I've never been one to adhere to "seasonal" nail colors — neon pink in the dead of winter? Bring it on. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I still dress almost exclusively in black, an idiosyncrasy that I will defend until I've gone blue in the face, which would actually add a bit of much-needed color to my persona … but I digress. I've always kept color strictly on my nails, and done so with fervor, claiming the brightest of blues, moody purple-greys, and vivid reds as my "signature" colors. Normally, the past few months and the according drop in temperature would have me breaking out my most eye-searing shades and donning them with aplomb, but not so. Maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather that's gotten under my skin, or maybe I've simply become weird (become weird? Ha!), but I've forgone all of the colors I normally reach for in favor of… nude.

For some reason, I'm so in love with the look of opaque nails that are a shade and a shine away from the color of my skin. Flesh-toned nails have become somewhat of a trademark for me at this point. To me, nothing looks chicer and more modern than a creamy, glossy pale beige that offsets my black wardrobe (and matching eyeliner) and, well, kind of matches my hands. I dare you to give it a whirl — you may just find, like I did, that a skin-tone nail polish makes your fingers look longer and thinner, and the rest of you sleeker. Of course, it's a very personal color choice, and there definitely isn't a universal nude for everyone, so let me try to make it a little easier: here's a few "nude" nail choices for every skin tone. Finish every shade with a top coat for gloss and join me in mannequin-hand absurdity!