Everything you need to Know About Nude Acrylics – Discover My Favorite Nude Polishes!

Sometimes simple is better when it comes to manicures – yes, you did read that right, and going au naturel with nude polish doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it can be the epitome of style and elegance, and even at the highest echelons of the celeb world, nude nails are trending.

Only a couple of years ago, nude polish was either dull and flat, or way too pink to be natural. However, finally, the manufacturers of our fave polishes have got on board and developed some stunningly beautiful nude shades for us nail aficionados to play with.

How to Achieve the Perfect Nude Nails

• Make sure your natural nails are clean and that you’ve taken off any old polish with nail polish remover.
• Trim, file and buff your nails – they need to be fairly short for acrylic nails to have a firm base to adhere to, so approximately 2 millimeters beyond your fingertip is about right.
• Give them a light wipe over with polish remover just to ensure they are debris-free.
• Trim and file to size your clear acrylic nails, matching each nail to each finger and making sure you know which goes with which.
• Using your nail glue, place several drops across your nail bed, not forgetting to be careful close to the cuticle and around the edges.
• Firmly press on the acrylic nail, holding it in place for about 1 minute.
• Repeat across all of your nails.
• Take your base coat, once all your acrylics are stuck firmly, and apply a thin layer.
• Cure thoroughly
• Carefully add a layer of your chosen nude polish. If it looks streaky once it’s completely dry, apply another coat.
• Finally add two top coats, curing thoroughly in between.
• Admire your perfect nude nails.

I have chosen my three favorite nude polishes just for you…

1) OPI Nail Polish in Nude

What Makes it Great

OPI, with their usual reliability, have developed yet another stunning shade – Samoan Sand. This award-winning polish is a gorgeous beige pink tone that actually improves on nature’s nail bed color. Sliding on as smooth as silk, it cures rapidly, ready for the topcoat, and had only developed one tiny chip after two weeks of wear.

Where it Could be Improved

Upon opening the bottle, there were quite a few bubbles within the polish, however after rolling it gently between my palms, they had broken up completely, and the polish was smooth.

The Final Verdict

2) Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nude Nail Polish

What Makes it Great

Sally Hanson polishes include argan oil in their list of ingredients to enhance the moisture content in your nails, and provide intensive nourishment. Initially, I had my doubts, but when I eventually removed this polish, nearly three weeks later, my nails did indeed look slightly healthier, and after several uses, there was a marked improvement in their appearance. The polish is thicker than average, but goes on well, and only requires one coat to achieve the perfect nude tone.

Where it Could be Improved

The odor is a little eye-watering but soon clears, especially with an open window. This isn’t enough, however, to move Sally Hanson’s polish from its spot at number 2.

3) essie Nude Nail Polish

What Makes it Great

Although slightly paler than the previous two, this polish from Essie is still a great color. In a warm, neutral shade that develops into a pale tan once applied, Wild Nude is a great addition to any color collection, and as for longevity, it lasted almost three weeks before I needed to remove it due to chipping.

Where it Could be Improved

After applying the first coat of polish, it did appear a little streaky, but after adding another coat, it was perfect.