Nail Polish Color Guide

A guide to every 100% PURE nail polish, complete with shade descriptions and a category breakdown!

Posted on January 4, 2019 Written by: 100% PURE^®

Bath, Body & Hair // Makeup // Jan 4, 2019 // 100% PURE^®

It’s manicure day, and you’re stuck sitting in front of your nail polish collection. Which color should you choose? Wait, let’s reverse that - are your polishes 10-free? You’ll first want to make sure the shade you’re using is free of nasty ingredients like formaldehyde, camphor, and toluene, before you even THINK about putting it on your precious nails!

Once you’ve committed to the 10-free lifestyle, you can move onto the fun part: color selection. Matching your nail polish to your outfit, your eyes, your purse - whatever floats your boat! We’ve got a color guide to 10-free nail polishes in the shimmery, red, pink, or nude categories. We’ll make it easy for you to find your perfect manicure (or pedicure) BFF!

Shimmer Nail Polish

A buildable shimmer polish is the secret weapon in your makeup kit. You can go barely-there shimmer, neutral shimmer, or full-blown shimmer queen! These colors are perfect on their own, but also make stunning top coats for solids.

I 🖤 You: Sheer, baby pink shimmer

Ambrosia Melon: Sheer, pinky coral shimmer

Souffle: Semi-sheer, deep cocoa brown with silver metallic sheen

Pinkerton: Semi-sheer, pale pink with soft silver shimmer

Sugar: Sheer, brown sugar-gold with fine grains of warm sparkle

Wedding: Sheer, nude peach with warm gold shimmer

PRO TIP:Try an ombre effect with your shimmer polish! Start by wiping excess polish from your brush. Then, on either a base coat or clear coat, start from the tip of the nail and lightly brush downwards, stopping at the center of your nail. You’ll give the lightest shimmer effect to the tips of your nails, while still showing the color beneath!

Red Nail Polish

Practically nail polish royalty, red is a shade that will never go out of style. It looks stunning on any skin tone, comes in dozens of varietals, and makes for a safe go-to when you can’t choose a shade for your manicure. Red is especially striking on pale skin, and looks positively elegant on deep skin tones.

Tomato: Bright tomato red

Pie: Deep, burgundy wine red

Jam: Deep, classic red with a slight berry undertone

Watermelon: Vibrant medium red with an orange undertone

Wedding: Sheer, nude peach with warm gold shimmer

Pink Nail Polish

Pinks are complimentary on cool skin tones - those with undertones of pink or blue - but that doesn’t mean warm skin tones can’t wear them! On golden or olive skin, cooler pinks tend to pop, while warmer or more neutral pinks will enhance skin’s glow. Choosing a pink polish is like choosing a red one: once you find “your” pink, it becomes your signature shade!

Crush: True bubblegum pink

Innocence: Soft, pastel pink

Kiss: Deep magenta pink

Juice: Vibrant coral pink

First Love: Ultra light pink with a beige undertone

Soul Mate: A warm pink with peachy nude undertones

Nude Nail Polish

Can you ever go wrong with going nude? We think not. Nudes are - you heard it hear first - always the answer to an uninspired manicure day. Not feeling the reds, pinks, or glitter? Nudes are safe, reliable, and can be played up for a professional or glam look.

Gelato: Medium, grey nude with a purple undertone

Velveteen: Deep, dusty pink nude with a warm brown undertone

Tart: Deep cranberry nude with a brown undertone

For a Professional Manicure Finish

For the full manicure effect, you can add either a ridge filler, base coat, or top coat - or, all three. Ridge fillers help to even the texture of your nail for a more smooth, seamless polish application. Base coats use strengthening ingredients like horsetail to fortify and protect the nail while you wear your polish. Finally, top coats are designed to protect your color from chipping, cracking, and thinning. Always apply a top coat if you’re looking for a professional finish, or simply want your color to last longer!