Bare necessities
JESS WATTS explores how to choose nail shades that enhance clients’ complexions, from identifying undertones to selecting the right depth & finish
Sarah Marr
In a world of ‘clean girl’ and ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetics centred around effortless, pared-back styling, natural-looking nail hues are more popular than ever. But finding the perfect match for a client’s skin tone can be a challenge.
“Nude doesn’t describe one particular colour,” explains Sarah Marr, lead CND™ educator at Sweet Squared. “It can range from barely-there blush and soft pink through to warm beige, taupe and deeper, richer neutrals.”
There is a wide spectrum of nude and soft shades, so it’s important to determine which work in harmony with your client’s skin tone. For some, cool-toned nudes might wash them out, while for others, warm shades can make nail beds look sore. The choice should depend on the undertones of an individual’s skin.
“The right nude shade can enhance the beauty of hands and make a manicure feel effortlessly refined,” comments a nail colour expert from MelodySusie.
With thousands of shades to choose from, we’ve gathered advice on how to select nail hues that complement clients’ complexions…
Remember, personal preference trumps all. So, while we hope this article provides a good starting point, it is only a guide. Your job is to advise clients, but ultimately their colour choice is final.
Understanding undertones
Undertone vs skin tone
“While skin tone is the visible colour of your skin – like light, medium or dark – your skin undertone is the subtle colour beneath the surface: cool, warm or neutral,” reveals a blog by beauty brand, Beautyblender® . “Unlike your skin tone, which can vary, your skin undertone remains the same year-round.”
“The key to achieving an aesthetically pleasing, natural-looking manicure is identifying the client’s skin undertone,” says Giorgia Cappella, head of product & education at The GelBottle Inc. “This dictates whether a neutral shade makes hands glow or look washed out.”
Giorgia Cappella
Identifying undertone
“There are two simple tests you can do to determine skin undertone: the vein test and the white paper test,” reveals the MelodySusie nail colour expert.
Vein test Under natural light, look at the colour of the veins on the inside of the wrist. Blue, blue-purple or purple-red veins signal a cool undertone, while green, olive or yellowy veins point to a warm undertone. A combination of blue and green suggests a neutral undertone.
White paper test Place a piece of white paper or clothing next to the hand under natural light. If the skin appears pink or rosy, this indicates a cool undertone; skin that looks golden or peachy falls into the warm category, and beige or soft brown skin hints at a neutral undertone.
Colour analysis expert, Anuschka Rees, demonstrates the difference between cool, warm and neutral undertones.
‘‘ There is a wide spectrum of nude and soft shades, so it’s important to determine which work in harmony with your client’s skin tone. ‘‘
Nude nuances
Undertone is only part of the equation. Shade depth, coverage and finish can all change the way a nail hue appears against the skin.
Blend or bold
Once you have established the skin’s undertone category, consider its depth. This can be either fair, medium, tan or deep. “Surface skin tone determines the depth and brightness of the best-looking nude shade for a client,” says MelodySusie’s nail colour expert.
Whether you opt for a hue that blends seamlessly with the skin tone or one that creates more contrast, your choice influences the overall effect of a nail look.
“Using a similar shade to a client’s skin tone makes their hands look radiant,” Giorgia Cappella explains. “For a more deliberate result, opt for a soft wash of colour that is lighter or darker than their skin tone. As a general rule, a lighter shade brightens the overall look of the hands, while a darker hue creates more contrast and definition.”
Sarah Marr advises: “For a barely-there look, choose a sheer shade that matches the natural nail. If a client wants a more defined style, opt for a nude that contrasts with their skin tone. For a modern and sophisticated manicure, explore something deeper, or for a softer finish, opt for a blush-toned hue that blends seamlessly with the skin tone.”
@isionails complements her deep skin tone with a light nail shade for a balanced finish.
Marie-Amélie of @ma.ni.art opts for a seamless blend between her skin tone and nails, resulting in a soft, barely-there style.
Charlotte Lowe
A fabulous finish
“There are many nude finishes, including sheer, semi-sheer and opaque,” says Charlotte Lowe, OPI UK&I education brand manager. “Your choice of finish largely depends on the result you and your client hope to achieve.”
Kayleigh Mackinnon
HARA Professional educator, Kayleigh Mackinnon, adds: “Sheer finishes tend to look softer and natural, while opaque shades create more definition. Gloss adds freshness, matte feels more contemporary and shimmer can create subtle dimension.”
Cambridgeshire luxury manicurist, Jodie Swannell, opts for a subtle, sheer wash of colour to create an elegant finish.
Micro-shimmer particles catch the light beautifully, adding depth and dimension to this mani by Georgia of @nail.bath.
