Like many, we've been painting our nails since the good old days. How many of you remember searching through your mom's collection of polishes without her permission? What about shaking up your favorite shade when it's probably past the expiration date? You're not alone! We're brought back to our former selves with all the trending nostalgic beauty callbacks. These beauty editors were high schoolers once, too. Among the sadly discontinued shades of our youths (petition for Elizabeth Arden to bring back lacquers), there are some iconic survivors. These are the vintage nail polish shades we haven't stopped wearing since high school!
The Vintage Nail Polish Shades We Love
Okay, you caught us. We're being a little loose with the word 'vintage.' Many people consider something vintage if it's between 40- to 100-years-old, which would put us in the mid-'80s. But it's our humble belief that anything worn in high school or (god forbid) middle school is far enough back in history to be termed vintage. It's aspirational, okay?
One thing is for sure, though. There's an online community surrounding vintage nail polish shades. If you're committed, you can even try to snag a bottle of defunct brands like Enchanted Polish or a discontinued color like Essie's Demure Vix on eBay. Thankfully, some brands and colors from the '80s and '90s are still around. Even the shades themselves have survived!
“Chanel Vamp was a little luxury I could afford in my late teens and early 20s, right when it hit cult status," says Tatiana Bido, class of '95. "It was grunge yet sophisticated, the perfect moody statement color that captured a rebellious spirit in the air during the birth of grunge and the Riot Grrrl era. I loved the contrast of it being a luxe Chanel product. Everyone from Kate Moss to Courtney Love and Madonna were wearing it, so I had to wear it too. Uma made it skyrocket when she wore it in Pulp Fiction. Like Clinique’s Black Honey, my Anna Sui lip gloss rings and Kevyn Aucoin books, it holds a special place in my '90s heart.”
Nostalgia Is on Trend
You may have noticed that nostalgia is everywhere right now. From Y2K's latest rebrand, Y3K, to the iconic return of the Urban Decay palette earlier this year, we can't get enough of a good thing. Every part of beauty is experiencing this nostalgic revival.
In hair, we've seen everything from the return of the barrette to the uptick in Gilmore Girls-inspired accessories. Our high school favorite tortoiseshell claw clips and headbands are back in our trending book. And thanks to icons like Sabrina Carpenter, even curtain bangs are having a moment in the sun again. In makeup, red blush is absolutely everywhere. And of course, we've seen every nail trend from old money nails to a twist on French tips.
Our Favorite Vintage Nail Polish Shades
