By Lara Adekola, Allure
I’ve stood in front of the nail polish aisle and played the guessing game countless times. You know the one: ogling at shades, putting polishes near your hand as a barometer, only to eventually be disappointed when wearing it at home. Even the so-called nude nail collections with curated colors for a "range of skin tones" are often either too pale or unflattering, like I’ve dipped my hands in a muddy jar of clay. Ok, maybe I’m being a tad dramatic, but the point is finding a solid nude nail polish for darker skin tones is pretty hard. As we all know, all nudes aren't created equal, or rather there isn't a one -shade-fits all. So, how do you find the right one for your complexion? To make things a little easier, quicker, and less uncertain, we’ve enlisted the best nail experts in the game to point us in the right direction.
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According to celebrity manicurist Tracylee, this question is pretty common. "That’s probably the number one question I get asked the most: which nude is good for their skin tone because it’s really not that easy to figure out," she explains. "Unless someone shows you a side by side picture, it’s hard to visualize."
Tracylee notes that these frustrations are common among women with darker skin tones. "I’m glad you’re doing this for women of color because I think that 95 percent of the time they get it wrong," she tells Allure. " You know, traditionally they didn’t cater to women of color when it came to nudes...as for manicurist we had to create by layering different colors and now the brands are finally catching on.”
Not long ago, nude was synonymous with beige or soft pink, which obviously doesn't fit the bill for most women of color. But today’s nude is no longer limited to those hues, thanks to consumer pressure and brands like Christian Louboutin, Kahmune, ThirdLove, and many others who have created a diverse range of nude clothing and shoes. And now, beauty is catching up. So, drumroll please...let's get down to the nitty-gritty of what to look for when buying a nude polish.
I’ve stood in front of the nail polish aisle and played the guessing game countless times. You know the one: ogling at shades, putting polishes near your hand as a barometer, only to eventually be disappointed when wearing it at home. Even the so-called nude nail collections with curated colors for a "range of skin tones" are often either too pale or unflattering, like I’ve dipped my hands in a muddy jar of clay. Ok, maybe I’m being a tad dramatic, but the point is finding a solid nude nail polish for darker skin tones is pretty hard. As we all know, all nudes aren't created equal, or rather there isn't a one -shade-fits all. So, how do you find the right one for your complexion? To make things a little easier, quicker, and less uncertain, we’ve enlisted the best nail experts in the game to point us in the right direction.
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According to celebrity manicurist Tracylee, this question is pretty common. "That’s probably the number one question I get asked the most: which nude is good for their skin tone because it’s really not that easy to figure out," she explains. "Unless someone shows you a side by side picture, it’s hard to visualize."
Tracylee notes that these frustrations are common among women with darker skin tones. "I’m glad you’re doing this for women of color because I think that 95 percent of the time they get it wrong," she tells Allure. " You know, traditionally they didn’t cater to women of color when it came to nudes...as for manicurist we had to create by layering different colors and now the brands are finally catching on.”
Not long ago, nude was synonymous with beige or soft pink, which obviously doesn't fit the bill for most women of color. But today’s nude is no longer limited to those hues, thanks to consumer pressure and brands like Christian Louboutin, Kahmune, ThirdLove, and many others who have created a diverse range of nude clothing and shoes. And now, beauty is catching up. So, drumroll please...let's get down to the nitty-gritty of what to look for when buying a nude polish.
First, Examine Your Nail Beds
Look at your nail beds in natural light to determine which hues enhance your complexion. "One must look at their unpolished nail bed to help as a guide. Usually, nail beds are pink, white or the same color as your skin. A nude polish that matches your nail bed will most likely match your skin tone. Look at the cuticles as well. If the lacquer isn’t right for your skin tone, your cuticle will actually look red or “dirty,” manicurist Deborah Lippmann says.[post_ads_2]
Know Your Undertones So You Can Play Them Up
"A way to pick the right nail color is to look at your skin’s undertone. Are you cool (pink base) or warm (yellow base) or olive (green base)? Any color that is the opposite of your natural undertone on a color wheel will exaggerate your natural tone. For example, violet is the opposite (complementary color) of yellow. If you go for a violet nail polish, your yellow undertone will look even more yellow," Lippman advises.
As a rule of thumb stick to warmer shades and skip cool grays."Warmer
complexions should avoid ashy gray shades as they could make skin appear
washed out or dull. While those with deeper brown complexions look
great in milky browns that lighten up the nail and give slight
contrast," she adds. "A medium-dark olive skin undertone like Eva Mendez
would look best in Deborah Lippmann, while a medium-dark warm skin undertone like that of Beyoncé would look most flattering in Deborah Lippmann Natural Woman and Modern Love."
If you are someone with a deeper complexion, the same rules apply. "If you’re on the darker skin tone like Lupita for instance, you want to avoid something that’s on the taupe gray end because that will turn white and fall very flat," says manicurist Elle. "Essie Topless & Barefoot works well on a variety of shades and is great for Lupita if you want something on the lighter end. You can even go into those really dark browns which would actually accentuate her skin tone as well."
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"The darker you go on the spectrum of nudes the more suitable it is for a variety of people," says celebrity nail artist and "Claws" designer Gracie J.. "Pear Nova, a black-owned nail lacquer brand has a new collection called Brown Girl Magic, #Brwngrlmgc, that has a range of nude brown polishes that brown beauties can get more options from. At the end of the day we shouldn’t pigeonhole ourselves."
If you want to be a bit more daring, Gracie J. suggests a matte finish as a cool alternative. "One of the sexiest looks that someone can rock is a nude matte, especially when your nails are on the longer side. Essie and OPI have great matte top coats that pretty much work on any nude shade."
If you are someone with a deeper complexion, the same rules apply. "If you’re on the darker skin tone like Lupita for instance, you want to avoid something that’s on the taupe gray end because that will turn white and fall very flat," says manicurist Elle. "Essie Topless & Barefoot works well on a variety of shades and is great for Lupita if you want something on the lighter end. You can even go into those really dark browns which would actually accentuate her skin tone as well."
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"The darker you go on the spectrum of nudes the more suitable it is for a variety of people," says celebrity nail artist and "Claws" designer Gracie J.. "Pear Nova, a black-owned nail lacquer brand has a new collection called Brown Girl Magic, #Brwngrlmgc, that has a range of nude brown polishes that brown beauties can get more options from. At the end of the day we shouldn’t pigeonhole ourselves."
Pay Attention to the Finish
A sheer polish gives a classic manicured look while an opaque finish is trendy and of the moment. "In choosing them you want to make sure the opacity is okay for you too. Some skin tones just can’t handle that opacity... so that’s why I say go to an Au Natural from Essie or Dermalect makes a color called Me Debonnaire, it’s sheer enough that you’ll be able to see your skin tone shine through — the key is it doesn’t have to always be so opaque," Elle adds.If you want to be a bit more daring, Gracie J. suggests a matte finish as a cool alternative. "One of the sexiest looks that someone can rock is a nude matte, especially when your nails are on the longer side. Essie and OPI have great matte top coats that pretty much work on any nude shade."
