Rihanna’s Purple Plum Manicure Confirms a Very Anti-Summer Nail Trend

Summer 2024's staple nail shades have mostly resembled Hailey Bieber's butter yellow manicure or Meghan Markle's bubble bath polish. They’re soft, sweet, and elegant while simultaneously hewing toward typical summer nail colors. But as the season winds down, a handful of celebrities are flipping the summer manicure trend script.

In the last month, Zendaya and Selena Gomez have co-signed the moody red nail trend, effectively bringing a traditional winter hue into the warm weather. Now, it appears the one and only Rihanna is following suit, painting her nails a plum-like purple and ushering in what can only be described as an anti-summer nail trend.

Rihanna debuted the gemstone shade via Instagram on Sunday, August 11—alongside a sports jersey and another very exciting piece of beauty news. Fenty is dropping new “Fenty Snackz,” aka cutie mini-sized Fenty Products, at all Ulta doors in Target. The singer shared the announcement by posing with a miniature Target cart in her bed, with her plum manicure playfully resting on the handlebars.

A deep, royal violet such as Rihanna's has a richer base and warmer energy—it’s far unlike the neons and pretty pinks common during July and August. At face value, it’s a fall-winter tone, but bringing the darker shade into the warmer weather is doable.

The key to making an off-season hue summer-appropriate is all in the undertone. “You want a polish that has a deep color but still the ability to see the shade, as opposed to just seeing darkness,” celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik previously told Marie Claire.

Anti-trend polishes like Rihanna's are currently stocked just down the beauty aisle from her Target minis. According to her announcement, you can shop mini Fenty concealer in 50 shades, an itty-bitty Gloss Bomb Heat in Cherry or Fu$$y, or a Killawatt Highlighter that’s tiny enough to fit into your micro bag. These pint-sized products are great for summer travel and on-the-go applications—just like the best purple plum polish. Shop them all below.