How to choose a nail colour that suits you

Standing in front of a wall of colours, most of us reach for the same few shades every time. That is not a bad instinct, but a few simple considerations can help you choose with more confidence, and avoid a colour that looks lovely in the bottle and less so on your hands.

Look at your undertone

Your skin has an undertone that stays the same whatever its depth: warm, cool or neutral. A quick check is the veins on your inner wrist. Greenish veins suggest warm; bluish or purple suggest cool; a mix suggests neutral. Another clue is jewellery: if gold tends to look better against your skin, you are probably warm; if silver does, probably cool.

• Warm undertones. Corals, terracotta, warm reds, golden nudes and olive greens.
• Cool undertones. Blue-based reds, berry, mauve, soft pinks and grey-blues.
• Neutral undertones. Most shades work; choose by mood and occasion.

These are guides, not rules. If you love a colour, wear it. A shade from outside your family can still work if you adjust it slightly: a warm-toned person drawn to pink can choose a peachier pink, and a cool-toned person drawn to orange can choose a red-leaning coral.

Consider depth and contrast

Undertone tells you which family of colours to look at. Depth tells you how strong a shade to choose within it. On fair skin, a very dark polish creates high contrast and looks bold and graphic; a soft pastel blends in. On deeper skin, pale pastels and bright whites stand out sharply, while rich, saturated shades sit more comfortably.

Neither is right or wrong. High contrast draws attention to the hands; low contrast looks quietly polished. Decide which effect you want before choosing the shade. The size of your hands plays a part too: on small hands, a very high-contrast colour can dominate, while a softer contrast keeps the hand looking balanced.

Think about the occasion

Consider where your hands will be seen. For work, a soft nude, a sheer pink or a muted classic tends to sit quietly. For an evening out, a deep red or an inky shade feels more deliberate. For a holiday or a special event, it is a good moment to try something you would not usually choose.

Think about what you will be wearing, too. A colour does not need to match an outfit, but it should not argue with it. Neutrals and classic reds work with almost anything; brighter shades are easier to wear when the rest of the outfit is calm.

Match colour to length

Dark and bright colours draw the eye to the nail itself, which makes short nails look neat and intentional. Pale and nude shades make the nail blend into the finger, which lengthens the hand. If you want short nails to look longer, a nude close to your skin tone does the most work. For more on this, see our ideas for short nails.

On longer nails, very dark colours can look heavy, simply because there is more of them. A mid-tone or a sheer finish often looks lighter at length.

Hands and toes

Toes are a good place to be bolder. They are seen less often, wear more slowly and are not in constant use, so a bright red or a saturated colour holds up well there. Many people keep a quieter shade on their hands and something stronger on their feet. A pedicure is an easy way to try a colour you are unsure about.

The skin of the feet is often a slightly different tone from the hands, and toenails are smaller relative to the toe, so a colour can look a little deeper on your feet than it does on your fingers. It is worth testing a shade on both before deciding they should match.

Hands and toes do not have to match. A shared tone, such as a soft nude on the hands and a deeper rose on the toes, looks coordinated without being identical.

Sheer or opaque

Sheer colours let a little of the natural nail show through. They look fresh, forgive small imperfections and grow out gracefully, because the gap at the cuticle is hard to see. Opaque colours give a smooth, uniform finish and a stronger statement, but regrowth and any chips are more noticeable.

Sheer shades do show what is underneath, including ridges, marks or discolouration. If your nails are uneven in tone, an opaque or semi-opaque shade gives a cleaner result.

Gloss, shimmer and other finishes

The same colour reads differently depending on its finish. A high-gloss cream is the classic choice and the easiest to wear. Shimmer adds movement and softens the look of small flaws. A pearl or chrome finish catches the light as your hands move and works well over pale bases; our guide to chrome nails explains how those are made. Matte finishes look modern but show oils and wear sooner, so they suit a short-term look better than a long one.

Plan for upkeep

Be honest about how much attention you want to give your nails between appointments.

1. Dark colours show wear. A small chip on navy or black is visible from across a table; the same chip on a nude barely registers.
2. Regrowth shows on opaque shades. If you rebook every three to four weeks, any colour is fine; if you stretch it, choose something sheer.
3. Gel lasts longer than classic polish. Worth considering for a colour you want to stay perfect. Our comparison of gel and regular polish covers the differences.

Common mistakes

• Choosing from the bottle. Polish looks different on the nail, especially sheer and shimmer shades. Look at a swatch on a nail, or on your own hand, before deciding.
• Judging under one light. Indoor lighting warms colours. Check a shade in daylight if you can.
• A nude that is too pale. A nude lighter than your skin can make the fingers look washed out. Choose one close to your own tone or a shade deeper.
• Ignoring the state of your nails. A peeling or ridged nail looks better under an opaque colour than a sheer one until the condition improves.

Questions people ask

Is there a colour that suits everyone? A red with a balanced undertone, neither very blue nor very orange, comes close. So does a sheer pink with a hint of warmth.

Can I wear dark colours on short nails? Yes. Dark shades often look their best on short, neat nails.

How do I choose a nude? Hold the shade against the skin of your finger. The right nude looks almost continuous with it, perhaps a touch lighter or warmer.

Should my colour change with the seasons? Only if you want it to. Wear what you enjoy looking at.

Which colours hide wear best? Sheer pinks, soft nudes and shimmer finishes. Chips, scratches and regrowth are all far less visible than on dark or opaque cream shades.

A quick checklist

• Work out your undertone, then choose the depth of shade you want.
• Consider where your hands will be seen and what you will be wearing.
• Use nudes to lengthen; use deep colours to make short nails look deliberate.
• Be bolder on your toes if you are unsure.
• Choose sheer for easy grow-out, opaque for a smooth, even finish.
• Check the shade in daylight before committing.

If you cannot decide, bring a photo of a colour you like and we will help you choose at your manicure.