Nude nails are chic, timeless, and sophisticated. They elongate your fingers, never clash with your outfit, and chips are hardly noticeable. But wearing the wrong shade for your skin tone can leave you looking washed out. That’s why we enlisted the help of Tom Bachik, global nail artist for L’Oréal Paris and manicurist to stars like Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston.
Here are his tips for finding the perfect nude.RELATED: Celebrity Manicurist Tom Bachik Spills the Details on Nail Looks to Expect at the Golden Globes
The first step is to determine your undertone, or the color that lies beneath the skin. “Check out the veins on the underside of your arm,” Backik tells InStyle. “If they’re primarily green, you’re more warm tone, and if they’re bluish in tone you’re on the cool side.” You can also go by the type of jewelry you wear, he says. If your skin looks best in silver, you likely have a cool undertone, but if gold is your go-to, you’re probably on the warmer side.
“Now look for shades of nude that are on the tan (warm) side or grayish (cool) side,” he adds. “I recommend going a shade lighter/darker than your skin tone for a clean but deliberate look.”
If You Have Fair Skin:
Bachik’s Pick: L’Oréal Paris in Eva’s Nude, $6; lorealparisusa.com.
Also Try: Deborah Lippmann in Naked, $18; nordstrom.com and Zoya in Chantal, $9; zoya.com.
If You Have Medium Skin:
Bachik’s Pick: L’Oréal Paris in Julianne’s Nude, $6; lorealparisusa.com.
Also Try: Smith & Cult in Ghost Edit, $18; smithandcult.com and Essie in All Tied Up, $8; essie.com.
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If You Have Olive Skin:
Bachik’s Pick: L’Oréal Paris in Doutzen’s Nude, $6; lorealparisusa.com.
Also Try: Essie in Not Just a Pretty Face, $9; essie.com and Jin Soon in Nostalgia, $18; jinsoon.com.
If You Have Dark Skin:
Bachik’s Pick: L’Oréal Paris in Liya’s Nude ($6; lorealparisusa.com).
Also Try: RGB Cosmetics in Haze, $18; rgbcosmetics.com and Essie in Smokin’ Hot, $9; essie.com.
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