Having a tan helps you look more healthy, attractive and makes you feel good about yourself, especially after spending some time chilling on the beach (using proper SPF, of course). But are you unsure about what color to compliment your tan when heading out later?
This article will discuss whether a while nail polish makes you look tan. The focus is to dive deeper into the aesthetics of white nail polish and seek the suitability of different tones of white with your skin color, especially when you’ve worked yourself on getting a nice tan lathering under the sun the whole day.
Does white nail polish make you look tan?
The ultimate neutral color, paired effortlessly with any skin tone, is white. Pairing white with tanned skin tones helps create a classy look that goes well with any attire you choose to wear on a particular day, depending on your mood.
Off-white can be considered ideal for a dark tan, while a brighter tone of white works amazingly well accentuating a light tan. White works well in complementing other colors and comes as one of the go-to choices when you’re in a dilemma regarding which tone to pick for your nails.
Is white polish flattering?
The neutral white color works well on all occasions, during any season, and on all skin tones bestowing a simple yet elegant look matching the persona you wish to carry.
Different levels of opacity (sheer to full) and varying undertones help mix it up for us to have quite some variety inside different white tones, giving us much more to choose from here.
To put it simply: white nails can never be boring. They are incredibly wearable, give out a fun statement even if you plan to keep it simple on the color radar, and look super flattering on everyone.
You can wear a classic crispy kind of white as the OPI Alpine Snow, which pops out an opaque bright and fresh glow vibing well with the summers.
Or, opt for an effortlessly cool gray-white shade as the Cannoli Wear OPI, which matches the chilly weather and your cute winter outfits, forming a different vibe as per se the winters.
If not, something in between like a soft marshmallow tone of white as the Essie Marshmallow or the OPI Funny Bunny; each gives a unique edge to match your attire per the outing.
You can even mix it up by throwing a pinkish white shade like the Sheer Nirvana tone of the Sally Hansen Color Therapy nail polish series.
Or a bluish-white shade such as the JINsoon Kookie White nail polish gives an illusion of feeling, making your nails show a shade of white, blue, gray, or even green depending on your angle: a mood ring for your nails.
If you want a shimmery and pearlescent look to get all the attention during the holiday season or at a party, you also have the OPI Kyoto Pearl or the iridescent Chantecaille’s Celestial Nail Sheer in Vega as your options to make you feel like an ice queen.
Nail polish tones to go with your tan (in general)
First things first, stay way away from blacks, greys, and reds. They will do nothing to compliment your perfectly tanned skin tone. Other than that, you can either go for a bright, neon tone to compliment your skin tone or a light, pastel tone to show some sense of contrast.
Here are a few options to help you decide which tone to go on with to bring out the best of you:
1. Soft Pink:
You can go for a pale, not-quite-white shade such as the Zoya Nail Polish in Juanita, which will give out an uber-girly kind of vibe, looking great both on your fingers and toes.
The all-natural ingredients of Zoya make sure that you do not have to worry about any harmful chemicals, making it an easy go-to pick.
2. Pastel Purple:
A combination of the white and blue shades mixed with a tone of pink gives out an icy contrast to a darker tan. The Essie Nail Polish in Virgin Snow is a good option for this shade, giving out a beautiful lavender-inspired glow.
Other options include English Lavender by Butter London and the Lilac Baguette Me Not by Essie, each adding a remarkable delicate touch.
3. Opaque White:
It is the ultimate neutral choice with lighter and darker skin tones. It goes the same job as white clothing, never failing to make you feel like the main character, prevailing it as an excellent go-to choice. The Nonie Creme Colour Prevails Nail Lacquer and the JINsoon Kookie White are perfect choices.
4. Coral:
The Coral polish is your pick if you cannot decide between pink and orange. This particular shade blends magnificently with the warm shades of your skin, becoming more prominent with your tan.
It has an undertone of all the warm shades. Options like the Essie Nail Polish in Tart Deco or the Nars Nail Polish in Orgasm work out perfectly well, going along with your natural tan.
5. Butter:
This underrated tone of beige-yellow blend gives out a springy and soft feeling if you aspire for one. Options such as Elevé Cosmetics Nail Pop in Shirley are timeless beauty giving out greater attention that you fully deserve, having a chip-resistant and high-coverage formula made of a pale and creamy tone for your fingertips.
6. Fresh Grass:
The Fresh grass tone resembles the fresh grass you see after the last Snow in winter melts off, which you can wear with literally anything. It gives out a vibrant yet soothing tone to your nails.
Options such as Sparitual’s Morning Dew consist of a hydrating and nutritious mix, including seaweed extract and argan oil, giving an active fresh feeling with its grassy green hue.
7. Fluorescent Orange:
This vibrant tangerine shade does a great job enhancing the warm tones in your summer glow, making you look extra sun-kissed. Options for you to try this out are Olive & June’s Sweet & Gracious and L’Oreal Colour Riche Nail Polish in Tangerine Crush.
