14 nail polish colors that go with everything. Ultimate guide. - nailhow (2024)

Looking for nail polish colors that go with everything? Like everything in your closet?

We’ve got you covered.

In this post, we’re going to show you 14 of the most versatile polish shades available in 2023.

So, whether you’re wearing a bold outfit and you want yournails to take a backseat, or you’re just fed up with changing your nail coloras often as you change your outfits, this article is for you.

Let’s jump straight in and find out what nail polish colors go with everything.

Here’s the full list of nail polish colors that go with everything:

• Black
• White
• Gray
• Navy
• Nude
• Beige
• Brown
• Cream
• Ivory
• Sage green
• Dark Olive
• Blush
• Silver
• Red

Now, let’s look at these colors in a bit more detail and get some tips and advice for choosing versatile nail colors that will work with everything.

What is a neutral color?

Neutral colors are “natural” colors that 9.5 times out of10, will go with everything.

The technical definition of a neutral is a “color withlittle to no color”.

What this means is that neutrals don’t fit specifically into strongly defined color categories like red, blue, yellow and purple for example.

Because neutrals arelacking in a strong color base, they can easily blend and mix with lots of, ifnot all other colors.

Not only that, but you can also mix and match neutrals withother neutrals.

Now, there is some argument amongst color theorists about what colors can and can’t be considered neutral.

For this article, I’m working under the assumption that neutrals are natural colors, the kind that can often be found in nature.

So, I’m including not only the standard neutrals like black, white, and gray, but also navy, silver, beige, brown, cream, ivory, olive green, sage green, nude, and blush.

I’m also including one color (red) that isn’t neutral, but that has become such a classic in the nail polish world that an article about nail polish that goes with everything wouldn’t be complete without it.

Ok, so what’s so great about neutrals and why shouldeveryone embrace them?

Why should you have neutrals in your polishcollection?

Personally, I love neutral colors.

Whenever I paint my nails with neutral colors, I find that Ican go way longer before I feel I need to change them.

It also saves me a lot of the time and stress involved in trying to figure out what to wear.

With neutral nails, I don’t need to worry if my outfit is going to clash with my talons!

Neutral nails work hard. All neutrals are nail polish colors that go with everything.

They go with any outfit, regardless of the occasion. They can take you effortlessly from casual to formal and back again.

Another benefit to having neutrals for me is that it gives me the confidence to know that I’m always going to look put together, whatever I decide to wear.

If you’re not the best at picking out matching colors to gowith your outfits, you can’t go wrong with a simple neutral mani or neutralnail design.

Neutral colors are also great as a basis for doingall kinds of beautiful nail art.

All of the colors mentioned in this post make great backdrops for bold patterns or pops of color.

Now that I’ve sung the praises of neutrals, let’stake a look at some polish colors you might wanna add to your collection.

1.Black.

You can’t have a list of nail polish colors that go with everything without black.

Personally, I don’t like to wear an all-black mani, it just doesn’t look right with my pale skin and something about it screams gothic to me.

But I do use black a lot in my nail art designs.

I love pairing black with beige, silver, or white to create simple, minimalist looks that are chic and super stylish.

Black and pink always look really cute together, too.

If you wear a lot of strong or bright colors, black nailscan help to anchor your outfits, and if you wear a lot of neutrals, you canalways count on black to add a touch of sophistication to your ensemble.

My favorite non-gel black (click to check the price on amazon)

Top tip!

For some people (fairer-skinned beauties I’m looking atyou), a true black can be a littlebit harsh against the skin tone.

A good tip I’ve learned is that if you’re super pale like me, then instead of a true black, go for a polish that’s so dark that it looks black, like Lincoln Park After Dark from OPI.

OPI’s LPAD looks just like black but it’s actually anincredibly dark shade of purple.

Just be aware that when it comes to matching outfits, it maynot be quite as versatile as a trueblack polish, but since it looks so much like black, it’s never been an issuefor me.

2.White.

I love wearingwhite nail polish! It’s so versatile!

In summer I pair it with pastels and/or brights and in winter I pair it with blacks, greys, and tons of winter sparkle!

