Find Your Shade
The right nail shade isn't about trends, it's about your undertone. Two people can wear the same red: on one it glows, on the other it fights the skin. This two-minute guide finds your undertone, matches it to the NailZen shades made for it, and lets you try everything on virtually below.
Step 1: Find your undertone
Three quick checks, do them in daylight:
- The vein test. Look at the veins inside your wrist. Greenish veins = warm undertone. Blue or purple veins = cool. A mix of both = neutral.
- The jewellery test. If gold jewellery flatters you more, you're warm. If silver looks better, you're cool. If both work, neutral.
- The sun test. Skin that tans easily and rarely burns leans warm; skin that burns first leans cool.
Most Indian skin tones, from ivory to deep, carry warm or neutral undertones with golden or olive depth, which is exactly what our shade range is built around.
Step 2: Match your undertone to shades
| Undertone | Your best nudes | Your best colours | Start with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm / golden | Caramel, honey and peach-based nudes, never grey-beige | Tomato reds, corals, golds, warm browns, olive | Naked Gold, Squirrel Love, Happy Soul, Gold French Set |
| Cool / rosy | Pink-based and mauve nudes | Blue-based reds, berries, wine, lilac, icy pastels | Velvet Kiss, Wine Date, Lilac Moment, Ice Queen |
| Neutral / olive | True beiges and soft mochas, almost everything works | Classic reds, dusty pinks, chocolate, jewel tones | Ruby Red, Mocha Square, Crystal Blush, Pearl Whisper |
Step 3: Factor in depth
Undertone picks the family; skin depth picks the intensity.
- Fair to light: soft shades stay soft, milky pinks, sheer nudes, classic French read elegant. Very pale polish can wash out; add one shade of warmth.
- Light to medium (most common): the sweet spot, nearly every shade works. Caramel nudes and true reds are effortless.
- Medium to deep: rich shades sing, oxblood, emerald, gold, chocolate, and bright corals create gorgeous contrast. Skip barely-there pinks that disappear; choose nudes one step deeper than your skin.
- Deep: high-contrast is your superpower, white French tips, gold chrome, jewel tones, and vivid reds look extraordinary.
Step 4: Match the moment
Once you know your families, shop by occasion: Office for quiet polish, Wedding for ceremony-ready classics, Festive for jewel tones and shimmer, Everyday for live-in-them nudes. Or browse everything and trust your undertone.
Step 5: Try it on, below
Use the virtual try-on under this guide: pick any shade from the full range, then tap a skin tone close to yours to see how the pairing reads. When one makes you pause, that's the one.
Still torn between two? Order both, with proper care each set re-wears 2–3 times, so you'll use them.
Try it on
Pick a shade, then tap the skin tone closest to yours.
Skin tone
Shade Pearl Whisper
Shape