey greens and burnt oranges will look amazing with a blue dress in fall.

You might also wanna try dark teal, olive, orangey reds, wine and 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 skintone?

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 an handbag for instance and create harmony.

You may want to match or harmonise 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 pear 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 a 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 while it will work for anyone, 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 colours 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 that you can wear 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.

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 analyse 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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