Nails are a great way to showcase your personality. So we have decided to put together this Ultimate Guide to Nail Colors for Dark Skin Tones.

However, finding the right nail color shades that suit your skin tone can take some trial and error. We receive many requests for help from our readers and community at Body Bedazzle asking “How to discover that perfect nail polish for your skin tone?”

In this article we will tackle questions like:

“What is the best nail polish for dark hands?“

“How to pick nail polish colors that flatter your skin tone?“

We’ve also decided to include a range of nail art images throughout the article to provide a little inspiration for our readers.

What color is my skin tone?

Image Credit: theklog

Before you race out to buy the hottest trending nail polish colors you will need to determine if that color shade is right for you. How you may ask? Your answer will depend on your skin tone.

Many people tend to overlook this important piece of the puzzle when choosing the colors and clothes of their next outfit. However, if you master this crucial fact, it can be the difference from colors making you look radiant OR highlighting those bags under your eyes!

“…skin tone is NOT the same as skin color…”

It may interest you to learn that skin tone is not the same as skin color. While your dark skin color does play an important role, your skin tone will also impact the color that best suits your skin.

Skin tones can be WARM, COOL or NEUTRAL. It is important to note that all skin colors can be warm, cool or neutral.

To determine your skin tone you will need to experiment how it interacts with specific colors.

The LIPSTICK TEST

To determine your skin tone you can try the lipstick test. To perform this test, apply HOT PINK lipstick on one side of your lips and BRIGHT orange lipstick to the other side. Next step is to check yourself out in a mirror (or ask an honest friend) to see which one suits you better. If hot pink is the go you have cooler tones in your skin. Whereas you have warmer undertones if orange stands out more as the winner.

The VEIN TEST

Another test you can perform at home is the vein test. The easiest way to do this is to pull your sleeves up and turn your palm to face upwards to see the veins on your wrist.

If your veins appear as bluish / purple then you have cooler skin tones. Where as, green veins tend to suggest warmer skin tones.

Note if you are having trouble determining the color, then you most likely have neutral skin tones.

Unfortunately this test may not work for everyone, for the veins need to be quite prominent to evaluate the color that shows. For those that have very faint veins it is probably recommended sticking to the lipstick test (above).

How to choose nail polish colors that match your skin tone

Now that you have determined your skin tone you can start to explore the shades of color that will complement your warm or cool skin.

Warm Skin Tones

Warm undertones suit nail polishes that are (you guessed it) warm. Sound obvious doesn’t it! Colors like peach and orange-pink shades will blend nicely with your warm skin tones and bring a glow to your skin.

Cool Skin Tones

Because cool skin tones naturally exhibit pink hues and cool undertones, light pinks work well to accentuate your skin.

You can also experiment with nail polish shades that have bluish undertones, which acts to balance the natural pink hues.

Neutral Skin Tones

In general, neutral skin tones are best matched with olive, gold or yellow based shades. Fortunately because medium skin tones are generally a mix of cool and warm tones, you have a bit more flexibility with colors.

The one thing you will want to watch for are colors that act too dominant and will create an effect that will flush out your complexion.

Experiment is key – Be Bold!!!

Some may see pairing a color with darker skin as a challenge. We like to flip this thought on its head and encourage our readers to think more along the lines that they have cherished skin color that should be celebrated. Deep skin tones are one of the most beautiful colors to play with when it comes to nail polish colors.

We always encourage our readers to experiment with their looks (whether they are fair, olive, tan, dark or purple!). There is no shortage of colours for deeper skin tones that can freshen and create a new look. Bright bold colors pop in color and contrast when paired with dark skin. Darker shades of nail polish will give the feeling of style, color and taste.

Looking for neutral nail polish colours for darker skin tones?

Check out our guide for natural-looking nails where we provide some inspiration for neutral looks that will complement all tones of skin.

Main Takeaways

There you have it – a more measured guide to finding that perfect nail polish shade to match your dark skin. 

By now you should know your skin tone type, colors that will complement your complexion AND have the confidence and inspiration to go out and experiment with different nail polish shades for your deep toned skin. 

We wish we could simply say, “Here is the perfect color for your skin color and tone”. But that would just be boring. You have to remember each and every person has unique colors and tones in their skins that makes them special. As we always say at Body Bedazzle … “Be your own kind of beautiful”.

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