I often also paint my nails white as a base if I’m doing a colorful nail art design because a white base really makes any color you put over it pop!

Some of my best and most favorite nail designs havefeatured white quite heavily.

White nails go with everything from jeans and at-shirt, to workwear, to formal dresses, as well as transitioning the seasonswith ease.

I really can’t imagine an outfit that white nailswouldn’t compliment!

The best white non-gel polish I’ve found is this one from OPI.

Click to check the price on amazon

A word of caution, whitenails can be difficult to keep clean.

I’ve lost count of thenumber of times I’ve stained my white nails.

My advice?

Stay away from tumericor anything else you think might stain your white polish, and if you do stainthem, maybe try one of those magic sponges – they are amazing – not just fornails but for any stubborn marks or stains in the home!

3.Gray.

Ok, here’s where things start to get a teensy bit more complicated.

Welcome to shade territory!

While black is black and white is… well, white, gray canbe literally anything in between.

You’ll probably find that when you are matching your nailsto your outfits, most shades of gray will work, however, some shades of grey will complement slightly better than others.

That’s because gray nail polishes often have a color base,like blue or green for example.

There are so many types of grey to choose from, slate gray,ash grey, dove gray, the list goes on… and each type of gray is available ina myriad of different shades ranging from light to dark.

So how do you choose the right gray?

Well, don’t worry too much about it as you’ll get away withpretty much any shade of gray for most outfits.

But if you want that perfectcolor match, then my advice is to buy more than one shade.

I actually bought 3 different grays. A dark, a medium, and light.

For the dark gray, I went for OPI’s Steel Waters run Deep. I just love this shade, it’s so moody and sophisticated.

For a medium gray I recommend this one (click to check price on Amazon)

I like to pair this shade with any and all pinks in bothoutfits and nail designs!

And for the light gray I adore this one called Made Your Look from OPI .

4.Navy.

You have to have navy in a list of nail polish colors that go with everything.

I think Navy nails are so classy and elegant, I absolutely lurve a navy mani.

Navy is my go-to color when I’m feeling a bit posh, or whenI know that I have a few nights out coming up.

If like me, you find black a little bit too harsh againstyour skin, then a navy nail can often be the next best thing.

Navy nails scream elegance and sophistication. They are alsoa unique choice to elevate pretty much any outfit.

Navy and white is a match made in heaven. I find that a navymani not only goes with going out outfits but that it can also easily elevate asimple pair of blue jeans and a white tee.

Navy and silver also go together like peanut butterand jelly, so get those silver hoop earrings out or a silver bangle to show offyour navy nails!

And if you like your OPI, take a look at this one (click to check price on Amazon)

5.Nude.

Nude nails are perfect for exuding understated chic.

If you want to look polished and put together, but not likeyou tried too hard, go with a nude.

To me, a nude mani says “I’m practical and I look aftermyself, but I don’t get too caught up in how I look”.

Nude is also by far the best color for not showing up chips!

Buying the perfect nude polish can be a little tricky.

You must be careful to match the nude you buy to your skintone, if not, you’ll end up looking like you’ve got poorly made doll hands, andno-one wants to rock that creepy dollhand look.

Get it right though, and your nude nail polish will becomeyour new best friend.

You’ll go everywhere together, shopping, the beach, casuallunch dates, hot dinner dates, nude works for any season and for every occasion.

How do you find the right nude for you?

Ok, here are my recommendations for Nude polishes based onskin tone:

If you’re fair-skinned, your best bet is to opt for a pinky nude like this adore a ball from Essie.

If your skin is medium to lightly tanned, then you’ll want to go for a light beige type nude like Essie’s – buttoned & buffed

For those with olive skin or skin that’s fairly well-tanned – you’ll need a peachy or creamy nude like OPI’s Half Past Nude

And for my dark-skinned beauties, you can wear any type ofnude you like and it will look great!

However, you might want to try a warm neutral brown like Zoya’s Chanelle for a flawless match.

6. Beige.

Ah, creamy beige. Soft and seductive in its simplicity.

I like to wear beige polish in the summer for a naturallook.

A lot of people think beige is boring, but to me, beige is beautiful, classy, and timeless.