A matte finish creates a soft, blurred effect across this understated style created at @beauty.garden_gdansk, a salon in Poland.
Lauren of @lolo.nailedit showcases a peach-toned look with a creamy opaque finish.
‘‘ Sheer finishes tend to look softer and natural, while opaque shades create more definition. ‘‘
Shannon Newnham
Sheer shade sorcery
“A sheer nude allows the natural nail to show through, so doesn’t impose as much pigment onto the complexion,” explains Sarah Marr. “This is why sheer pinks, peaches and beiges can work across a wide range of skin tones.”
However, Halo educator, Shannon Newnham, warns that ‘while sheer shades are versatile, they are not completely universal and skin undertone still matters’. She explains: “A sheer pink with a cool undertone can look beautiful on cool skin, but slightly mismatched on someone with a warm undertone. Similarly, a sheer, peachy nude may look gorgeous on warm skin, but appear too orange against skin with a cool undertone.”
Nail shade guide
Wonderfully warm
“Skin with a warm undertone generally looks best with golden, peachy and earthy nude shades,” says Shannon Newnham.
MelodySusie’s nail colour expert adds: “Warm undertones are complemented by hues with warmth and richness. Shades with red or berry influences offer sophistication; brown, caramel and warm nude colours create an elegant appearance while visually elongating the fingers, and golden finishes add brightness and enhance the natural warmth of the skin.”
CND Shellac™ in Bare Chemise £14.95 + VAT www.sweetsquared.com A sheer shade, Bare Chemise is described as a ‘peach-touched nude’ that is ideal for warm-toned, light-to-medium complexions.
Gelish Color Plus Gel Nail Polish in Get Me Oat of Here £12.95 + VAT www.gelishmorgantaylor.co.uk Suited to clients with fair complexions, this soft oat-beige colour sits at the paler end of the nude spectrum, featuring a creamy, warm undertone.
OPI Nail Lacquer in Put it in Airplane Mode £8.50 + VAT uk.wella.professionalstore.com This sandy nude was created as a warmer-toned counterpart to OPI’s cult classic shade, Put it in Neutral.
Light Elegance Glitter Gel in Indulgence £14.95 + VAT www.lightelegance.co.uk A warm brown with copper glitter, this gel complements tan-to-deep complexions, delivering an eye-catching, sparkly finish.
Cool classics
“Cool undertones tend to suit nudes with pink, rose, mauve or slightly purple/blue bases,” says Kayleigh Mackinnon. Giorgia Cappella agrees, sharing: “They pop when paired with soft, pink-tinted tones or greyish-mauve nudes.”
Halo EasiBuild HEMA-free Builder Gel in Bonbon £9.25 + VAT www.purenails.co.uk This soft, playful pink has a crème finish that flatters cool-leaning skin.
Glitterbels Core Acrylic Powder in Pinkerbel Sheer £14.99 inc VAT www.glitterbels.com A semi-transparent pink acrylic powder ‘ideal for creating soft, natural-looking nails’, Pinkerbel Sheer complements skin with a cool undertone.
HD Professional Nail Systems Colour It! Gel Polish in Toasted Toffee £12.49 + VAT www.hazeldixonnails.com This rosy-mauve gel polish features cool tones, which beautifully contrast against deep complexions.
The Manicure Company Gel Polish in Mink £8.96 + VAT www.themanicurecompany.com Sitting at the deeper end of the nude spectrum, this rich taupe shade has a grey undertone that works well with cool-toned complexions.
Nailing it in neutral
“Neutral undertones are versatile and suit almost any shade, though balanced beige and true taupes are especially flattering,” Giorgia Cappella notes. “Olive undertones also pair beautifully with caramel and muted rosy nudes. However, shades that are excessively yellow or grey can make the complexion appear dull.”
MelodySusie Thick Gel Nail Polish in 431 Tiramisu £8 + VAT www.melodysusie.com This creamy hue sits at the centre of the undertone spectrum, so it doesn’t lean too warm or cool.
HARA Professional Gel Polish in Toasted Oak £7.40 + VAT www.astonandfincher.co.uk This elegant, deep brown hue is ideal for darker skin tones, boasting a balanced undertone that sits between warm and cool.
Andreia Professional Gel Polish in 209 Translucent Nude £6.39 + VAT www.salon-services.comwww.andreiaprofessional.com A sheer finish gives this gel polish an understated look, while its subtle pink tone maintains balance.
The GelBottle Inc Gel Polish in Nude £15 + VAT www.thegelbottle.com Described as a ‘true neutral’, this nude shade flatters a range of skin tones, but is particularly suited to fair-to-medium complexions.