Whoever Said Orange Was the New Pink Was Seriously Right—These Polishes Prove It

"Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed." Has anyone else had that quote burned into their mind ever since 2001? As much as I love Elle Woods' iconic character in Legally Blonde, I do have a little bit of bone to pick with her (or rather, I have a little bit of a bone to pick with that particular line). Of course, bright pink was Woods' signature, so it makes total and complete sense that she may have been more sensitive to the topic of orange, but I seriously beg to differ. At least where nail color is concerned, I happen to think orange is equal, or superior to, pink when it comes to an ultra-flattering nail moment. Plus, it's a tad less expected, which makes it all the more alluring in my eyes. But, hey, it's not just me! 

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(Image credit: @themaniclub)

Over the years, all of our favorite nail polish brands have launched countless super-chic orange nail colors with just as much voracity as they have other peppy and popular hues like pink and red. Orange is the perfect compromise if you're mentally over the former or the latter, and there are so many iterations and finishes to drool over—from shimmering apricots to juicy corals to the purest forms of neon. So, to celebrate the fact that orange is, indeed, kinda-sorta the new pink (sorry, Elle!), we rounded up ten of our all-time favorite orange nail colors sure to suit all skin tones and taste palettes. Keep scrolling!

Our 10 Favorite Orange Nail Colors of All Time

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(Image credit: @themaniclub)

Static Nails Liquid Glass Nail Lacquer in Peachy Keen

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LaPierre Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Euphoric

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J. Hannah Nail Polish in Saltillo

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Revlon Ultra HD Snap Nail Color in Hot Stuff

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Essie Glaze Effect Nail Lacquer in Confection Affection

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Jinsoon Nail Polish in Pastiche

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Olive and June Nail Polish in Sweet & Gracious

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Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Tang Bang

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OPI Nail Lacquer in PCH Love Song

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Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Cruise

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Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.