In the winter months, I like to jazz up my beige nails witha gem or 2, or a hint of gold glitter.

I love the luxurious combination of beige and gold; it makesme feel like a million dollars every time.

No matter what you choose to wear, your beige mani willnever clash, and you’ll always look super chic and (pardon the pun) polished.

In the battle of the beiges, this one came out on top for me from OPI’s Infinite shine range, (click here to check the price on Amazon)

7.Brown.

I’m super fussywhen it comes to brown.

I don’t tend to wear brown polish very often, (I feelthat it suits darker skin tones much better than my ghost-like fingers) andI’ve had a few shades in the past that looked a little bit too much like poofor my liking.

However, like a good pair of tan boots that you can wear all through fall and winter, the right shade of brown nail polish can go with everything.

So brown makes the list of nail polish colors that go with everything.

Brown nails can give off earthy laid-back vibes orsuper elegant ones depending on what you wear.

Brown can be a great color for fall.

Brown nails look great when paired with outfits thatinclude creams, oranges, and golds.

Personally, I like to wear a green sweater orcardigan to compliment a mid-to light-brown manicure.

I also love to pair brown nails with muted shades ofpink or even yellow.

Brown also works well as a background color if you’re doing floral or leaf-related nail art.

Try it with gold, pink, mint green, or pale blue to put together a stunning look that will have the compliments rolling in.

My favorite shade of brown is by CND vinylux and is called Fedora.

8.Cream.

Cream is another great neutral color choice for your manithat’s so easy to match outfits to.

I wear quite a lot of blue, and I adore the way that cream nails compliment my blue tops, sweaters, and jeans.

Cream and mint green or cream and brown are also among my favorite color combos.

Like the rest of the polish colors on this list, cream goeswith most other colors, but I reallylove it as part of a purple, pink, green, or blue color scheme.

If you want to discover how easy cream nails are to match, try painting your nails in this gorgeous creamy coffee color called Tiramasu for two by OPI.

Creamy, dreamy goodness.

9.Ivory.

Ivory is a great option if you want the versatility of white nail polish but not the starkness.

This is a soft, subtle, elegant, classy, and beautiful color.

For me, ivory conjures up images of summer, weddings, and romance.

In technical terms, ivory is off-white with a very slight hint of yellow.

Ivory is a neutral color and goes with everything from creams and browns to grays, navy, and hunter green, but it looks particularly amazing with deep plums and burgundies.

If you like to wear lots of neutrals, navy or wine-colored clothes, or you love your gold jewelry, then you might wanna try out an ivory polish like this one from Essie.

10.Sage green.

Did you know that sage green is classed as a neutral color?

Well, it is. Which is great news for those of us looking fornail polish options that go with everything!

Sage green is a calming and tranquil grayish-green colorthat will gel nicely with all your outfits.

Sage green works equally well with bolds and withneutrals.

Depending on the shade, sage green can be either earthy andwarm, or cool and almost silvery, so feel free to play around and see whatshade best suits your vibe and your skin tone.

When it comes to putting together outfits, sage green goes particularly well with muted reds (think terracotta) and with purples, oranges, and blues for a complementary scheme.

Personally, I like to pair a light, cool sage green mani with a dusty pink t-shirt and gray jeans.

I really love this Sage You Love Me green from Essie’s Bridal Collection.

11. Dark Olive.

If sage green isn’t really your thing, good news!

There’s another shade of green that you can try!

Dark olive is another technically neutral shade ofgreen that has a big dose of yellow in it.

Olive green is a bold and sophisticated choice foryour mani that is surprisingly versatile when it comes to matching up outfits.

It will go with most things in your closet; however, it tends to work best for folks who like to wear a lot of rich, warm colors like oranges, coral pinks, warm blues, reds, and violets and creams and browns.

Personally, I prefer a sage green to a dark olive (it compliments my fair skin a little better I feel), but if your skin is a bit darker than mine (and most people’s is!) and you suit warm, rich colors then you’ll most likely love having dark olive nails.

If you fancy a bit of dark olive in your life and you like OPI, check this one out, it’s called Olive for Green.

