Tracee Ellis Ross' Yellow Nails Are A Different Take On The Classic Summer Shade

When it comes to classic warm-weather nail polish colors, it doesn't get more unconditionally cool than a faithful yellow. The shade that evokes all things summerly: lemons, polka-dotted bikinis, gold-sand beaches, the very sun itself. All variations of the high-spirited hue are welcome, but Tracee Ellis Ross' butterscotch yellow nail polish is especially covetable.

Bright neons, metallics, and mellow Easter egg shades constitute the core summer palette, but this season has introduced a new, unexpected category to the standard range. Murky iterations of the bright summer colors you know and love have made an entrance by way of mossy greens, deep-sea teals, and now Ellis Ross' unusual mustard nails.

The actor granted her loyal Instagram following (9 million strong) a selfie showcasing her expertly self-braided bun, her fresh, makeup-free-save-a-candy-apple-lip face, and a severely understated nail shade. Her dim, honey-inspired manicure is a fresh take on the status quo yellow, and so characteristic of 2020's anti-bright nail trend.

It's also quite different from her signature color range. Although the Blackish actor is not one to turn down an unorthodox hue, she tends to limit statements of boldness to her lips (a hot-pink pout is common) and her eyes (lime-green eyeshadow? Sure.) but rarely her nails.

In a 2018 interview with Martha Stewart Living, Ellis Ross named her go-to nail polish as YSL's La Laque in its since-discontinued Beige Leger. "It's a clean, fresh, modern nude that complements, instead of competes with, my clothing," she said. You may have noticed that she keeps her nails as natural as her face on most days, but the mid-August heat must have called for a left-field manicure moment in this scenario. (It's also worth noting that she paired her yellow nails with what looked to be a neutral, non-competitive black top.)

While it isn't clear which shade, exactly, she used, there are plenty that offer a similar aesthetic. A few worthy options, ahead.

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