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8 of the best nude nail polishes for your next at-home manicure
Because everyone’s “nude” is completely different
Reasons why nude nail polishes are actually the unsung heroes of your shade collection: (1) Nude shades will never clash with what you’re wearing (unlike those fun festive hues you’re playing with now), (2) they’ll never scream, “Hey! I’m chipping!” if they peel after a few days, and (3) they’ll never leave behind a stain on your nails that takes three weeks to fade away. That being said, it’s obvi why everyone wants to find their perfect shade, and that’s why I’ve rounded up the 12 best nude nail polishes for every skin tone.
But first, I’m not gonna lie to you: It’s a heck of a job trying to find the best nude nail polish for your skin tone. Take it from someone who spends half their appointment at the nail salon picking out any ol’ regular colour—now imagine trying to find one that works with your skin and its undertones. Pretty damn near impossible, huh?! But because everyone wants a nude nail polish uniquely suited for them, I found 12 of the best with alllllll skin tones in mind. But first, a sneak peek and your comprehensive guide to choosing the best nude nail polish for your skin tone and undertone straight from a pro below.
Our top picks for the best nude nail polishes for your skin tone of 2025:
- Best-selling: Essie Original Nail Polish in topless & barefoot
- Best for fair skin: OPI Put it in Neutral Nail Polish
- Best for medium skin: essie Gel Couture in Of Corset 13.5ml
- Best for cool olive skin: Manucurist Green Flash™ LED Gel Polish - 15 mL
- Best for dark skin: nails inc Caught in The Nude Nail Polish 15ml
- Best for deep skin: Télle Moi LuxeGEL Melarich
Meet the expert:
- Jin Soon Choi, aka the “Nail Guru,” according to the New York Times. Choi is an iconic celebrity nail artist, the founder of the JINsoon nail lacquer line, and the expert we consulted to give us the ~inside scoop~ on how to find the best nude nail polish for your skin tone.
How do I choose the best nude nail polish?
First things first, the cardinal rule of choosing a nude polish is to never — and I repeat, never — match the polish to the exact shade of your skin colour. (Otherwise, you’ll end up with those dreaded “mannequin hands.”) Instead, go two shades darker or lighter than your skin colour, and then find a shade with the same undertones as your skin.
If you’re out here like, huh?!! Don’t worry, we’ve got a full how to find your undertone guide, but here’s a quick TL;DR: Cool undertones have a pink or blue base, warm undertones have a yellow base, neutral undertones have a mix of both cool and warm bases, and olive undertones have a green base. Once you’ve got that figured out, then it’s time to keep your skin tone in mind:
Light skin:
“People with fair skin have blue and pink undertones,” says Choi. Look for neutral shades with pink hues to enhance your rosy undertones, or if you’re trying to neutralise redness around your fingers, look for milky, slightly peach shades.
Medium skin:
“Peach shades skew warm because they’re a combination of pink and white tones,” Choi says. “Warm polish undertones and medium skin tones complement each other.” If you’re cool-toned, choose a soft grey or a nude polish with mauve undertones.
Olive skin:
Go for warm beige shades, but avoid anything too pale as these shades can often clash with the yellow and green undertones in the skin. If you have cool or darker olive skin, go for a muted and dusty pink hue.
Dark skin:
If you have warm undertones, play around with creamy almond nudes that'll enhance the warmth in your hands. And if you’re working with cooler undertones, try rosy nudes to play off the blue tones in your skin. Neutral undertones or just not sure where to start? Try a medium-toned milky brown.
Deep skin:
Avoid greyish beiges since they have a tendency to wash out deeper skin, Choi says. Deep, rich browns and colours with a hint of red or orange hues should be your go-tos because they will complement your undertone due to the warmth in both the polish and skin.
The bottom line:
Now, remember, just because the shades that we’ve chosen are targeted for specific skin tones and undertones, there is a possibility that a polish can read completely different when you try it on because, well, we’re human and things work v differently on different people. In this situation, it’s all about trial and error.
So keep these tips in mind, and test out a few of our choices for the 12 best nude nail polish shades of 2022, but ultimately, remember: It’s going to come down to how it wears on your nails IRL and your personal preference, of course.
There’s a reason Essie’s Topless and Barefoot is one of the best-selling nude nail polishes around. I’m not kidding—the soft beige, slightly pink shade works for many different people—and it makes a great starter nude polish to play around with, which explains why it’s a cult favourite.
Although it won’t work for everyone, light skin tones won’t look washed out due to the subtle pink hues, and because it’s also warm and beige-y, it will complement medium skin beautifully. Those with deep skin tones will love it if they’re looking for a lighter nude shade that contrasts against the skin without looking too pale (s/o to its warm undertones!).
All my fair peeps out there, you need a colour that’ll warm you up. According to Choi, this means that “you’ll want to choose a hue that enhances that coolness and looks fresh and bright against your coloruing.” This nude-pink polish has just enough colour to give your nail beds a soft flush, essentially acting as a blush for your nails.
This sheer beige nude polish complements medium to dark skin ahhhmazingly thanks to its subtle warm chestnut tones that work particularly well with deeper skin. If you’ve been searchin’ for an everyday shade that keeps your nails lookin’ clean and freshly manicured, this is your bb.
OPI Nail Lacquer Nude Nail Polish - Samoan Sand 15ml
If you’ve got warm undertones, say hello to this beautiful shade of beige. The golden and yellow undertones in this polish work well for olive skin tones, as well as light to medium skin tones that read warm. Not only that, the polish will look like a million bucks thanks to its gel-like wear and shine.
Manucurist Green Flash™ LED Gel Polish - 15 mL
This opaque taupe brown is STUNNING on those with darker olive-toned skin. Typically, dark skin tones want to avoid most grayish shades, however, if you have an olive base, you’ll find that taupe actually complements it extremely well.
nails inc Caught in The Nude Nail Polish 15ml
If you have a deep skin tones that read warm will find that warm or neutral undertones work best on our nails. This gorge milky brown nude has the slightest warm undertone that’ll really complement deep skin. Plus, it somehow has the lasting power of gel.
For very melanin rich skin you don't need to look further than Black-owned brand, Télle Moi. Melarich is a rich, dark chocolatey shade with a warm-neutral undertone. It's a gel formula without HEMA but you can also get the same shade in the brand's classic varnish too.
Raise your hand if you chip your nails the day you get ’em done... Enter: BIAB and this hue, Teddy is chip-resistant and great for a ton of different skin tones, including light, medium, and dark.
I swear by BIAB and get this colour, Teddy on a monthly basis. It doesn't chip, crack or lift and is the perfect milky pink. It does need to be applied professionally though! Don't try it at home.
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
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