How to pick the best nude nail polish for yourself

We understand that nudes are having a moment for quite some time; nude lipsticks, nude makeup and even nude nails. The reason behind the popularity of neutral colours is the fact that these can be worn on all sorts of occasions and the plethora of hues they come in, there’s a nude for every skin tone. Neutral makeup has the ability of making a person look stylish and sexy without being in-your-face. Nude nails are similarly regarded in high esteem and are a classic. Pair neutral nails with any outfit, wear it to office, brunch or party…it works everywhere. You just cannot go wrong with nude nails unless you pick a shade of nude that doesn’t go with your skin tone.

Yes, just like foundation, finding the correct tone of nude nail polish for yourself is important. While a flattering shade can make your hands look extra gorgeous, the wrong shade of nude can make your hands looks ashy or muddy. Finding the right nude is not about matching the colour to your skin tone exactly but is about finding a shade that corresponds with your undertones: warm, cool or dark.

Here’s a guide to picking the best nude polish shade according to your skin tone.

Fair or light skin
Women with fair skin and cool undertones, tend to look good in nude polish shades with a hint of pink. The trick with light skin tones is finding a polish that complements your skin, rather than competes with it or washes it out. If you are very fair, steer clear of beige nudes, as they can look yellow in contrast with your soft, rosy complexion. As fair skin generally has pink undertones, it’s best to stick to sheer pinks and shades with a cool base. 

Medium skin
It has been observed that most nudes are flattering on medium skin tones. If your skin falls in the medium or wheatish skin category, you can pick from a plethora of different nude shades to suit your versatile complexion. Regardless of whether you have cool or warm tone, you can go for deeper colours to sheer nudes. If you have yellow undertones, try avoiding nude colours with yellow undertones as it will make your skin look sallow. Medium browns, deep beige, sand colour, nude pinks and caramels, all these will look good on you.

Dusky skin
Dark skin tones can carry off stronger and bolder nude polish colour. Look for polishes with yellow or brown-based undertones. Rich, warm hues like chocolate brown and cinnamon brown that complements your skin will make your skin look radiant. Hades with a hint of mauve also can work well.

Pro tips:

An easy trick is to look for any nude polish that matches your nail bed. It will most likely also match your skin tone.

If you want to now your undertone, look at the undersides of your wrists. If your veins are blue, you have a cool undertone, and if your veins are green, you are warm undertone.