Which Nail Color is the Best for Boudoir Photos?
If you are preparing for an upcoming boudoir session, you are undoubtedly facing some wardrobe and accessory decisions, one of which being,
“What is the best nail color choice (if any) for boudoir photos?”
The important thing to keep in mind is that there is no “right” or “wrong” answer to this question. Like most decisions related to boudoir photography, The Adore Girls are happy to give you our two cents on the subject, but ultimately it will come down to your own personal taste, style and preference.
So, before we tell you our thoughts on which nail color looks best in boudoir photos, let’s take a look at some of the most popular manicure choices made by some of our past Adore Girls:
Light Neutral Nail Polish Colors
Light neutral colors include light pink, cream, taupe, beige, light to medium brown, and nude. These nail polish colors tend to be very popular with our boudoir clients who prefer having manicured nails in shades that blend in well with their natural skin tones. In a recent discussion about nail color in our private Facebook group, Miss M. told us, “I went with a nude shade [for my boudoir session]. Didn't want my nails to ‘stick out’ in my pics,” while another member, Miss J., said, “I went with a very pale pink, I wanted something natural looking.”
Dark Neutral Nail Polish Colors
Blacks and grays fall under the category of dark neutral nail polish shades. Both of these colors are quite popular with our Adore Girls who prefer a darker nail color that will still go with everything, but also add a little “edge” to their boudoir photos. Said private group member and past client, Miss J., “I had an array of outfit colors, so I went charcoal/black because I wasn’t sure which outfits I was going to wear. AND I normally do a darker color.”
White Nail Polish / French Tips
While the French manicure reigns as one of the most classic, go-to manicure styles around, we have actually noticed an increase in recent years in the number of women who choose to paint their entire fingernails in a shade of white, rather than just the tips. [Insert immature giggle here.] All-white fingernails definitely draw more attention to the eye than the more natural-looking French tips, which is exactly what some of our bolder Adore Girls prefer.
Red & Purple Nail Polish Colors
Of all the non-neutral nail polish colors that we typically see women wear for their boudoir sessions, red and purple are definitely the most popular, which is why we have put them both into one category. Women who choose to wear shades of purple or red nail polish either do so because those colors work well with their boudoir wardrobe choices, or because they are simply used to wearing these shades on a regular basis. As two-time Adore Girl, Miss C., explained it to us, “I went with [nail colors for my boudoir sessions] that I usually use and am comfortable with. So, purple for my first one and red with my second one.” Miss H. added, “Ooh, that was a hard decision. I was torn between purple (to match my hair) or this vampy, dark red. The dark red won but only for sentimental reasons.”
Bold Nail Polish Colors & Nail Art
While not as often as the other nail colors mentioned above, we do sometimes have clients who choose to wear bright, bold nail colors, such as orange, green, blue, or hot pink, or they choose to have nail art done prior to their boudoir sessions. While the eye-catching nature of these types of manicures tend to make them less popular choices amongst our boudoir clientele, we do appreciate our Adore Girls who aren’t afraid to fully express themselves…right down to their fingertips!
Clear Nail Polish /Bare Fingernails
You may be surprised to learn that we see bare/colorless fingernails in the studio even more often than we see painted manicures! Many of our clients avoid having to choose a nail polish color altogether by simply trimming and shaping their fingernails prior to their sessions. (Talk about baring it ALL for a photo shoot!)
The Adore Girls’ Thoughts on Nail Color for Boudoir Photos
As mentioned earlier, YOU are ultimately the only person who can decide which shade of nail polish (if any) is the best choice to wear for your boudoir session. However, we (Jamie & Lindsey), The Adore Girls’ boudoir photographers, are more than happy to tell you our manicure preferences for boudoir photo sessions:
“I like it when our clients wear black or nude nail polish, because those shades go with everything.”
“I prefer our clients to wear light neutral colors because I don’t want a woman’s fingernails to be the star of her photos.”
“I have always loved French tips because it’s such a classic look, but I also like clean, bare fingernails just as well.”
While these are all our own personal preferences as boudoir photographers, the biggest piece of advice that all three of us can give you about nail polish color is to NOT overthink this decision, because the fact of the matter is that your fingernails aren’t going to be as visible in your boudoir photos as you might think! In fact, when looking through our past clients’ photo sessions to find images to use for this blog, it was actually more difficult than we expected to find suitable boudoir photos that really showed off the women’s fingernails. This is because we often pose our clients with their hands in their hair, or with their fingers bent with their nails tucked underneath (like when grabbing or tugging on wardrobe), or with their hands simply positioned in a way where the fingernails aren’t visible, as seen in the examples below:
In conclusion, whether you choose to wear your fingernails clean and bare or paint them in a nail polish color that you think will best compliment your wardrobe, just remember that YOU will always be our main focus during your boudoir photo shoot. So, don’t let this decision stress you out. You’re going to look great, no matter what!
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