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The Best Nail Polish Colors for Every Skin Tone

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Every time you hit the salon, you pine for trendy greige nails. But try as you might, you end up looking more like a character on The Walking Dead than you were going for. The key to the ideal manicure: Finding the shades that play up your natural complexion. Here are the best.

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mila kunis olive skin
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Best For Olive Skin

If you’re on the taupe side with yellow undertones, go warm with a peach or gold to elongate your fingers.

anne hathaway
James Devaney/Getty Images

Best For Fair Skin

Pastel colors—like the lightest of lavenders—are key for all-over pale tones.

j lo bronze skin
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Best For Bronze Skin

You’re one of the lucky few who can pull off hot shades like tangerine without looking like a 17-year-old.

gabrielle union dark skin
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Best For Medium Brown Skin

Super-saturated colors—whether a bold fuchsia or an electric cobalt—look best with darker hands.

ginnifer goodwin peachy skin
Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images

Best For Peachy Skin

Your porcelain complexion shines with blue-based reds and deep berry shades.

katie holmes beige skin
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Best For Beige Skin

If you’ve got even beige tones, look for hues on the frosty side. A cool pink with silver notes is just right.

lupita
Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images

Best For Dark Skin

The darker your skin, the more colors you can pull off. But we love the way metallics and jewel tones pop.



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