83 Perfect Shades: The Best Colors for Short Nails - nailhow (2024)

What is the best nail color for short nails?

If your nails are short or really short, this post is for you.

We’ll go over the best nail colors to help you transform short and stubby nails into elegant beautiful ones.

We’ll talk about making your short nails look longer, thinner, and trendier for each season and give some tips on how to make them look good for any occasion.

A post on what nail color to choose wouldn’t be complete without some consideration of skin tone.

So the colors recommended come with skin tone advice too!

Sound good?

Now, without further ado, bring on the pretty nail colors for short nails!

Best nail color for short nails

For short nails, nudes, light colors, and blush pink tones are the best choices.

Why?

It’s all to do with light reflection.

You know painting a room in your house white makes it look bigger, right?

Well, the same principle applies to nail polish.

Lighter colors elongate the nail making it look longer, just like how a white room gives the illusion of more space.

Even if your nails are really short, a soft white, beige, or a light natural looking pink is going to make them look longer and add an elegant touch.

Short nails look more natural, so painting them in natural color is a good idea for an understated chic look.

On the flip side, dark, vampy colors are going to make your nails look shorter – so proceed with caution!

I’m not saying you can’t wear them, but be aware that they are going to draw more attention to the fact that your nails are short.

I’ve put together some gorgeous natural-looking shades for you – you can find them in the neutral section further down.

But right now, let’s take a look at the best nail colors for short nails in each season.

Spring colors for short nails

Spring is the perfect season to show off shorter nails.

Most spring nail polish collections have lights, brights, and lots of pastels.

These are all really pretty colors for short nails.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite spring nail shades for short nails:

OPI:

• Quest for quartz – rose quartz shimmer.

• Achievement unlocked – lavender creme.

• The pass is always greener – matcha green.

Essie:

• Flight of fantasy – Pastel blue with warm undertones of yellow

• Sing songbird along – A white undertoned yellow pastel.

• Spring awakening – Pastel coral, a neutral (not cool or warm, anyone can wear it).

• Keep branching out – Taupe pastel shade with warm undertones.

• Stretch your wings – Pinky purple pastel that has cool undertones.

• Well-nested energy – Pastel peach.

Zoya:

• Chelsea – Powdered blush creme.

• Sutton – Understated, muted pinky nude creme color.

Nails Inc:

• Don’t hate – hydrate – Pinkish white pearl

• Dripping in cool – Soft lilac

• Drinks on me – Baby pink

Of course, you can also wear nudes, or neutral colors, which work for every season.

Summer colors for short nails

In summer, paint those shorties with bright nail colors and floral colors.

Think quaint English country garden colors or sizzling hot pinks, vibrant oranges, and canary yellows.

Here are some shades that work well for shorter nails:

OPI

• Pear-adise cove – vibrant green – great if you wanna add a hint of color to neutral outfits.

• Make my daisy – soft light yellow with a bright tone.

• From dusk till dune – soft pink shade with a subtle glitter sheen.

Essie

• Peachy-keen – pale coral

• Geranium – orangy red – perfect for fair and warm-skinned beauties

• Plant one on me – muted lilac

• Run wildflower – a very nice lilac

• Day drift away – soft creamy pink

• You’ve got me faded – barely-there pinky-purple shade.

• Ripple reflect – cornflower blue with warm red undertones

• Need a vacation – a cute shade of bubblegum pink

• Lovie Dovie – a pink shade that’s flamingo-rgeous

• Seas the day – pale mint green

• Sunny business – a lovely light lemon

Zoya

• Blu – baby blue
• Eleni – light, seafoam blue
• Fisher – seafoam with gold shimmer
• Wednesday – faded turquoise
• Lilian – muted aqua
• Tulip – light pastel salmon color
• Joey – warm, light pink
• Dot – pale muted pink
• Missy – bright pink
• Lake – soft blue
• Lulu – pale peach with coral pink hints

Nails inc:

• Made in Marylebone – grey-green
• Knightbridge nights out – sheer peach
• Mayfair lane – delicate pink
• Detox on repeat – barbie pink

Now that you’re all set for spring and summer, let’s take a look at some fall shades that work for shorter nails.

Fall colors for short nails

Fall and winter are when things can get a little tricky.

You want your nails to look season appropriate but this often means embracing a darker, moodier palette.

