The best way to match nail polish color to skin tone is to understand how skin undertone division works. A nail polish color that looks amazing on one person may not have the same effect when applied to you. This happens because for each skin tone (white, dark or black) there are undertones classified between warm and cold.
In this post you will learn how to carry out tests to discover the predominant tone. The tests are simple, easy and work for all skin types: whether black, dark or white.
When you finish reading this article, you will be able to match your nail polish to your skin tone and achieve a much more natural look. Check out!
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Discover your skin’s undertone
When it comes to fashion and beauty, there are few keywords as common as “cool colors” and “warm colors.” In fact, we always hear that identifying which category we belong to is the hardest part of our beauty in general, but finding the correct skin tone still continues to be shrouded in a lot of confusion and technical terms.
The first step to understanding the concept is knowing that your skin’s surface tone is the color you would describe as yours (ivory, light, medium, tan, black, etc.). Your skin’s undertone is the color below the surface.
Sound confusing? But it’s simple, for example, you can have the same skin color as someone, but a different undertone, which is divided as follows:
- Cold (pink, red or bluish tones)
- Warm (yellow, peach and gold tones)
- Neutral (a mix of warm and cool tones)
For example, a common misconception is that pale, very white girls cannot have warm tones when, in fact, many of them (actress Nicole Kidman, for example) do have a warm skin undertone. While dark-skinned women (like super model Alek Wek) can also have cool, neutral skin tones.
That said, understand below how exactly you can find out which category you fall into.
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The famous vein trick
Push your sleeves up and look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Are they blue or green?
If they appear bluer, you probably have cool undertones. If your veins appear greenish, you have a warm undertone.
It’s important to say that your veins are not really green, they just seem so because you see them through your yellow skin (yellow + blue = green).
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Which jewelry suits you best?
Think about whether you look better in silver or gold colored jewelry (not which you like more, but which actually makes you look more radiant, shiny and flattering). Typically, cool-toned women look best in silver and platinum metals and warm-toned women look best in gold.
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The neutrality test
Think about the neutral shades you like best. Do your skin, eyes, and face look better in (1) shades of white and black, or in (2) ivory, off-whites, and shades of brown? The first means that you probably have a cool skin undertone and the second, warm.
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Eye and hair color
The color of your eyes and hair can help you discover your skin undertone.
Generally, very white people have blue, gray or green eyes and blonde, brown or black hair with blue, silver, violet and gray tones.
On the other hand, warm-toned women often have brown or amber eyes with blonde, red, brown, or black hair.
However, if your hair tends to have shades of gold, red, orange or yellow, you definitely have a warm skin undertone.
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Do you get tanned or sunburned?
When you are exposed to the sun, does your skin turn (1) golden brown or (2) burn and turn red first? If you fall into the first category, you have a warm undertone, while cool undertones tend to burn (women with cool undertones and fair skin simply burn, while those with neutral, warm skin burn and then tan).
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Find the colors that suit you best
There’s no denying that certain colors are more flattering, regardless of your skin tone. Warm-toned women should lean toward yellows, oranges, browns, yellowish greens, ivories, and warm reds, while cool-toned girls should wear blues, greens, pinks, purples, teals, magentas, and dark blue tones.
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Learn how to match your nail polish color to your light skin tone
Given the multitude of nail polish colors that exist, you may be confused about finding and matching the nail polish color to your skin tone. Furthermore, we understand the hassle of testing color by color to find your favorite color that is appropriate for the season, looks good on your skin undertone and is suitable for certain occasions.
Below we explain better how to match nail polish to light skin tone.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to fair skin tone with warm undertones
Light skin tones with a warm undertone suit deep green, sapphire and magenta colors. If you have this skin undertone, try to avoid warm tones, as the strong contrast against the skin can be too much.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to fair skin tone with cool undertones
Those who have fair skin with a cold undertone tend to opt for transparent, light-colored nail polishes. Look for iconic and simple colors such as nude, pink, varying shades of white, light yellow and pastel tones.
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Learn how to match nail polish color to fair skin tone with neutral undertone
If you have fair skin with a neutral undertone you are lucky. Because with a neutral undertone you can get the best of both worlds, that is, versatility to explore and use all nail polish colors.
Go ahead, be bold and don’t be afraid to try every nail polish color available on the market.
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How to match nail polish to dark skin tone
Dark skin tones look beautiful when combined with pure white nail polish, because white, instead of erasing the nails, will bring a contrast which will make the nails brighter and the skin’s tan more highlighted.
Another way to combine nail polish color with dark skin tone is to opt for nude and beige, because the colors in this family will make dark skin tones bright and look more chic.
As dark skin tones tend to have an olive or neutral tone, gray nail polish also looks very beautiful, because cool tones add contrast to the skin.
But, don’t think that brunettes only stick to discreet colors, they can also use and abuse red nail polish.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to dark skin tone with a warm undertone
The best thing about combining nail polish color with dark skin tone and warm undertone is to use and abuse warm colors that richly reflect nature. Choose brown, ivory and yellowish green.
Reds, corals, ambers and golds also favor those with this skin tone. If you want a cooler look, try warmer color options like olive green, bold purple, and bright red.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to dark skin tone with a cool undertone
If you have dark skin with a cool undertone, opt for a plum purple nail polish. If you like to express yourself through nail decoration, plum-colored nail polish is perfect for you. Whether the color is pure, shimmery or completely matte, you will rock your plum nail polish!
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Learn how to match nail polish color to dark skin tone with neutral undertone
Choose colors like pink, jade green, yellow or barely blue. If you like neutral colors, but have this skin tone, use white, coffee, gray and black. Super saturated colors, like dark blue and magenta, can overwhelm your skin tone, but there’s one big exception: never be afraid to wear red, as it goes super well with neutral undertones.
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How to match nail polish to dark skin tone
Sweet pink tones, the famous candy colors, look vibrant and perfect on dark skin.
Furthermore, anyone who thinks that nudes were not made for dark skin is mistaken, as the color matches dark tones, but in this case it is better to opt for colors like cinnamon or caramel.
Gray is another color that flatters this skin tone, choose a gray nail polish color with a hint of mauve or purple tone, this will ensure that the polish doesn’t look dull on your nails.
If you choose red, use good, classic open red.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to black skin tone with a warm undertone
On the other hand, skin with warmer undertones looks beautiful in earthy tones, such as burnt orange, burgundy red, saturated yellow and grayish brown.
If you have dark skin and a warm undertone, you will look beautiful wearing colors reminiscent of autumn, dark green, taupe and camel aligned perfectly with orange colors. The same goes for peaches, corals and rose gold, these luscious shades are sure to brighten your skin. But, stay away from cool colors like royal blue, pale gray and white, as these tones can give your skin an ashy cast and make you look washed out.
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Find out how to match nail polish color to black skin tone with cool undertones
If you are a black woman with a cool skin undertone, your predominantly nail polish tones should be blue that combines with oceanic tones such as white, black, royal blue, gray and navy blue. Purples and pinks also look great on you, along with metallic silver and strong white, these tones contrast and therefore neutralize the natural red in your skin.
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Learn how to match nail polish color to black skin tone with neutral undertone
Now, if you don’t have warm or cool dark skin, you can have the best of both worlds, which means you can basically wear any color, isn’t that great?
Does this mean you can use all nail polish colors? No, because you also need to consider the contrast levels with your skin and find out what looks best on you.
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