Image of brown gray, cream and light red nail polish bottles depicting best colors to paint your nails based on skin tone

So you are dressed up for your party in a lovely dress, party shoes, and accessories? or a professional fitting outfit for your next meeting? and you believe that’s the only way you’ll be able to express your personality? Please hold your horses! Did you know that the color of your nail polish has a major impact on the appearance of your hands? Yes! Nail polish colors have big impact indeed!

A wonderful way to add a splash of color to your life and your ensemble is to color your nails. Nail polish is a fashion accessory that conveys a lot about your personality, but with the fashion world thriving in the nail polish arena, picking the right shade or brand could be a difficult job. “Will this color look good on me?” or “Do I want to paint my nails in beige today?” Isn’t it true that we’ve all been there?

With the lot of options related to nail polish on the market, choosing a particular one or two can be a difficult task. However, matching your nail color to your skin tone is an excellent way to identify a nail color that fits you. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of 17 nail polish colors that look great with your skin tone beautifully. That is to say, scroll down to see our recommendations for a color that will become your signature look.

How to Determine Your Skin Tone?

Before you go scouring the nail polish aisle for the right product, take a look at these tips for determining your skin tone and nail color match. First and foremost, you’ll need to understand two concepts: surface color and undertone. We’ll talk about the first one here. Consider how you’d explain your skin to someone else, such as “light,” “medium,” “dark,” and so on. To make it simpler for you, there are 4 different color categories that your skin might fall into:

  1. Fair – The lightest of the skin tones. You probably have light or red hair and are prone to burning.
  2. Light – Those with “light” skin tend to have warmer undertones than those with “fair” skin. In the summer, you will most likely be able to tan.
  3. Medium – The skin tone is tanned with golden or olive undertones.
  4. Dark – The skin tones that are the darkest.

Take a look at your jawline

To find your natural tone, grab a small mirror and go outside into the sunlight or a well-lit window. Then, to determine your surface color, look at your jawline. Often, the best place to see your “pure,” undisturbed surface color is along your jawline. The jawline is a perfect place to get a sense of your true color because it is less influenced by color changes than the rest of your face.

Ask for a second opinion

Asking a friend or family member to decide your surface color is probably the easiest method. Getting a second opinion, particularly if you’re undecided between two color categories, can be beneficial.

How Do I Match My Nail Color to My Skin Tone?

Everyone wants to find nail polish shades that complement their skin. So you need to be careful when doing so, because some colors may compete with or wash out your complexion. To get you started, here’s a special set of nail polish colors for fair, medium and dark skin shades.

Nail Polish Colors for Fair & Light Skin Tones

If you have fair or light skin, go for a light, earthly shade that looks fresh and airy.

“Fair skin tones are typically cooler with a blue undertone, so go for shades that are similar to Sandy by Zoya. Sandy is a blue-toned, flamingo-pink cream.” according to Rebecca Isa, creative director at Zoya.

So, for all you fair and light-skinned ladies out there, why not try these gorgeous nail polishes to make yourself look better?

  • Blush pink : Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers
  • Purpley-silvery sheer : Revlon Nail Enamel – Unicornicopia
  • Brown : Sally Hansen – Head Bang
  • Semi-Sheer Powder Pink : Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer – Pillow Pie
  • Navy blue : Smith & Cult Nail Polish – Blues
  • Red : Revlon Nail Enamel

Now, let’s get into the details!

1. Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers

Ballet Slippers by Essie is one of the most popular nude shades on the market. The Queen of England favors blush pink nail polish because it is both neutral and timeless and as it pairs beautifully with her fair skin. This cherished essential, blessed with a delicate, sheer polish, is a must-try for all the fair ladies out there regardless of the season. This glossy soft pink nail polish is long-lasting and offers flawless coverage. It also comes with an exclusive easy-glide brush that suits every nail size and ensures streak-free application.

2. Revlon Nail Enamel – Unicornicopia

This is a purpley-silvery sheer with a lovely shimmer that is suitable for all the fair and light skin toned ladies of all ages. This stunning color spreads seamlessly and without bubbles, and will look especially spectacular on fairer skin tones. Color stays vivid for longer with Chip Defiant and anti-fade technology for a fade-resistant wear.

3. Sally Hansen – Head Bang

Even if the brown shade does not immediately come to mind, we recommend that you give it a shot. With both a shine and a matte finish, brown is a really popular color right now. As a result, this shade is sure to get those fair and light skin toned peeps a plenty of comments! With Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish that lasts up to 8 days, you can get the best salon look for your fair skin from the home. It’s designed to be the ultimate chip-resistant nail polish without the use of a UV/LED light device.

4. Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer – Pillow Pie

This luxe shade from Smith & Cult is a creamy ballet pink that gives all the fair maidens both trendy and elegant looks. A relentlessly ultra-adherent base coat prepares the nail surface, extending the life of a manicure or pedicure. Top coat locks in the brilliance of the pure pigment, preserving its liveliness and purity while providing a smooth, ultra-glossy finish.

5. Smith & Cult Nail Polish – Blues

You may be compelled to go for the cobalt, but if you have try navy you must already know that it is a better choice for your light skin tone. In reality, it’s another that looks great on skin with a warm undertone.

“This nail polish stays on forever. won’t really chip, won’t really peel. very pretty color” – happy customer on Amazon

6. Revlon Nail Enamel – Red

Red is a timeless color certainly. It’s a color that looks good on everyone, even those with fair skin. Revlon Nail Enamel has a gorgeous, smooth nail polish with chip-resistant and anti-fade technology. It’s free of formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde resin, and camphor, among other things.

Nail Polish Colors for Medium Skin Tones

Skin tones in the medium range from olive to bronzy. And they look beautiful in colors like sheer white, nude, vibrant poppy red and peach. As a summary, medium toned people can wear almost any color that complements fair skin, including bright and vivid hues like red, blue, pink as well as metallic hues including silver and light blue. Dark purple, gold rust shades and navy blue, on the other hand, should be avoided.

According to David Arbuthnot, founder and CEO of Context Skin, a range of nail polish shades are appealing for medium tones, such as bubblegum-pink and dark plum color.

You can try the following for starters.

  • Red : Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure – Red My Lips
  • White : OPI Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer
  • Dark plum : AIMEILI Soak Off UV LED Gel – Burgundy Plum Dark Purple
  • Peach : China Glaze Nail Polish – Sun of A Peach
  • Pastel blue : OPI Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer – Blues

1. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish Red My Lips

Sally Hansen is one of the most popular nail color and care brands in the United States. They offer creative nail care options as well as chic colors for any manicure and pedicure need. So, for better nails, this nail polish has an all-in-one formula enriched with keratin complex. It also comes with a precision brush for fast and simple application. Not only that, but it also provides chip-resistant salon-quality results that last up to ten days.

2. OPI Nail Polish, Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer – Whites

This is a light, elegant off white nail polish with a sheer finish for enhanced beauty of medium toned beauties.  This nail polish has a sheer coverage that’s great for layering or wearing on its own. Furthermore, OPI infinite shine uses cutting-edge technology to cure the gloss and paint coat using natural, ambient light. You will get gel-like wear and shine for up to 11 days.

3. AIMEILI Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Polish – Burgundy Plum Dark Purple

This deep, luxuriant dark plum color provides seamless shade with a high shine finish, making it ideal for people with medium skin tones. It has a high-gloss finish, a mirror shine, and no nicks, chips, or smudges following 21 days of use. This, however, necessitates drying under a UV or LED lamp, and cure times can differ considerably on the lighting system.

4. China Glaze Nail Polish – Sun of A Peach

This vibrant neon peach will definitely look good on medium and olive skin tones. The formula, on the other hand, is a little difficult to apply. Three coats are needed for a completely opaque finish, and if done incorrectly, it may appear streaky. So, when you try this color, take your time and apply three thin coats plus a top coat. And don’t worry, it dries to a matte finish that is very pleasant.

5. OPI Nail Polish, Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer – Blues

This OPI pastel blue is sure to get you a lot of compliments. It’s the ideal sky blue nail polish color for medium skin tones. Infinite Shine is a three-step system that lasts up to 11 days and gives you a gel-like shine. The formula is remarkable because it not only allows for easy application but also offers a long-lasting high-shine and glossy finish.

Nail Polish Colors for Dark Skin Tones

Nail polish shades that are dark can be nicely used on dark skin tones people. Dark maroon, dark red, dark blue and dark green are examples. Why we ask you to avoid lighter colors like white, orange, metallic, silver, light pink, and other nail polish colors is because light shades will give your hands a darker tone than they already are. A classic way to tone up your hands is to use gold nail polish.

We researched leading suggestions, just as we did for the previous skin tones, to bring you the best bets for dark skin tones. As a result we present you these 6 lovelies:

  • Neon pink : OPI Mexico City Collection – Pink
  • Cobalt blue : VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Elegant Blue
  • Purple : OPI Nail Lacquer – Purple with a purpose
  • Orange : ZOYA Nail Polish – Paz
  • Medium pink : Essie Glossy Shine Finish – The Fuchsia Is Bright
  • Gold : VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Gold Glitter

So keep scrolling to get to know them!