With that in mind, here are my shade suggestions for the best short nail colors for fall:

OPI:

• Made it seventh hill – soft rosey gold
• I can never hut up – iridescent grey shimmer
• I’ll have a gin and tectonic – muted tangerine with a splash of coral
• To be continued – blue periwinkle
• Eternally turquoise – a light green-blue
• This isn’t Greenland – mossy green
• If you persist – mauve with cool tones
• Can’t find my Czechbook – aqua blue

Essie:

• Everything’s rosy – delicate pink with warm undertones
• Wireless is more – a muted rose
• Beleaf in yourself – natural earthy green
• Vine and dandy – nude with warm undertones

Zoya:

• Rumi – a muted terracotta
• Arbor – a rich olive green
• Birch – a soft, color between gray and beige with lavender
• Jace – a dampened lime

Nails Inc:

• Flex my complex – a classic burgundy
• Montpellier walk – a brownish nude
• Nails inc What’s your spirituality? – A mid grey

With these colors, you can definitely still have fun with your nails while keeping them seasonally appropriate.

Now, let’s take a look at some winter nail colors for short nails:

Winter colors for short nails

Here are some of my favorite winter nail polish colors that look great and also work well for short nails:

OPI:

• Beyond the pale pink – pale almost nude pink
• Cant ctrl me – frosty shimmery light blue
• Indefinitely baby – icy cool pink
• OPI grand the unicorn by the horns – killer bluey-green
• Made your look – cool grey

This color hits all the high notes – pearl blue

Essie:

• Jingle belle – a silver metallic that’s cool toned
• Mint sorbet – a cool minty green with a little shimmer
• Toy to the world – Strong reddish coral

Zoya:

• Jo – periwinkle blue plus silver shimmer
• Nico – gold pearl with silver shimmer
• Marley – light lavender with silver pearl
• Meadow – peachy gold with copper flash
• Spencer – camel cream nude

Nails Inc:

• Wetherby gardens – delectable mauve
• Longing for leister square – cobalt blue

So that’s it for seasonal polish suggestions.

But wait, there’s so much more!

Onwards to one of my favorite nail polish categories – neutrals!

Neutral nail colors for short nails

I like to keep my nails short, chic, and neutral.

It works well for my minimalist sensibilities.

Since neutral colors go with everything, it also makes putting together outfits super easy.

If you want a no-brainer nail color that’s long-lasting and versatile, try one of these awesome shades:

• Essie ballet slippers

This natural pink polish from Essie is the best nail color for short nails. It’s just so chic.

It works well for pretty much everyone.

But it looks especially good on medium to light skin tones in the neutral range.

• OPI Baby take a vow

Light, natural and subtle. The perfect color for chic short nails.

It works best for those with light and cool skin.

• Zoya’s Grace

Zoya’s Grace is a milky peach nude that looks amazing on light to medium and warm-skinned beauties.

• OPI A clay in the life

Warm and dark-skinned beauties take note!

This subtle light pink is a great natural-looking nail color for you!

• Beetles Milky White gel polish

This is a gel polish so you’ll need a UV lamp to cure it.

This universal color is well worth the investment though because it’s gorgeous on everyone.

Black polish on short nails

Is black nail polish on short nails a good idea?

Personally, I like the way black polish looks on short nails.

But, black polish is a huge no-no if you’re goal is to make your short nails look longer.

So if you’re feeling edgy, and you don’t care about elongating your nails, go ahead and give black polish a try!

White polish on short nails

If your nails are super short, painting them white is a great idea.

It will make them look longer, and it’s a super chic color.

you can wear any shade of white from soft yellow based ivories to stark pure snow white and it will work.

White nails mean you’re single on TikTok though, so if you have a SO, maybe give the white nails a miss…

What color makes short nails look longer?

If you want to make short nails look longer than they actually are, stick to lighter colors.

Choosing a natural color that’s at least a shade lighter than your natural skin intensity will do for your nails what nude shoes do for your legs.

Nail polish colors for short nails should be chosen based on your skin tone.

if you want to elongate – think natural pinks, beiges, nudes, tan and soft white.

If you do want to wear a darker color but you want your nails to appear thinner, here’s a little trick you can try.

Paint your nails down to the cuticle as normal.

But when you paint the sides, leave a little space at each sidewall.

This trick is used on beauty shoots a lot to make darker nails look longer and thinner.

How can I make my short stubby nails look good?

If you have short and stubby nails, this section is for you.

Here are my top 2 tips for making short and stubby nails look amazing!

Stick to light, natural nail colors like nude, beige, and blush pink.

