Nude nails scream simplicity, but in a subtle way of course. Clean, sharp and collected without the ‘phwoar I saw your nails from half a mile away’ scenario, these polishes work well to finish an outfit neatly and to keep nails from feeling naked. I say this as someone with the never-ending urge to keep my nails always painted, leaving my bare cuticles to rarely ever see the light of day. Considering you’re reading this on a beauty blog, I have the feeling you may be on the same boat; so these are my current top three nude polishes that I'd thoroughly recommend giving a try.
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Ciate’s Shooting Star acts as the foundation of my nude nail polish collection, being the lightest shade of my selected trio and therefore not matching my skin tone as well as the other two. Despite this being slightly tricky to work at first, I really like it when it's applied. This came with as a free sample from Marie Claire so is pretty difficult to find online, but Ciate do plenty of similar shades that can easily be picked up. (If you do struggle hunting down a similar shade, I’d give OPI’s Barre My Soul a try as the two seem pretty similar in colour.) If you’re looking for a cheaper option I’ll steer you towards Revlon’s Bare Bones, which from photos and reviews I’ve seen looks like a more pigmented version of Shooting Star. At £7.99 it is both cheaper and far more accessible, with it selling at your typical beauty hotspots such as Boots, Superdrug and online.
Caramel from Barry M’s latest collection, the matte nail paints, has impressed me hugely. Upon applying it I was pleasantly surprised at how well it matched my skin tone without making my nails look dead or lacklustre. My talons look long and polished with a nice edge to them thanks to the matte finish, something that is definitely on-trend this Autumn/Winter. At £3.99 it is an absolute bargain and I do see myself purchasing other shades, notably Mocha and Crush. Coming back to the nude theme, Caramel applies wonderfully and I would say it has average drying time. The finish lasts around two days, so when prepared with your trusty partner in crime (a good base/top coat) it should look killer for at least four days.
Rimmel’s Caramel Cupcake is a lovely peachy nude, but one that can be a bit difficult to wear. It applies wonderfully (as do all of the Rimmel nail polishes, thanks to the gorgeous brush) and has fantastic drying time, but can be difficult to match with your skin tone. It's brown base makes this a stronger colour than some of the others, but this makes it the perfect base for glittery topcoats or nail art if you're so inclined. However, the price is brilliant at £3.69 and I’d say it is worth giving a try if you’re dipping your toes into the nude nail waters.
So, will you be trying nude nails this Autumn/Winter? It’s going to be a struggle for me to inject some colour onto my nails this season; I’ve turned to the dark fleshy side.
Written by Thalia Fairweather
@thalialucyf![]()
Ciate’s Shooting Star acts as the foundation of my nude nail polish collection, being the lightest shade of my selected trio and therefore not matching my skin tone as well as the other two. Despite this being slightly tricky to work at first, I really like it when it's applied. This came with as a free sample from Marie Claire so is pretty difficult to find online, but Ciate do plenty of similar shades that can easily be picked up. (If you do struggle hunting down a similar shade, I’d give OPI’s Barre My Soul a try as the two seem pretty similar in colour.) If you’re looking for a cheaper option I’ll steer you towards Revlon’s Bare Bones, which from photos and reviews I’ve seen looks like a more pigmented version of Shooting Star. At £7.99 it is both cheaper and far more accessible, with it selling at your typical beauty hotspots such as Boots, Superdrug and online.
Caramel from Barry M’s latest collection, the matte nail paints, has impressed me hugely. Upon applying it I was pleasantly surprised at how well it matched my skin tone without making my nails look dead or lacklustre. My talons look long and polished with a nice edge to them thanks to the matte finish, something that is definitely on-trend this Autumn/Winter. At £3.99 it is an absolute bargain and I do see myself purchasing other shades, notably Mocha and Crush. Coming back to the nude theme, Caramel applies wonderfully and I would say it has average drying time. The finish lasts around two days, so when prepared with your trusty partner in crime (a good base/top coat) it should look killer for at least four days.
Rimmel’s Caramel Cupcake is a lovely peachy nude, but one that can be a bit difficult to wear. It applies wonderfully (as do all of the Rimmel nail polishes, thanks to the gorgeous brush) and has fantastic drying time, but can be difficult to match with your skin tone. It's brown base makes this a stronger colour than some of the others, but this makes it the perfect base for glittery topcoats or nail art if you're so inclined. However, the price is brilliant at £3.69 and I’d say it is worth giving a try if you’re dipping your toes into the nude nail waters.
So, will you be trying nude nails this Autumn/Winter? It’s going to be a struggle for me to inject some colour onto my nails this season; I’ve turned to the dark fleshy side.
Written by Thalia Fairweather
@thalialucyf