Both give the perfect glow for your tan, which can be enhanced further by trying it with a gold glitter accent for a real double-whammy for your fingernails.
8. Sparkling Rose:
A perfect way to show off your favorite bubbly wine is the Sparkling rosé tone (yes, it feels extra special with the accent).
Having a clear base covered in silver glitter and ultrafine pink, a long-time fan favorite of this shade is the Smith & Cult’s Ponies Dancing in the Snow, free from bubbles all-together from the brand’s new Officially Obsessed Collection. It instantly elevates everyone wearing this from ordinary to extraordinary.
9. Sunshine Yellow:
This Brazil-themed polish gives out a neon glow that reflects your striking and outgoing personality following the festivals and beaches (wear this and go to the Summer Olympics in Rio).
If you want to move on to more bright and vibrant shades to contrast with your skin tone, this shade is perfect for that. With a couple of coats of this, your tan will appear darker like no other, providing great contrast.
Options include the OPI Nail Polish in I Just Can’t Cope-acabanna, which, just like the name suggests, makes it incredibly difficult to cope up with a glaze such as yours.
10. Hot Pink:
Another contrasting and glossy neon shade, this polish seriously throws out a huge wow factor, perfectly popping out your tanned skin tone.
Options such as the China Glaze Nail Polish Wow Factor PINK VOLTAGE, the Color Club Nail Polish in Kapow, and Put the Top Down by Orly does a brilliant job of perfectly encapsulating the spirit of a warm-weather vacation to go with your tan. Extra points for aesthetics that complement a shine enhancer and nail hardener.
11. Bright Blue:
A classic choice to pop out your tan with a contrast that helps bring out the warmer tones in your skin. Choices include the NARS Night Out and the Essie Butler Please, both cool tones having a mix between cobalt when you want a pop of color and navy because it looks black from afar, making it a perfect spring-time shade compliment your skin tone.
12. Shimmering Gold:
If you want to go for something way bold and bright to ramp up the OOTD of any occasion or party, you can go for this foil twinkle formula to have a rich and outgoing contrast with your tanned skin tone.
The gold glitter reflects all the light bestowing upon it, giving a fine bold and bright matte finish.
Options such as the Deborah Lipman Nail Polish in Boom Boom Pow and the ZOYA Pixie Dust Nail Polish–Solange Pixiedust makes your summer glow even more appealing (or glowy-er).
13. Grape Candy:
If you want to go full nostalgic with an amethyst with a myrrh kind of undertone rich, chilly, and full of a burst of color, you can admirably capture the vibe going with a lovely grape-flavored candy shade having a smooth and perfect intense finish.
Options for this shade include the JUICE Nail Polish – Grape Purple – 79 and Habit’s 45 Belladonna, having dynamic and super-rich colors going with the trendy vibe. Features include a high-gloss shine with no toxic chemicals that may ruin your nails, creating an effect of perfect contrast.
14. Cacao:
If you want to go for a modern take on chocolate brown, that’s just the perfect amount of decadent, so to match the outright vibe given by Hailey Beiber or Kourtney Kardashian, this shade is your go-to choice to compliment your tan.
This shade has a polished and opaque surface that is hard to neglect. It is classy without being too boring or predictable.
Matching it with a flexible lipstick such as the LondontownLakur Enhanced Color in Teak from Revlon gives you extra marks to go and light up the spring outings. Options include the Olive & June CN, the ORLY Canyon Clay, and the Kiara Sky Midwest to go full bold and diva-like with your attire.
What color nail polish looks best with a tan?
Many amicable options were given above for nail polish shades, totally striking it out with your amazing tanned skin tone. But what takes the cake amongst all is the simple yet elegant, neutrally appealing shade of white. It has aesthetics that match both lighter and darker tones.
White blends bang-on with the outfit and other accessories you desire to feel like, going out for any occasion in any season per se.
Keeping it simple yet elegant, giving your fingernails a white shade makes your look even more flattering, blending perfectly with any party or occasion to feel like rocking.
White gives a perfect balance and edge over the other still-amazing options recommended above, looking up as the best among all options.
The other options also throw a starking appeal on you, making them an equally awesome choice to wear for the day. Mixing and matching with your level of tan, you can use them without ado to absolutely slay it like the queen you are.
Just remember, again, stay away from red, black, and grey.
Conclusion
Don’t we all love a generous amount of tan when we return from beaches? I think it reflects the fun we have during our beach trips, and one should never shy away from getting it. Tanned skin is attractive, just like any other skin tone.
But we end up having a lot of inhibitions at times. Society makes us question whether or not a particular color would go with it.
While some colors look very flattering on tanned skin, some may look slightly off. Understand the color schemes better, and you have nothing to worry about here.