1. OPI Nail Polish Mexico City Collection – Pink

In short, nothing beats a vivid or neon pink to show off your girly side! So, if you enjoy changing your manicure on a weekly basis, OPI Nail Lacquer is the original NAIL POLISH recipe that reinvented quality nail color, according to the manufacturer. This pink is perfect for adding excitement to your nail set. It’s ideal for ensuring that all eyes are on you.

2. VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Elegant Blue

This is a stunning cobalt blue that will complement dark and dusky skin tones beautifully. Elegant Blue VENALISA Gel Nail Polish adds a vivid splash of color to your nails. It lasts at least 3 weeks with proper application and is simple to learn even though it is used for the first time. Natural resin is used to make the gel nail polish, which is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, of high quality, and has a low odor.

3. OPI Nail Lacquer – Purple with a purpose

OPI’s highly pigmented Nail Lacquers are super rich, long-lasting, chip-resistant, and offer up to seven days of wear time thanks to high-quality formulations.  For flawless application, this nail lacquer comes with OPI’s exclusive ProWide Brush.

“Purple With A Purpose’ is a gorgeous shade of dark lilac purple with a beautiful pink shimmer. In dim light it looks to me like a dark purple creme but catch it in bright light and it is a bright purple rainbow of sparkling colour and is quite mesmerising!

The first coat was fairly streaky although that could have been my application as I did do quite a thin layer and the second coat did seem to even it out and it looked opaque at first glance, but at some angles I could still see a slight streak here and there so had to go 3 coats, it was worth it as it gave a fabulous depth of colour – exactly like the bottle – and as it dries quickly it wasn’t a chore! I also finished it with OPI RapidDry top coat (Amazon product code B002TLT3EM) and I felt this gave it added shine.” – Happy customer on Amazon

4. ZOYA Nail Polish – Paz

Orange nail polish contrasts beautifully with dark skin. It’s the ideal shade for a summer beach vacation. The hue ‘Paz’ is a vivid neon orange with a part creme, part jelly formula. To attain a completely opaque finish, apply three coats of this polish.

“Bought “Paz” – brilliant electric true orange color. Goes on great and opaque with 2 coats. Great durability… I love the nostalgia of it and am glad I could find such a great match of a color that wears so well. In addition, it lasts for a good 8 weeks with maybe a touch up for new growth but doesn’t chip! Highly recommended!” – Customer feedback on Amazon

5. Essie Nail Polish, Glossy Shine Finish – The Fuchsia Is Bright

‘Fuchsia is Bright’ is a gorgeous medium-pink shade that is creamy and pigmented. It offers flawless coverage as well as exceptional longevity. This only requires two coats for the prettiest hands in the summer or spring. It has a long-lasting finish that will look even better with a high-shine top coat.

6. VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Gold Glitter

VENALISA Gel Nail Polish Gold Glitter is a long-lasting bright gold color with a glossy finish. This is a great winter nail color that will go with any outfit, whether it’s for a party, a dinner date, or a date night. It has a flat big brush that makes application easy, and the nail polish’s self-leveling formula is perfect for any novice nail polish lover looking for a flawless manicure or pedicure.

What Color of Nail Polish Goes with Everything?

Some women like to play it safe and choose a shade that can be worn in a variety of situations and with a variety of outfits. Well, you can stick to a few simple neutral nail polish colors that go with everything. Beige, blush pink, black, red, green, cream, ivory, silver, gray and brown are some great colors that go with everything. For a timeless look that will go with any outfit, choose a shade from any of these colors that fits your complexion and skin type.

We know that you love to enjoy hand painting and use nail polish shades to beautify your hands in addition to maintaining your consistent facial care routine. But, if you are still confused about what to get, try to start with the following list of gorgeous nail polish that goes with almost everything!

  1. Beige: VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Natural Deep Beige
  2. Sheer Pink : Revlon Nail Enamel – Sheer Pink
  3. Black : VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Pure Black
  4. Classy Red : Sally Hansen Insta Dri Black and Red
  5. Deep Green : OPI Nail Lacquer – Green
  6. Creamy Beige Natural : Essie Nail Polish, Spring 2020 Collection – Cream
  7. Ivory : Vishine Gelpolish – Ivory
  8. Silver : VENALISA Gel Nail Polish – Silver Glitter
  9. Gray : OPI Nail Lacquer – Gray
  10. Chocolate Brown : Revlon Nail Enamel – Brown

Conclusion | Nail Polish Colors

“Nail polish is like the icing on the beauty cake.” – Mary Helen Bowers

So, here we conclude this article with stunning colors that will complement your skin tone. We hope you find the details in this post helpful and that it helped you save time and trouble while deciding on the right nail polish color for yourself. And here’s a tip: when selecting nail polish shades, keep the season in mind as well. In the fall and summer, light colors look great, while dark colors look better in the spring and winter. So, peeps, have fun polishing!