Similar shades: Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Delphine ($18, marcjacobs.com); Zoya Nail Polish in Debbie ($10, zoya.com); Essie Nail Polish in Mink Muffs ($9, essie.com)
Application Tips for Perfect Nude Nails:
Because nude nail polish is a lot less forgiving than a bold red or dark berry, you have to prepare the nail expertly to get great results. “With nude you always want the nail bed to be clean,” says Saulsbery. “You want every piece of skin you could possibly get to come off before you apply the polish because with nude, anything will show up—even a piece of lint.”
First use a cuticle softener like Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm ($18). Then gently push back the skin around the base of the nail. Instead of cutting your cuticles, Saulsbery recommends using a buffing block to remove the excess skin. Then shape the tip of the nail by brushing a file from corner to center. Make sure to get underneath the free nail as well to get rid of any excess dust under the free edge, which can show up through sheer nude formulas.
Before applying a basecoat you want to dehydrate the nail with polish remover and rubbing alcohol to get rid of any oil. This helps the manicure last longer. Saulsbery uses the Orly Top2Bottom ($10) as a base and topcoat. “With the nude, you want to make sure that the base is completely dry before you apply the color because nude can drag and it’ll be streaky,” she says. “Then, you find yourself applying coat after coat trying to darken it when all you have to do is just wait a second for the base to dry.”
Saulsbery also uses a special technique to apply polish: First move the brush across the base of the nail from side to side to even out the color near the cuticle. Then pull the color down from base to tip in three strokes. That way you get full coverage without any spots or streaks.
Model Geli Forlefac wearing Olympia Activewear Troy Bra in Cream ($82, olympiaactivewear.com) and pictured with S’well Bottle in Rose Gold ($42, swellbottle.com).
You might also like: 6 Nude Lipsticks for Darker Skin Tones