Nail Art Planner: Plan Designs, Colors, and Supplies
Choose a nail art design, your experience, nail length and polish type to get a supplies list, the steps for the design, a difficulty check and a…
Nail Color Matcher: Match Polish to Your Outfit
Choose the main color of your outfit and the kind of match you like to see nail polish colors that go with it: tonal, neutral, contrast or accent, with notes for the occasion.
The nail color matcher suggests polish colors for the outfit you plan to wear. You choose how you would like the nails to relate to the outfit, and it gives you two or three colors that do exactly that.
What this tool does
It reads the colors from a fixed table of 14 outfit colors and four kinds of match. It then adds a note for the occasion and, if a nude shade is among the suggestions and you gave your undertone, a note on which kind of nude to choose.
What you enter
| Field | Choices |
|---|---|
| Main color of your outfit | Black, white or cream, gray, navy, blue, red, pink, purple, green, yellow, orange, brown or beige, gold, silver |
| Kind of match | Tonal, neutral, contrast or accent |
| Occasion | Everyday, work, party or evening, wedding or formal event |
| Skin undertone | Optional: cool, warm, neutral or not sure |
For a patterned outfit, choose the color that covers the most.
The four kinds of match
| Kind | What it means | Example for a navy outfit |
|---|---|---|
| Tonal | The same color family, lighter or deeper | Navy, sky blue |
| Neutral | Quiet shades that go with everything | Nude pink, milky white |
| Contrast | A color that stands out against the outfit | Coral, burnt orange |
| Accent | A metallic or bright statement | Gold, classic red, white |
How the result is worked out
- The colors for your outfit and kind of match come straight from the table, and each is shown with a rough color dot.
- The occasion adds one line. For work, it points to sheer and cream finishes. For a party, to shimmer, metallic and glitter. For a formal event, to soft and classic shades.
- If a nude is suggested and you chose an undertone, a line says which nudes to look for: pink-toned for cool, peach, beige or caramel for warm.
- Under the result, a table shows all four kinds of match for the same outfit, so that you can compare.
Messages you may see
"Choose the main color of your outfit.", "Choose the kind of match you would like." and "Choose an occasion." appear when a list is left on "Choose".
How to use it
- Choose the color that covers most of your outfit.
- Choose the kind of match and the occasion.
- Select "Match my nail color".
- Compare the other three kinds of match in the table before you decide.
Worked example
A navy outfit, a neutral match, for work, with a warm undertone.
The result is nude pink or milky white. The note for work says that the tonal and neutral options in a sheer or cream finish are the safest where the dress code is formal. Because a nude is suggested, the matcher adds that nudes with peach, beige or caramel in them suit a warm undertone.
Limits and assumptions
The pairings follow general color principles: colors near each other look calm, and colors far apart stand out. They are suggestions, and there is no wrong color if you like it. Polish looks different on the nail than in the bottle, and the dots are approximate. For palettes with more than one color, see Nail Art Color Combinations: How to Choose a Palette and the Nail Art Planner.
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Frequently asked questions
What nail color goes with everything?
Sheer pink, nude, milky white and classic red. The neutral option in the matcher gives the quiet choices for each outfit color.
Should my nails match my outfit exactly?
They do not have to. An exact match can look flat. A lighter or deeper shade of the same color, which is the tonal option, usually looks more considered.
Do fingernails and toenails have to match?
No. Many people wear a neutral on the hands and a brighter color on the toes. The same color family, or a classic red, works with open shoes.