A great nail polish color can be the ultimate accessory. Whether you are dressed down in jeans or dressed up in evening wear, the perfect nail polish color can be the finishing touch to your look. If you follow these tips, you will be able to select the perfect nail polish color for every season.

Think about the spirit of the season: When choosing a seasonal nail polish color, think about the spirit and themes of the season. The following are a few points to consider:

• Spring: This is the season of love and renewal. The flowers begin to bloom and the temperature begins to warm, so celebrate with floral inspired colors. Choose from pinks, berries, reds and purples, as well as nude and peach tones.
• Summer: Summer is all about fun in the sun. It is also the time to express your funky side. In addition to selecting polish colors that are more vibrant variations of spring colors, branch out and try a yellow, blue, or green polish. Summer is the perfect season to experiment with nail polish colors.
• Fall: You can find fall color inspirations all around you. The changing colors of fall foliage is a great place to start. Select polish colors in shades of red, red-orange, gold, and brown.
• Winter: It is the season of holiday celebrations. Express your festive side by wearing metallic polishes in silver, gold, and bronze. You can also warm up from the cold with rich, dark colors like chocolates and dark burgundies.

Check Pantone’s color reports: Pantone, a company that sets many color standards for the fashion industry, releases color reports that preview that hottest upcoming seasonal fashion colors. For example, Pantone releases its fall preview of the top 10 fashion colors to coincide with New York Fashion Week.

The top colors for fall 2009 include honey yellow, burnt sienna, and warm olive. This is not to say that you should paint your nails olive green, but you can take inspirations from some of these trends. For example, use the honey yellow color trend as inspiration for a gold tone nail polish.

Work with your skin tone: Whenever you have doubts about what nail polish color is right for each season, you can always look to your own skin tone for inspiration. For example, individuals with lighter complexions can always wear shades of red, pink, berry, and even burgundy. Those with medium skin can wear even darker shades of reds and burgundy. Individuals with olive or caramel toned skin should wear nail polish with gold tones, and reds and browns with orange or bronze undertones. Dark skin tones look best with rich, vibrant colors, and darker browns and reds.

While color selection is an important part of picking a seasonal nail color, it is also important to invest in quality polishes. Long-wearing polishes will last longer and hold up to daily wear and tear. Quick-drying nail polishes are also great options when you need a quick nail touch up or color change.

Choosing a nail polish for every season is easy if you think about the spirit of the season, check Pantone’s color reports, and work with your skin tone. If you follow these steps, you can pick the perfect polish for spring, summer, fall, and winter.