Are you a lover of minimalist fashion? Do you love to wear understated pieces and accessories? Do you love to keep things mild and conservative most times? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I have something else you’ll love—nude nails!
Contrary to what maximalists may think, nude nails aren’t boring at all. They’re elegant, timeless, and versatile enough to be paired with just any outfit. If you’re looking to switch from bright-colored manicures to subtle ones, nude is the perfect option. Since it looks almost natural, it can give the illusion of elongated fingers while elevating your style.
The best part is that these natural-looking nails come in various designs. For instance, if you don’t want them plain, you can combine them with other accents such as colors, glittery embellishments, flowers, stripes, and prints.
I’ll show you how this works in a jiffy. But first, let’s pay homage to these nails.
What’s the Allure of Nude Nails?
As the name implies, these are nails that match your skin tone or the color of your fingernails. They range from natural pinkish-beige tones to darker brown hues. These nails are muted and are the perfect definition of subtle elegance.
Though they may not announce your fingers at first glance, they sure have this sultry appeal that enhances your femininity. Furthermore, muted nails are appropriate for every setting. Whether it’s work hours, religious events, business meetings, parties, and lots more, you can never go wrong with them. As Kate Carraway, Contributing Writer for The Kit, shared:
“Even if the nude manicure also provides pleasure and connotes a sense of mastery, its primary function is to make a woman seem appropriate to other people, by correcting and perfecting her natural nail, rendering it inhumanly Barbie-smooth.”
In addition to its subtlety, neutral nails are adaptable. They match whatever you wear regardless of the color, be it traditional African dresses, custom-made statement pieces, or readymade clothes. And they’re great at hiding chipped, regrowing, or uneven nails too.
Above all, they give you a natural finish that shines and looks even better than your natural nails. So if you’d like to look more put together without trying hard, wear neutral nail polish.
How to do Nude Nails at Home
If seeing a nail tech isn’t what you’d rather do, opt for the DIY option. Here’s how to achieve it:
Choose a polish that suits your skin tone
This is crucial if you want the nude nail polish to look natural. Go for a shade slightly lighter or darker than your skin to create some visual contrast. For instance, if your skin is very light, a light pink shade would do. And if you’re on the darker side, peachy, sandy, creamy, and other neutral tones would work. But before settling for anyone, test the polish as the colors usually differ when in the bottle and on your nails.
Trim your nails
Cut your fingernails to your desired length and file them. For a better natural finish, aim for short nails and natural shapes like oval or round. But if you want it long, apply your fake nails with glue, then trim and file before moving to the next step.
Apply a base coat
This is the foundation of your nail polish. Once you apply your base coat, wait until it’s completely dry before applying a second layer.
Apply your nail polish
Once the second layer of the base coat is dry, apply the nail polish along your nails in three strokes. Do this from the cuticle zone to the free edge. First, smear the polish once in the middle, then twice around the edges. This way, you evenly distribute the nail polish on your fingernails.
Paint all the nails
Do this for all your nails and let the polish dry completely. Afterward, paint a second coat to saturate the color and ensure the nail polish lasts longer.
Apply a protective topcoat
Finally, apply a protective clear topcoat to give your nails sheen and help them last long.
Gorgeous Neutral Nails You Should Try
Just as there are different shades of nude nails you can wear, different styles abound. From understated textured tips to matte finishes, statement faux-gel polish, and ombre effect, here are some muted manicure ideas you don’t wanna miss:
Short Nude Nails
These faux-natural nails are not long. And this makes them look more natural than other nude nails.
They offer an understated elegance that celebrates intrinsic beauty.
French Mani
The classic French manicure never goes out of style. It involves painting the tips of your nails with white or off-white to create contrast while the remaining nails are neutral.
Initially, these nails only featured white tips but they’ve evolved to feature black, glitters, or any color that matches your style intent.
Classic Muted Nails
This is the regular nude nails. They usually come in a single shade without any design, embellishment, tips, or accents.
Popular shades for this type include soft pinks, peach, beige, ivory, brown, and taupe. They’re simple but never bland.
Glazed Donut Nude Nails
This trend has several variations. It mostly involves wearing a neutral nail color but topping it with a light chrome powder to create the ‘Glazed Donut’ effect.
These nails are luminous with an irresistible shimmer and Hailey Bieber nails fall under this category.
Shimmery Neutral Nails
Embellish your classic nude nails with gold or silver glitter.
They give your fingertips some extra sheen.
Crystallized Nails
You can also add more accents to your nails by decorating them with pearls, crystals, and rhinestones.
They add more glam to your already stunning nails.
Shapey Nude Nails
Did you know the shape of your fake nails can serve as a statement on its own?
Now that you know, why not make this more deliberate? You can go for stiletto, coffin, square, ballerina, or any shape of nails you fancy. They’ll enhance the allure of your dashing neutral nails.
Natural-Shaped Nude Nails
If you’re a lover of all things natural, this one is for you.
No need to carve your nails into deliberate shapes. Just draw inspiration from the shape of your natural nails and slay as you’d like.
Nude Matte Nails
Do you love the classy, dry finish that matte offers? Great! Wear your neutral nails as matte manicure then.
Your hands will ooze off such understated yet bold elegance.
Nude Ombre
Imagine painting your nails in neutral colors that transition from one shade to another.
Interesting, right? That’s what ombre nude nails promise you if you’d only go for it.
Muted Nails with Floral Touches
Mother nature is such an inspiration to art, and the world of beautiful manicure isn’t left out.
Embrace the beauty of nature by adorning your nude manicure with floral designs. They add a sexy feel to your look.
Muted Nails are Worth the Obsession
Whether you’re fair or dark in complexion, wearing nude nails is a great way to embrace the ultimate sophistication of simplicity. But before you go for it, ensure you pick the right hue and add some illusion of length. This will further balance your nails and prevent you from biting them thinking they’re your natural nails.
Nonetheless, there’s more to all the natural nails you’ve seen so far on this page. We curated more below for you, so, get ready to swoon and screenshot as many as you’d like:
