Of the many things filling up your pre-vacation to-do list—buy a bikini, stock up on sunscreen, check your passport expiration date—arguably the most fun is booking in for that all-important pre-travel manicure. It’s usually one of the last things I do the day before I fly in order to get optimal wear out of my new nails, so for me, that routine manicure is the moment I finally relax and switch my brain into vacation mode.

When it comes to choosing my vacation nail colors, I like to wear something that suits the occasion, that will last for the duration of my trip, and that will give me a mini serotonin boost every time I glance down at my nails. Sometimes, that means bright tropical colors like lime green and fiery coral, but often, my go-to is a fresh white, which looks oh so good with a tan, or a suitably beachy beige.