Are you fair skinned and want to wear a red polish? Or maybe, you have a medium olive skin tone and are looking for a pink polish that’s right for you. Here's a guide to help you choose the shade of polish most suited to your skin colour.
FAIR SKIN
Reds: Soft berry and wine reds with a blue undertone. (Try Passion or Ambition). Avoid reds with an orange undertone as these can make your hands look washed out and ashen.
Browns: Medium shades of brown with pink undertones or beige with pink undertones flatter fair skins. Mocha browns, and darker brown/pink polishes are also flattering for an evening nail look. (Try Bronzed Babe or Forbidden Territory). Avoid extra pale browns with yellow undertones as you’ll look like you have over done it with the cigarettes!
Pinks: Pinks look fantastic on fair skin. Sheer, natural shiny pink nails with blue undertones work well. Natural pinks with a slight gold shimmer also enhance this skin tone. Dusty roses with or without shimmer are good (Try Butterfly Wings or Sophisticated). Avoid hot pink polish as it overpowers fair skin.
MEDIUM SKIN
Reds: Dark reds are most flattering. Blue-reds brighten medium skin with a yellow undertone. Brown and reds will soften and look warm on medium skin. (Try Vamp or Radiant Ruby). Avoid orange based reds.
Browns: Stick to rich caramel shades, medium brown with yellow or pink undertones, and creamy coffee colour browns. Metallic browns in these varying shades can also be very flattering. (Try Chocoholic or Ambition). Avoid very pale browns as they can make medium skins look washed out.
Pinks: Rich and deep pinks look best on medium skin but sheer pinks also enhance and flatter medium skins. (Try Plush Pink or Barely There). Avoid metallic shades of pink.
OLIVE/YELLOWISH SKIN
Reds: Rich, deep brown reds and deep, dark berry shades. (Try Radiant Ruby or Passion). Avoid orange/reds and pink/reds.
Browns: Brown with a mahogany undertone work well with this skin tone. Also, rich browns that resemble coffee, toffee, and chocolate colours work well. (Try Ambition or Bronzed Babe)
Pinks: Deep berries; rich rose, and soft to medium plums are very flattering to this skin tone, which have very strong yellow undertones. (Try Plush Pink or All About Me)
Avoid pinks that are to cool and too light as these can drain.
BROWN/BLACK SKIN
Reds: Try red with a blue undertone, which are deep and rich. Also, mahogany, deep plums, and wine reds are worth trying. (Try Provocative or Best Seller) Avoid orange and pink reds, as they clash with this skin colour.
Browns: Almost any shade of brown suits black skin. Sheer and shimmer light browns to a rich, dark, coffee brown. (Try Forbidden Territory or Vamp)
Pinks: Soft sheer pinks are very flattering. Hot pinks can really enhance this skin tone. Purple and plums also flatter. (Try Glamour Puss or Rebel)