I also really like this one from Zoya, which has a cool smoky finish.

12.Blush.

Blush is another one of my absolute favorite polish colors.

What color is blush exactly?

It’s a shade of pink that’s so muted that it acts almostlike a neutral.

Blush is subdued, understated, modern, and chic.

When you’re making your outfit decisions, the choices areendless with blush pink nails.

You can opt for other neutrals, pastel colors, and of courseany and all shades of pink!

Blush looks great on anyone, providing you get the shaderight.

Opt for soft pink, light coral or peach if you have fairskin, and if you are medium to dark-skinned, think more along the lines of hotcoral, and deep pink blush.

I have a few different blush shades that I wear all the time.

I can’t get enough of these 2 shades which I highly recommend for all skin tones:

Or

13. Silver.

So far, quite a few of these color choices have been fairlysubtle and subdued.

If you want attention-grabbing nails that go with all youroutfits, silver could be a perfect choice for you.

Silver is a neutral color, which means that it pairs wellwith all other neutral colors.

Silver looks great with anything, but my personal preferenceis to pair it with cool blues and grays and black.

There are 2 main options when it comes to getting silvernails, you could go for a metallic look, or a super glittery one.

If you want a metallic, mirror-like finish, I’d recommend Essie’s no place like Chrome.

And if glitter nails are more your thing, take a look at Glass Souls from Smith & Cult.

Now, let’s take a look at the last of our nail polish colors that go with everything.

14.Red.

I know that red is not a neutral color, but it is aclassic nail polish color and you can wear it with almost anything, so it makesthe list!

Because of its cult-classic status, red nail polishcan be worn to almost any occasion all year round. Just ask the French!

Red polish can look equally great with a floatyfloral summer dress, a vintage ensemble or with jeans and a chunky sweater. Oohla la!

Treat red nails as you would any other neutral andwear it with anything you like.

Red nail polish comes in a wide variety of shades and hues, but the most versatile when it comes to nail polish is probably a classic cherry red like this one from OPI, (click to check price on amazon)

If you prefer a more orangey-red that will still match the majority of outfits, you might want to take a look at this offering from Essie.

Toe nail polish that goes with everything

If you want to rock some colorful fingernails in summer or with open-toed shoes, you’ll need a toenail polish color that works with everything.

The good news is that all of the colors listed in this post also make great toe nail options.

While toe nail colors like black and gray will work with anything, they aren’t very summery.

Navy toe nail polish is a great choice in the summer, especially if you wear a lot of white because navy and white go together like peaches and cream.

Nude or beige can be a great choice for toenails, it will keep them looking chic and tidy without being too showy.

Brown, cream, and ivory toenail polish works great for everyone, but is especially flattering for those with warm skin tones.

Silver toenails are not for the fainthearted! If you want all eyes on your feet, by all means go for it!

Red is a classic color for toenails.

It’s not quite as versatile as some of the other options on this list, but it is pretty versatile when it comes to matching up outfits.

Spring nail polish colors that go with everything

Spring is all about light, bright, and pastel colors.

The best nail polish colors that go with everything and that work well for spring are:

• White – a crisp pure white will complement a bright spring palette.
• Gray – mid to pale grays works best for spring. Pair moody slate grays with bright sweaters for a high-contrast look or dove grays with pastels for a dreamier vibe.
• Nude – a nice nude works for any time of year, spring included.
• Sage green – if you love soft spring colors and pastels, sage green will compliment your spring wardrobe perfectly.
• Blush – blush tends to have a pink tone that’s perfect for wearing in spring.

Summer nail polish colors that go with everything

Here are some great nail polish options that will go with everything you throw at them this summer.

• White – there are so many shades of white and they all work for summer! Try a crisp pure white for a bold statement or minimalist vibes. Or go with a softer off-white if you’re feeling sweet romantic vibes.
• Navy – dark navy nails can help to anchor an all-white or super light summer outfit. throw on a white dress and you’re good to go.
• Nude – keep it chic all summer long with a classic nude that matches your skin tone.
• Beige – creamy natural beige is the perfect color for fingers and toes in summer.
• Cream – another great choice for summer nails. goes perfectly with blues.
• Ivory – if you have a summer wedding to attend, this could be the one!
• Blush – it goes with everything and works for every season.

