# Suggest a nail polish color **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743 "2010-02-05T00:34:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/1 "2010-02-05T00:34:50Z")
I can never pick a color. I mean, toes, fine, but I rarely wear polish on my fingernails and whenever I do I can’t ever pick one (and I always think it looks weird anyway, because I’m not used to it.) I’m really fair and have long skinny knobby fingers and short nails. I am not growing my nails longer. Dark colors look weird on my hands, although I love them on my toes. Suggestions? Is there really a fabled “universal nail polish color”? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/2 "2010-02-05T00:46:38Z")
I have awful fingernails and tend to go with a bland beige. My favorite beige is OPI “Skinny Dipping In Lake Michigan” just cause I love the name! ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/3 "2010-02-05T01:24:04Z")
If you think it looks weird because you’re not used to it, how about trying a color that closely matches the natural color of your nail beds? Makes your nails look longer because they are one continuous color from bed through tips, and will look natural to you because it’s the normal color of your nails, just with a bit more shine. When I wear nail polish, which is not often, I tend to go with some version of “SpoilerVirgin’s nails pink”. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/4 "2010-02-05T02:03:01Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Is there really a fabled “universal nail polish color”? Yes. It’s called “Ballet Slippers” by Essie. It’s a sheer that’s often used for french manicures. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/5 "2010-02-05T02:27:17Z")
For you I think I’d go with a sheer opal. It gives a finished look, with soft and shimmery opal highlights. Goes with everything and anything you might wear, and looks great at the beach or at a formal dinner. Looks better the shorter the nail, IMO. But especially for someone who finds other colors a bit startling, the sheer opals look great and not too flashy. I’m also the sort who would put down a layer of black with the opal on top, so YMMV! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/6 "2010-02-05T03:06:31Z")
I just got a new colour that I’m really digging on my fair skin - it’s sort of a dark pink. It’s by L’Oreal - the shade is [“Color Of Hope.”](http://www.ocrf.org/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=55&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=420) The colour online doesn’t do it justice - it’s kind of halfway between pink and mauve, with a dark rather than bubble-gummy tone. It’s a grown-up pink. ---
**Author:** ![StrangeBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@StrangeBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangeBird)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/7 "2010-02-05T07:15:11Z")
A subtle shade of pink is definitely the way to go. Generally speaking I don’t like pink in other contexts (I don’t own any pink clothing, for example). However, when it comes to nails a pinkish colour is the most natural looking. Pale colours are also better for shortish nails anyway. Or sometimes I’ll even just go with a clear polish. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/8 "2010-02-05T07:19:32Z")
I have two very neutral colors from OPI that I really like. “Not tonight honey” is approximately the same shade as my skin. I wear it when my nails are short, because it sort of blends in and makes them look longer. The other one is “Suzi and the lifeguard”–kind of a pearly pink. It’s a pearlescent version of the color my nails actually are, and gives a finished look. When the nails are long, or if I need more glamour, “Big Apple Red.” A nice, true red. I often have that one on my toes. Goes with everything. And I love those names. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/9 "2010-02-05T14:51:39Z")
Heh. I usually go with firetruck red because, why the hell not? Usually only toes but sometimes fingers too. Right now I am wearing a sort of fuschia on my toes, however, and my nails have none. I don’t wear just clear polish; it’s either a color or nothing. I have very healthy nails, though. I did find a coppery tone I just love recently. But it goes really well with my skin tone, which is caramel. I’m not sure how it would look on other skin tones. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/10 "2010-02-05T15:44:25Z")
I don’t usually wear polish on my fingernails, but I love love love the dark, metallic sapphire I paint my toenails now and then. Which reminds me, they’re bare right now. I need blue toes again, stat. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/11 "2010-02-05T16:39:04Z")
I don’t like polish on my fingernails (it feels like they can’t breathe - yeah, I know), but my toenails are always polished because plain toenails look yucky to me. I like using unusual colours on my toenails sometimes - I have some lovely purples, greens and blues for these purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/12 "2010-02-05T17:26:08Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Yes. It’s called “Ballet Slippers” by Essie. It’s a sheer that’s often used for french manicures. Seconded - that’s the one I came in to recommend. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/13 "2010-02-05T18:39:28Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > And I love those names. I can’t find it on the OPI site, but I heard somewhere that they have hilarious meetings where they all sit around and brainstorm names for the upcoming collections. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at one of those sessions. I wonder if “I’m Not Really A Waitress” is still their best-selling color. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/14 "2010-02-05T20:17:03Z")
I like OPI’s Nomad’s Dream as an all purpose, nudish nail color. Works better with my skin tones than pink - which doesn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/15 "2010-02-05T22:01:29Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I can’t find it on the OPI site, but I heard somewhere that they have hilarious meetings where they all sit around and brainstorm names for the upcoming collections. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at one of those sessions. > > I wonder if “I’m Not Really A Waitress” is still their best-selling color. My dream job is still naming either OPI shades or BeneFit products (you’ve got to love a company who’d name an eyeshadow Roadkill). ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-nail-polish-color/527743/16 "2010-02-05T22:39:00Z")
I’d reccomend purple - because I looove purple. I have found that colours only looked weird because “I” was not used to wearing that colour. If you are not sure about a colour ask someone else what they think.