If you find yourself attracted to shades of gray (insert raunchy literary comment here), then OPI Nail Color in Berlin There Done That, $8.50, will be your go-to this season. It's dark enough to work on medium skin tones, and it has a subtle, almost metallic gray undertone.
Photo 7/13
Skin tone: medium
LCN Nail Polish in Paris Chic, $7.99, is described as "nougat beige," which is spot on. It's part of LCN's Urban Expression Collection, which was inspired by trends from fashion capitals around the world (other cities include London, New York, and Tokyo). If you've got medium skin and you're looking for a classic nude, this one's for you.
Photo 8/13
Skin tone: olive
If you have olive skin, then experts suggest you combine the nude trend with another wildly popular nail color craze right now: metallics. Instead of basic beige, look for one with gold undertones, which will make your skin look brighter and more alive. Just make sure to avoid anything too pale, which will make your skin look sallow.
Duality Cosmetics Nail Pak in Meryl, $15, is the most subtle of the shades we chose for olive skin. It's a basic taupe with the slightest bit of metallic sheen. Bonus: This polish comes with a mini file and remover pads tucked into the bottom of the bottle.
Photo 9/13
Skin tone: olive
Orly Instant Artist Lacquer in Solid Gold, $6.50, is too gorgeous not to include, even though we'll admit, it's more gold than nude. But it does have nude undertones, and it costs less than your average lunch.
Photo 10/13
Skin tone: olive
If you want to go nude but just can't imagine parting ways with your beloved glittery mani, try Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Nouveau Riche, $20. It's a nude-gold with serious shimmer. Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux designed this shade to look like the glimmering lights on the Eiffel Tower at night -- and that vibe comes across in full force.
The hottest nail polish shade for fall is barely a color at all. It's nude.
We know what you're thinking — "ugh, so boring." But trust us, it's so much prettier than it sounds. We're not talking about baby pinks or sheer beige tones. The nude nail polish colors that we're most excited about this season are opaque enough to make a statement, and they have trendy undertones that range from mauve to gold.
Choosing a nude nail polish color may seem easy, but it's actually harder than you might think. More than any other shade, nudes are susceptible to that all-too-common scenario where it looks gorgeous in the bottle, but you walk out of the nail salon hating your manicure. And that's because nude nail polish needs to perfectly complement your skin tone in order to work.
"You want a polish that's close to your own skin tone — but better," explains Katie Cazorla, star of the show "Nail Files." She recommends matching the polish to your foundation color — not your hands.
Don't get duped by the matte trend either. "With a neutral color, you want a high shine finish," says nail guru Jin Soon Choi. "It makes the nail stand out against your skin rather than blend in and look dead."
We rounded up our favorite nude nail polishes and divided them into categories for fair, medium, olive, and dark skin tones. They're all super-shiny, saturated colors — perfect for when you want to take a break from that four-tone glitter ombré manicure that's become your go-to.
