12 Nude Nails for Every Skin Tone
Nude nail ideas for every skin tone, from fair to deep, plus how to find your perfect nude by undertone and what to ask your nail tech for.
The palette
"Nude" should mean your nude. The right one makes your hands look polished and your fingers look longer. The wrong one can make hands look washed out or grey.
The rule: match the undertone, then go one shade lighter or darker than your skin. Here are twelve nudes across fair, medium and deep skin, and our shade finder will narrow it down further.
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1. Sheer Pink for Fair Cool
A sheer, slightly pink nude flatters fair, cool skin without washing it out.
- Shape
- Oval
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Sheer gloss
- Shade
- Sheer pink
- Salon level
- Easy
Would you wear this?
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2. Peach Nude for Fair Warm
A peachy nude brings warmth to fair skin with golden undertones.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Peach nude
- Salon level
- Easy
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3. Beige for Fair Neutral
A soft beige with no strong pink or yellow.
- Shape
- Oval
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Soft beige
- Salon level
- Easy
-
Read next10 Plum Nail Ideas for Autumn and Winter
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4. Rose Nude for Medium Cool
A rosy nude with a hint of mauve.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Medium
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Rose nude
- Salon level
- Easy
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5. Caramel for Medium Warm
A warm caramel looks rich and natural on olive and golden skin.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Medium
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Caramel
- Salon level
- Easy
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6. Taupe for Medium Neutral
A grey-brown taupe is modern and goes with everything.
- Shape
- Squoval
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Taupe
- Salon level
- Easy
-
7. Mocha for Deep Warm
A warm mocha flatters deep skin with golden undertones.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Medium
- Finish
- High gloss
- Shade
- Mocha
- Salon level
- Easy
-
8. Cocoa for Deep Neutral
A rich cocoa is the perfect deep-skin nude.
- Shape
- Oval
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- High gloss
- Shade
- Cocoa
- Salon level
- Easy
-
9. Mauve for Deep Cool
A plummy mauve works beautifully on deep, cool skin.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Medium
- Finish
- Cream
- Shade
- Deep mauve
- Salon level
- Easy
-
10. Milky Nude
Milky nude works on almost every skin tone because it is sheer.
- Shape
- Oval
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Sheer gloss
- Shade
- Milky nude
- Salon level
- Easy
-
11. Nude French
A nude base with a white micro tip, on any skin.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Medium
- Finish
- Gloss
- Shade
- Nude with white tip
- Salon level
- Moderate
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12. Glazed Nude
A pearl chrome over your nude for a soft glow.
- Shape
- Almond
- Length
- Short
- Finish
- Pearl chrome
- Shade
- Glazed nude
- Salon level
- Easy
Test a nude by painting one nail and looking at it in daylight, not under shop lights. Daylight is honest.
Try our shade finder for more colours matched to your undertone.
Your questions, answered
How do I find my perfect nude nail polish?
Match your undertone first: pink nudes for cool, peach or caramel for warm, beige or taupe for neutral. Then go one shade lighter or darker than your skin.
Why does nude polish make my hands look grey?
It is probably too light or the wrong undertone for your skin. Try a shade closer to your skin depth with a warmer or cooler base.
What nude nail polish suits dark skin?
Caramel, mocha, cocoa and deep mauve nudes look the most natural and flattering on deep skin tones.
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