The best color to elongate and accentuate your nails is a full-coverage nude color.

You’ll want to choose a shade in a color that is one shade lighter than your natural skin tone for the best results.

This will give you the same effect as wearing a pair of nude heels to elongate your legs.

Leave a small gap on either side of the nail.

This is especially important if you are using a darker-colored nail polish.

It’s also a great tip for anyone with wide nails as it helps to give the illusion of thinner nails.

You still want to get the polish as close to the cuticle as possible.

But leave a small gap of equal distance on both sides and you should notice your nails look much better.

Should you paint short nails?

Short polished nails look chic and elegant, so of course, you should paint them!

There are lots of colors that look great on short nails, but the best options are light colors, nudes and neutrals like white, light gray, and beige.

If you like pastels, brights or neutrals you should find plenty of nail color options for your short nails in the sections above.

If you want to make your nails look longer, then you should stick to light colors like nude, beige, and blush pink.

You can also try a French manicure on short nails.

Just be sure not to go too heavy on the white tip, as it can make your nails look shorter.

Do French tips look good on short nails?

You might think that french tips are only for medium and long nails but you’d be wrong!

Because yes, French tips look good on short nails!

French tips are very elegant and since they mimic the natural color pattern of the nail, they work well for any nail length.

Just be sure not to go too heavy on the white tip, as it can make your nails look shorter.

Can you put gel polish on short nails?

Yes, you can still wear gel polish, even if your nails are super short!

In fact, there are plenty of cute gel colors for short nails.

Try a gel polish in a light pink, nude, or blush shade for longer-looking nails.

Or go for a pastel color or even hot pink!

I’m a big fan of gel polish, and I think it looks great on short nails.

I do advise sticking to lighter more natural colors though if your nails are really short.

How to make short nails look good

Here are my top tips for making short nails look their absolute best:

Shape them nicely

If your short nails are shaped nicely, they will look neat and tidy.

But what shape should you go for?

Squoval is the best shape to go for to elongate and balance the look of shorter nails.

Choose the right color

The right nail color can take those short nails from drab to fab.

Light colors are best for short nails.

Think white, nudes, tan, light grays, pastels, and blush pinks.

Use cuticle oil

Hydrated nails are happy nails!

Doing this helps to keep your cuticles soft and your nail plates hydrated.

It all helps your nails to look their very best.

Try some nail art

Whoever told you you can’t have nail art on short nails was a liar!

Feel free to rock any design you like with your chic and short nails.

Push your cuticles back

This really helps to give you a little bit of extra nail to play with if your nails are really short.

Best nail color for short nails and pale skin

If you are a ghost-like creature like me, then here are some nail colors that work for short nails and pale complexions.

• Zoya’s Chelsea – A Powdered blush creme that’s perfect for pale skin (and short nails).
• Zoya’s Sutton – an understated, muted pinky nude creme color that’s great for ghosts!
• Essie’s You’ve got me faded – A barely-there pinky-purple shade for pale skin
• Essie’s Ripple reflect – a soft cornflower blue with warm red undertones (great if you’re fair but warm)
• Zoya’s joey (warm light pink that works well for fair skin)
• Zoya’s Dot – muted pale pink
• OPI – If you persist – a mauve with cool tones that’s perfect for cool-toned fair skin
• Essie’s Wireless is more – a dusky rose quartz for light skin
• Essie’s Vine and dandy – a classic light nude with warm undertones
• OPI’s Beyond the pale pink – a very pale almost nude pink

Hopefully, you found something in the above list that you love.

Best nail color for short wide nails

If your nails are short and wide, you can try painting them in a light color to make them look their best.

Try a nude in a shade lighter than your skin color this will help to elongate the nails in the same way as nude heels elongate the legs.

You can also try any shade of white or a pale gray, as well as a pinkish color like blush or pale rose.

If when you paint them you leave a gap at both of the sidewalls, this will help to make them look thinner.

This little trick works for both light and dark nail polish colors.

Let’s wrap this up

Short nails can look just as good as long nails with the right color and care.

As we’ve seen, there are many colors that look great on short nails, but light colors tend to be the most flattering.

You can still wear gel polish on short nails, and there are plenty of cute colors to choose from.

Even darker ones if that’s your vibe!

Take care of your short nails with regular trimming, filing, and cuticle oiling, and don’t forget the nail art!

I hope that you found this post on the best nail color for short nails helpful.

Thanks for reading and happy nailing!

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