Whether you want a clean base for nail art or an overall minimal look, nude nail colors are your best friend. These hues are neutral, flesh-toned shades that provide a seamless transition from nail to skin explains celebrity manicurist Gina Edwards.
“When choosing a nude shade, there are tons of options. “A nude nail color is a neutral tone that has a brown, tan, pink, or white undertone,” says nail artist Tara Hayes. “There are many tones and opacities of nudes, both in the cool family and warm family. Usually, they can be anywhere from full coverage to a thin veil of color or a multitude of opacities.”
meet the expert
- Gina Edwards is a celebrity nail artist in New York City who has worked with stars like Vanessa Kirby and Vera Wang.
- Tara Hayes is a nail artist in New York City who studied under celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec.
A good rule of thumb? Choose a color that’s close to your nail bed, skin tone, or any shade in between. Think of them like a foundation for your nails — they provide a hint of color for a your-nails-but-better finish. Browse 30 of our favorite nude nail colors and find your perfect fit below.
Hermés Rose Baltique
Hermès
“Rose Baltique is a light pink, mauve-y color that’s a great base,” says Edwards. The polish has a fluid texture with intense pigment, allowing you to easily get a smooth finish on top of a long-lasting lacquered shine.
OPI Baby, Take a Vow
OPI
“OPI’s Baby, Take a Vow is a soft, delicate, and timeless nude perfect for anyone with a preference for sheer elegance,” says Hayes. “Its light-beige undertone create a natural and sophisticated appearance that complements a wide range of skin tones. It is a very sheer color where your natural nail bed is almost visible.”
Gelish Tweed Me!
Gelish
“For full coverage, Gelish Tweed Me! enhances manicures for darker skin tones,” says Haye. “It has a unique combination of warm beige and mauve undertones. It gives a chic Sex In the City vibe.” Note that this is a gel polish.
OPI Put it in Neutral
Edwards is also a huge fan of Put it in Neutral from OPI. It’s a sheer, milky pink-beige that supplies that your-nails-but-better effect. The formula is fast-drying and provides up to seven days of wear.
Gucci Beauty Ellen Blush
Ellen Blush is an opaque pinky-beige shade with a long-lasting glossy shine. The formula is fast-drying and plant-based.
DND Gel Sheer Nude
For a sheer nude without any pink, aptly named Sheer Nude is a great gel-polish option. It has a glass-like jelly finish and allows the details of your natural nail to shine through. Think of it like a foundation for your nail.
Luxio Blush
This sheer blush shade is described by the brand as the perfect base for a French manicure. It’s a gel polish with a creamy consistency that goes on smooth.
Lights Lacquer Donatello
Lights Lacquer
Donatello is a warm nude that’s perfect if you want to go darker than your natural nail bed. It’s especially gorgeous against deeper skin tones. It’s a jelly formula that goes on sheer and is buildable.
DND Gel Russet Tan
Russet Tan is a super pretty deep mauve that leans a bit brown. It’s a gel polish with a smooth formula so you can work in thin layers.
OPI Samoan Sand
OPI
Edwards also likes to use Samoan Sand by OPI. It’s an opaque beige with warm-honey undertones.
Peacci Woody
From Peacci’s Nu Nudes Collection, Woody is a gorgeous rich brown. It has orange undertones, which keeps the shade nice and warm.
Pear Nova Michelle Our Mama
Pear Nova
Named after former First Lady Michelle Obama, this is a gorgeous medium brown shade with neutral undertones. The polish is vegan and 10-free.
Hermès Rose Coquille
This sheer shade is a light and delicate pink with a hint of beige. The polish is made in France and is composed with at least 71 percent ingredients of natural origin.
786 Cosmetics Sakura
786 Cosmetics
This creamy, deep beige is a great Halal-certified nude. The polish is water-permeable and 21-free, making it permissible to wear during prayer.
Pear Nova Diana Boss
Pear Nova
Named after Diana Ross, Diana Boss is a warm and creamy beige. The formula is vibrant, long-lasting, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Le Mini Macron Oat Milk
Oat Milk from Le Mini Macron is a muted milky beige. It’s a three-in-one gel polish, meaning you can apply it on its own without a separate base and top coat.
Pear Nova Biscuits & Honey
Pear Nova
Biscuits & Honey is a creamy beige shade with subtle pink undertones. It’s a gel polish that has a super smooth formula so you can work in thick coats.
People of Color Pink Sand
People of Color
Pink Sand is a true pinky nude. It’s an opaque polish that’s made in a 10-free formula.
Addiction Tokyo Lost in Paris
Addiction Tokyo
Lost in Paris is a great nude if you want something with a little sparkle. It’s a baby pink with a super-subtle pearlescent shimmer.
OPI Bare My Soul
OPI
Bare My Soul is a sheer beige shade with a hint of mauve. It’s a chic and simple barely there color.
Pear Nova Frida Be Free
Pear Nova
Named after Frida Kahlo, Frida Be Free is a stunning light beige shade. The formula is creamy, neutral, and ethically made.
OPI El Mat-adoring You
OPI
El Mat-adoring You is a creamy tan shade that’s a gorgeous neutral nude. It’s warm without leaning orange or red.
OPI Do You Take Lei Away?
OPI
This mauve-y nude is perfect if you love more of a milky polish. It has a creamy, opaque finish.
Addiction Tokyo Earthwind
Addiction Tokyo
Earthwind is a soft, milky beige that’s similar in shade to a latte. The polish is fast-drying, long-wearing, and formulated to be 10-free.
Lights Lacquer Churro
Lights Lacquer
Churro is as gorgeous shade if you want a nude that’s really warm — so warm, that it’s verging into orange territory. The formula is long lasting and high shine.
Essie Vine and Dandy
Vine and Dandy is an opaque peachy-cream beige. The formula is salon-quality and vegan.
Aprés Gel Couleur Vintage Carnation
Kara Jillian Brown
This sheer gel polish is my go-to. I love how it looks on its own, but I also turn to it as my base for more intricate nail designs. It’s a gorgeous deep beige with a teensy hint of beige.
CND Self-Lover
CND
CND’s Self-Lover is a really pretty beige-y pink. It’s in the brand’s Vinylux finish, meaning it’s a strong, long-lasting polish.
Essie Crochet Away
Essie
Crochet Away is a grayish brown nail polish with red undertones. It’s the perfect shade of taupe.
Butter London Yummy Mummy
butter LONDON
This light gray-ish beige is infused with diamond powder for a super light-reflective finish. It’s infused with bamboo extract to strengthen and nourish the nails.
