Growing Nails 💅 & Nailing Down the Perfect Color

Growing your nails sounds simple, right? Just… don’t bite them and wait. Ha. If only. Between chips, splits, and using your nails as “emergency box openers,” it’s basically an Olympic sport. Every millimeter feels like a win, and then—bam—you break one. Back to square one.

But here’s the kicker: once you do finally get some length, the real struggle starts… choosing a nail color.

The Growth Grind

Let’s be honest: growing nails is like watching paint dry, except slower. Treatments like OPI Nail Envy help (seriously, it’s my holy grail), but you still have to resist the urge to tap them on every hard surface within reach. Patience isn’t just a virtue here—it’s survival.

The Color Crisis

Here’s where things get tricky.

• Short nails? Dark shades can make them look even shorter, like tiny M&Ms glued to your fingers.

• Longer nails? Suddenly every color feels like a personality test. “Do I want to be a bossy red, a mysterious deep plum, or a neutral who has their life together?” Spoiler: I rarely feel like I have my life together.

• Uneven lengths? Oh, honey. That’s when picking polish becomes a whole identity crisis.

Shimmer Saves the Day ✨

Enter the shimmer. A sheer, neutral shimmer is basically the Instagram filter of nail colors. It smooths things out, looks classy, and forgives all sins (including the one nail that broke when you tried to pry open a soda can).

Some MVPs I’ve tried or stalked in the aisles:

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri “Champagne Supernova” – elegant champagne that says, “I tried, but not too hard.”

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri “Sand of a Beach” – warm peach shimmer, aka “your nails but flirty.”

• Essie “Imported Bubbly” – if you can find it, grab it. This one’s like candlelight for your nails.

The Bottom Line

Growing nails is tough. Picking a color is tougher. But honestly? The “perfect shade” isn’t about length, undertone, or trends. It’s the one that makes you look down mid-text and think, dang, these nails are cute.

And if all else fails, just slap on a sheer shimmer, hold your coffee cup like you’re doing a lifestyle shoot, and call it a win.