I bought my first nail polish in 3rd grade and I can say that makeup wise, I’ve always been into nail polish. I adored and hoarded pastel shades when I started, in college I had my pseudo-goth phase where I only wore black (I still had atleast 3), then came the time for glitters that still gives my nail bed nightmares. Throughout this “journey”, I held to my opinion of these random beige colours being utterly boring and I didn’t get why anyone would buy them. Until I bought one myself.
Wearing nude nail polish could probably be considered as a step towards successful adulting. There’s nothing that looks more polished and work appropriate. A little chip here or there doesn’t stand out glaringly and can be worn endlessly without being in trend. I’ve now become that person that always wears a nude polish on my tips but bright (and odd) colours on my toes. However, I do like variation with my nude shades and so here’s a compilation of my best neutral nail polishes. I wear all of them all year round.
I feel like there’s a good mix of warm and cool toned nude shades, they’re all quite different! Chanel Beige Beige is almost a warm pastel peach, I like this shade more in the bottle than on myself though. It’s also my least used shade, which is a shame because the formula is amazing. Very creamy and opaque in one coat. Chanel Organdi is also a new formulation but a bit more sheer than Beige Beige. It’s a lighter nude, slightly cool toned and my favourite out of all the Chanel polishes. Overall, this new Chanel formula is a bit thicker and more opaque than previous ones. Unfortunately it chips just as easily as the previous one on me. But I also use a topcoat, so I don’t find it to be too much of a hassle. Essie Ladylike has one of the better Essie formulas, opaque in one coat, it’s a very cool toned nude. Chanel Organdi is more neutral in comparison.
The next three I feel are actually very similar, almost dupes. YSL Beige Leger, Dior Grege and Chanel Rose Cache are all very neutral nudes and I feel along with Dior Incognito, these are the best shades of the lot. The YSL Beige Leger is sheer and needs 2-3 coats but wears really well. Dior Grege is a bit thicker and also more warm. I also love the wide brushes on these two polishes. In comparison, Chanel Rose Cache is sheer but the formula isn’t the best. You tend to get a patchy uneven application unless you apply 3 coats and it also chips easily.
If you asked me to pick a favorite from all of these, it would be Dior Incognito. The formula, how the shade looks, the application and wear time make this a perfect nude shade. It’s a bit darker than the previous nudes, which looks great on my hands. Tom Ford Mink Brulee is such a unique shade, I haven’t managed to find a dupe for this. the colour is rich and warm but also muted at the same time. Keeping deeper skintones in mind, I feel like this is a more universal shade when it comes to nudes. It’s really gorgeous and the packing feels so luxurious. However, it doesn’t have the best formula. ,
The following aren’t strictly nudes, they’re rosier but I love wearing these equally. Essie Eternal Optimist is a lovely medium toned rosy pink while Essie Island Hopping is a deeper muted mauve. Both of these have a really good opaque-in-one-coat formula. Chanel Rose Confidential is a gorgeous colour, a very muted rose pink, looks amazing on the nails.
(L-R) Chanel Beige Beige, Chanel Organdi, Essie Ladylike, YSL Beige Leger, Dior Grege, Chanel Rose Cache, Dior Incognito, Tom Ford Mink Brûlée, Essie Eternal Optimist, Chanel Rose Confidential, Essie Island Hopping
To be honest, I find it very difficult to swatch neutral nail polishes. The shade, undertone, how it looks on yourself can vary so much depending on lighting. I found it best to swatch it this way, so you can get an idea of the shade in comparison to something that maybe you’ve seen or own. Among all of these, I really love the formula of Dior nail polishes. It flows easily, not too thin or too thick, love the flat wide brush, makes it easy to coat nails in 1-2 swipes. I also find that they last longer with a topcoat. I wish they came in more colours but I’m always on the hunt to add more from Dior when new collections come in. By colour range, I would say Chanel has the most variety and the best nudes! Because all of these are thin in consistency, I recommend applying one layer, letting it dry completely and then going in for the second to avoid bubbles.
Last week was Diwali and I got a good 5 days off which was spent catching up with friends and stuffing my face with yum Diwali snacks. It’s been a good month! I’m so excited to be headed into winter, it’s my favourite time of the month! Also, random sidenote but has anyone been to Paris in winter? January specifically, how was your experience?
Chanel Le Vernis – Nordstrom
Dior Vernis Gel Shine & Long Wear Nail Lacquer – Nordstrom, Sephora
Essie – Ulta
YSL ‘La Laque Couture’ Nail Lacquer – Nordstrom
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer- Nordstrom, Beautylish
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