If you’re looking for a polished, effortless nail look, nude nails are going to be your new best friend. While colours and fun designs are always nice, sometimes a naked nail is as chic as it gets. Neutral nails will never go out of style- they’re timeless, classy, and will never clash with your outfit whether you dress them up or down. If you love the look of this nail trend, check out 8 nude nail designs you’re sure to love.
What Are “Nude Nails”?
Nude nails use neutral nail polish colours to create a clean and effortless nail look. They flatter hands by giving the appearance of longer fingers and are the perfect base for delicate nail art. While some might find it boring, a nude nail is anything but. It can be incredibly chic, plus you never have to worry about it clashing with your outfits.
Of course what’s “nude” to you, isn’t necessarily nude for someone else. Shades like beige, light pink, tan, and dark brown are neutrals, and are often used for a nude nail. Keep in mind that the shade doesn’t have to match your skin perfectly to create the nude effect. You can think of nude nails almost like a tinted moisturizer- they’re your nails but better. You want a shade that compliments your natural skin tone, while giving you a slight hint of colour.
How to Get Nude Nails at Home
1. Choose Your Shade
Choosing the right shade is the most important part of a nude manicure. A nude shade that’s too cool or warm for your undertones can give you a washed out look. You can match a nude to your nail bed or skin tone for a chic and elegant look, or you can opt to go a little bit lighter or darker than your natural skin tone. A bit of a contrast can often be more flattering on the skin.
2. Regular or Gel Polish
You also need to decide whether you want regular polish or gel polish for you at home manicure. If you’re sticking with regular polish, the process is pretty simple- add a base coat, place your nude polish colour on top, add a top coat and you’re good to go. Gel nails will take a little longer, but it’s worth it for the longevity. Not only will you need a gel nail polish and top coat, you’ll also need a UV lamp to cure the polish.
3. Pick Your Finish
Do you want your nude nails to be matte or glossy? A top coat is another component you need to think about and can create a totally different effect for your nails. You’ll also want to decide whether you want any extras. For example, do you want to add subtle nail decals over your nude base or perhaps you want negative space nude nails or a micro French mani, which you can create with a nail art brush set.
8 Chic and Classy Nude Nail Designs
1. Chocolate Glazed Donut Nails
Made popular by Hailey Bieber, chocolate glazed donut nails are as chic as it gets. They’re the perfect nude nail look for anyone who wants to be on trend, and they look great on all skin tones. Choose your favourite brown polish shade and ask for white chrome on top.
2. Natural Nails
We absolutely adore this milky shade. It’s a bit lighter than her skin tone, but we love that it doesn’t match exactly. The neutral colour is incredibly chic and looks amazing with gold jewelry.
3. Sparkling Nude Nails
Just because they’re nude nails doesn’t mean they can’t have a design. These sparkling nude nails are so pretty, featuring a neutral base and gold stars and dots. The clear rhinestones in the middle of the stars make the nails sparkle even brighter.
4. Nudey Rose
If you want an almost-pink shade, this nudey rose colour is for you. This rosey colour is warm and romantic, and offers just a hint of the pink shade, making it incredibly chic.
5. Ombré Nude Nails
These elegant ombré nails transition from nude to brown for a super elegant look. All of the shades included in the ombré go well with her skin tone, creating a subtle yet sophisticated look. If you want something a little more than a classic nude, this is a gorgeous option.
6. Milky Pink
This warm toned pale pink polish looks absolutely gorgeous on the wearer’s skin. The contrast is stunning, yet still quite subtle and could probably pass at her nails. You could wear this shade no matter your skin tone and it would provide a pretty, nude look.
7. Subtle French Mani
The base of a French mani essentially matches your natural nail colour and the addition of the white tips adds a touch of visual interest. This micro French mani is super classy and can be both dressed up and down.
8. Pearlescent Pink
We love the look of pearlescent pink for pretty much every skin tone, but we especially love the contrast here. Choose your favourite soft pink shade and your nail stylist will add chrome on top to achieve the pearly finish.
Nude nails are one of the chicest nail trends right now. Bring these inspo photos to your next salon visit to get the look!
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