These 20 Nude Polishes Are Like Foundation for Your Nails

Whether you want a clean base for nail art or an overall minimal look, nude nail colors are your best friend. These hues are neutral, flesh-toned shades that provide a seamless transition from nail to skin explains celebrity manicurist Gina Edwards.

“When choosing a nude shade, there are tons of options. “A nude nail color is a neutral tone that has a brown, tan, pink, or white undertone,” says nail artist Tara Hayes. “There are many tones and opacities of nudes, both in the cool family and warm family. Usually, they can be anywhere from full coverage to a thin veil of color or a multitude of opacities.”

A good rule of thumb? Choose a color that’s close to your nail bed, skin tone, or any shade in between. Think of them like a foundation for your nails — they provide a hint of color for a your-nails-but-better finish. Browse 30 of our favorite nude nail colors and find your perfect fit below.

1) Hermés Rose Baltique

“Rose Baltique is a light pink, mauve-y color that’s a great base,” says Edwards. The polish has a fluid texture with intense pigment, allowing you to easily get a smooth finish on top of a long-lasting lacquered shine.

2) OPI Baby, Take a Vow

“OPI’s Baby, Take a Vow is a soft, delicate, and timeless nude perfect for anyone with a preference for sheer elegance,” says Hayes. “Its light-beige undertone create a natural and sophisticated appearance that complements a wide range of skin tones. It is a very sheer color where your natural nail bed is almost visible.”

3) Gelish Tweed Me!

“For full coverage, Gelish Tweed Me! enhances manicures for darker skin tones,” says Haye. “It has a unique combination of warm beige and mauve undertones. It gives a chic Sex In the City vibe.” Note that this is a gel polish.

4) OPI Put it in Neutral

Edwards is also a huge fan of Put it in Neutral from OPI. It’s a sheer, milky pink-beige that supplies that your-nails-but-better effect. The formula is fast-drying and provides up to seven days of wear.

5) Gucci Beauty Ellen Blush

Ellen Blush is an opaque pinky-beige shade with a long-lasting glossy shine. The formula is fast-drying and plant-based.

6) DND Gel Sheer Nude

For a sheer nude without any pink, aptly named Sheer Nude is a great gel-polish option. It has a glass-like jelly finish and allows the details of your natural nail to shine through. Think of it like a foundation for your nail.

7) Luxio Blush

This sheer blush shade is described by the brand as the perfect base for a French manicure. It’s a gel polish with a creamy consistency that goes on smooth.

8) Lights Lacquer Donatello

Donatello is a warm nude that’s perfect if you want to go darker than your natural nail bed. It’s especially gorgeous against deeper skin tones. It’s a jelly formula that goes on sheer and is buildable.

9) DND Gel Russet Tan

Russet Tan is a super pretty deep mauve that leans a bit brown. It’s a gel polish with a smooth formula so you can work in thin layers.

10) OPI Samoan Sand

Edwards also likes to use Samoan Sand by OPI. It’s an opaque beige with warm-honey undertones.

11) Peacci Woody

From Peacci’s Nu Nudes Collection, Woody is a gorgeous rich brown. It has orange undertones, which keeps the shade nice and warm.

12) Pear Nova Michelle Our Mama

Named after former First Lady Michelle Obama, this is a gorgeous medium brown shade with neutral undertones. The polish is vegan and 10-free.

13) Hermès Rose Coquille

This sheer shade is a light and delicate pink with a hint of beige. The polish is made in France and is composed with at least 71 percent ingredients of natural origin.

14) 786 Cosmetics Sakura

This creamy, deep beige is a great Halal-certified nude. The polish is water-permeable and 21-free, making it permissible to wear during prayer.

15) Pear Nova Diana Boss

Named after Diana Ross, Diana Boss is a warm and creamy beige. The formula is vibrant, long-lasting, vegan, and cruelty-free.

16) Le Mini Macron Oat Milk

Oat Milk from Le Mini Macron is a muted milky beige. It’s a three-in-one gel polish, meaning you can apply it on its own without a separate base and top coat.

17) Pear Nova Biscuits & Honey

Biscuits & Honey is a creamy beige shade with subtle pink undertones. It’s a gel polish that has a super smooth formula so you can work in thick coats.

18) People of Color Pink Sand

Pink Sand is a true pinky nude. It’s an opaque polish that’s made in a 10-free formula.

19) Addiction Tokyo Lost in Paris

Lost in Paris is a great nude if you want something with a little sparkle. It’s a baby pink with a super-subtle pearlescent shimmer.

20) OPI Bare My Soul

Bare My Soul is a sheer beige shade with a hint of mauve. It’s a chic and simple barely there color.