When we do our nails, we want to ensure the colours match. Not just with our dresses but also with our skin tone. The last thing we want is our nails to leave our fingers looking unflattering and not achieving the desired beauty they deserve!
But how do you match the best nail colour to your skin tone?
Determine Your Skin Tone
This one can be tricky. An old trick to determine the best nail colour for your skin tone is to apply your desired shade as lipstick and see how it matches the rest of your skin. This can be tricky, however. Sometimes, the perfect shade of red lipstick doesn't match your fingers and nails.
The most effective way to gauge the best nail colour for your skin tone is to stand in a natural light and look at your arm. You can consider skin with pink, blue or red undertones as cool, while golden, olive, or beige is considered warmer. It is also possible to be neutral, which allows you to look great in most colours.
Warm colours are typically reds, oranges, and yellows. Cool colours are generally blue, purple, and green.
Practical Areas to Physically Test
Nothing stops you from painting your nails and seeing how good the colour looks. Mix and match colours with a good colour set to find the right vibrancy for your skin tone. Nail colours for light skin will not be the same as nail colours for dark skin, so it helps to play around with your gel polish.
We recommend painting your toes to avoid the time-consuming process of removing your nail polish each test. Toes have the benefit of being hidden in shoes and socks, so there is no need to feel out of place with rainbow toes as you try to decide which colour looks best for your skin tone.
Our Recommendations
We will not tout that we know what looks best on every skin complexion. We encourage you to experiment with different colours and shades to find the perfect style. Sometimes unique styles and dazzling colours can work with a new dress, a pair of shoes, or just the mood of the day.
That said, if you want to experiment and find the best nail colour for your skin tone, here are our recommendations. This is a broad list, so do not take it as nail colour gospel.
Nail Colours For Pale to Light Complexion
Nail colours for light skin usually entail pastels for paler skin and light or medium-toned purples, berry reds, and dark pinks.
You should avoid dark blue and yellow if your complexion lies somewhere on the pale side. However, a style you can access is the goth style, so use midnight black for that!
Nail Colours For Tan to Dark Complexion
Nail colours that flatter darker skin are bright, such as blue, chocolate, copper, and pink. Colours that do not compliment tan or dark skin tone include gold and brass, though be mindful of yellow-based reds.
Avoid pastels and whites, though some pastels can pop with the right complexion. Don't be afraid to experiment!