Fall nail polish colors that go with everything

Here are my top nail colors that go with everything for fall:

• Black – black nails go well with the yellows, oranges, and even the browns of the fall season.
• Gray – moody and stormy grays are totally fall-appropriate!
• Brown – a tan brown or chocolate brown nail polish is a must for the fall season. It goes perfectly with oranges, mustard, and gold.
• Navy – navy works all year round. Pair it with mustard yellow in the fall for a bright and sophisticated combo.
• Dark olive – chic and sophisticated vibes. Especially good for warmer skin tones in fall.

Winter nail polish colors that go with everything

When the weather gets cold and the nights get shorter, here are some winter nail polish colors to keep you merry and bright.

• Red – Obvious Christmas classic, need I say more?
• White – the color of snow, a complete no-brainer for matching up winter outfits.
• Silver – Tis the season to be shiny…
• Sage green – pair with outfits in red for a classic Christmas look.
• Black – If you tend to wear darker jewel-toned clothes in winter, black is a great choice for your nails.
• Brown – any shade from a light tan to deep chocolate works wonderfully in winter.
• Navy – a chic, sophisticated, and super fancy winter nail color.
• Gray – gray works very well in winter and goes with absolutely everything.

How to match nail polish to your dress

If you choose one of the 14 colors listed in this post, you don’t need to worry about matching your nails to your dress.

The whole point of this article is to give you nail color options that will work with any dress (or outfit).

But if you want the best possible polish to dress match – here are a few tips.

1. Figure out if your dress is warm or cool-toned. Cool-toned dresses will harmonize best with cool-toned nail colors. Try to match the undertones of your dress with the undertones in your nail polish. Zoya’s website is great for explaining which shades are warm and which are cool.
2. Think about color intensity. Do you want a color that matches the intensity of your dress color or that contrasts it? It’s a good idea to think about whether you want light nails with a dark dress or dark nails with a dark dress and vice versa.
3. Go for polish in the same color (any shade) as your dress. You can’t go wrong with this monochromatic trick!

You could also look up color palettes based on the color of your dress to get some ideas.

What should your nail polish match?

Your nail polish should match your skin tone, your taste, your outfits and or accessories, and your personal style.

The most important of these is your skin tone. If nail polish works well with your skin tone it will create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing look.

You should also try to match your taste. It’s never a good idea to choose a polish color you don’t like just because it’s trending.

You should definitely take your wardrobe into consideration too. Canary yellow polish with a wardrobe full of soft pastels isn’t going to work.

But if you wear vibrant colors or a lot of black white and gray, then canary yellow will give you a perfect pop of color to lift your outfits.

Your personal style and your personality should also factor in.

Minimalists like me might gravitate toward whites, grays, and other neutrals because they are easy to match.

But if your style is quirky, loud or ultra-chic then you might choose a color that suits that feel.

Let’s wrap this up.

So, there you have it.

14 amazing nail polish colors that go with everything.

I hope you enjoyed learning about nail polish colors that go with everything.

I also hope that you found the tips in this post useful and that I could save you some time and stress.

Happy polishing!

FAQ’s

What is the most versatile nail color?

Nude and blush nails are neutral so they go with everything and work for every season. This makes them the most versatile nail colors you can wear.

It doesn’t matter what your wear or what your personal style is, nude and blush nails will always work for you.

Other highly versatile nail colors include white, gray, navy, ivory, cream and tan.

Best nail color for everyday?

The best everyday nail color is a nude shade that matches your skin tone.

If you are warm-toned go for a nude that has warm undertones, as this will best harmonize with your skin.

Cool-toned beauties should go for a pinkish nude with cool undertones.

Here’s a great resource to help you match your nail polish to your skin tone.

Want to make sure your mani is on point for that special occasion? Check out our full guide on how to match the perfect nail color with your little black dress.

Get the best set of acrylic nails with our Top picks of the most popular and trusted acrylic nail brands.

Achieve a flawless mani every time by matching your nail polish colors to your skin tone. Learn how to do it perfectly here!

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