Nude Nails: A Sleek Alternative to Nail Art

Perhaps it’s only my inner  Maggie Smith peeking through, but I am just not catching on to all this fuss about fancy nail art. Now, I’m not mounting the sartorial high horse here and  saying I don’t pay attention to trends; I’ve purchased my fair share of straw fedoras, crop tops,  and printed pants, too.

But, as a busy student turned summer intern, I have yet to find a spare 70 minutes to steady my shaky, caffeine-addicted fingers and paint my nails with a nail art masterpiece. Moreover, having harbored the occasional nail-biting habit since childhood, getting a fancy ikat or polkadot manicure is a bit risky.  That Sistine Chapel ceiling of a manicure might start to look like a Jackson Pollock real quick. (Although I’m sure a Pollock-inspired manicure has been tried before, and if not, feel free to steal my idea for a DIY via Pintrest.)

I am willing to accept the fact that I may be alone on this one, but humor me for a moment: in formally announcing her engagement, did Kate Middleton sport a Union Jack painted on her nails because she knew millions of people would soon ogle at her left hand for years to follow? Nope. She chose a simple, clean polish, Essie’s Blushing Bride in fact.

Of course we all do not have a sapphire ring to steal the focus, yet you’d be surprised at how polished a simple, nude-polished nail can look. Furthermore, it’s much harder to notice chipping with a transparant nude or pink.  Here are some other colors to try:

Dior Vernis: Safari Beige

Deborah Lippmann: Naked 

Essie: Room with a View

-Bridget McGeehan