A guide to nine beautiful nude and mauve nail polish colors with swatches from Essie, Barry M and Douglas Collection – pretty drugstore nail polishes to wear on the daily!
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I can’t see myself never wearing mauve on my nails; it’s something I love way too much.
It compliments my olive skin to perfection, is nude but not too nude, and usually applies really well independently of the brand you pick.
If I’ve told you lately about some favorite nude Barry M nail polishes and other top picks of mine for sheer pink nail polishes, mauve is a color I’ve been wearing a lot since last year too.
So I thought I’d put together a guide with nine of my favorite nude with mauve undertones, properly mauve nail polish colors, and some darker, a bit more brown polishes with a hint of that cool pink I love so much.
Mauve Nails: 9 Beautiful Nude and Mauve Nail Polish Swatches
Reviewed and swatched in this guide are the following references:
- Douglas Collection Granit
- Barry M Sheer Strength Nail Paint in Sheer Bliss (Click to read the review)
- Douglas Collection Gravel
- Essie Demure Vix (Click to read the review)
- Essie Lady Like (Click to read the review)
- Douglas Rocky Vinyard
- Douglas Metal Coper
- Essie Angora Cardi (Click to read the review)
- Essie Clothing Optional
Why Did I Buy These Mauve Nail Polish Colors?
Around October/November last year, I started feeling mauve and nude nail polishes ever so strongly – that’s also the moment when I started using more and more Essie nail polishes.
Lady Like and Clothing Optional were some of my first ones, and I later added shades like Demure Vix and Angora Cardi to my stash – and many, many more.
I think my collection currently houses over 50 Essie nail polishes.
I can’t wait to have most of them, even though I do already have most of the most popular Essie sheer nail colors, like Mademoiselle, Allure and Vanity Fairest.
When it comes to the Douglas Collection nail polishes, I’ve had a good handful for a few years now, like Sea Witch, Pink Triteia and Power of Fushia (I’ve already reviewed them all here).
However, I only got the nude and mauve nail polishes earlier this year, around February, if my memory serves me right, along with some classic colors like The Red Perfecto, one of the prettiest red nail colors you’ll ever see – at only 5 euros, too!
Lastly, when it comes to the Barry M Sheer Strength nail polish, I’ve gotten three shades out of the six back in February too, at a time when I went crazy at Superdrug and also got lots of new Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint colors – and I don’t regret it for a second.
Read: Comparison: Essie Ballet Slippers vs Mademoiselle Swatches
Drugstore Mauve Nail Polish Swatches on Fake Nails
The shades I’ve chosen to show you today are all somewhat mauve and make for amazing nude nails, mostly during the fall and winter regarding the darker shades.
I will at some point tell you about completely nude and mauve nail polishes, which are a bit warmer-toned, too, but just know that colors like Douglas Rocky Vinyard and Granit will also be in there, as their color oscillates between warm and cool.
Read: 4 Beautiful Hema Nail Polish Colors (Swatches)
9 Nude and Mauve Nail Polish Swatches on Natural Nails
Douglas Collection Granit Swatch
The Douglas Collection Granit nail polish is one of the lightest nudes I currently own, and boasts a slight mauve undertone which also happens to be really hard to capture.
Compared to, for instance, Essie Dance Til Dawn, it is much pinker, and is great for pale to fair skin as a nude nail polish to wear on the daily.
As opposed to most of the Douglas Collection nail polishes which tend to be good to go with just one coat, Granit requires two coats – understandable, and admirable for such a light nude.
Read: 18 Beautiful Drugstore Summer Nail Polish Colors
Barry M Sheer Strength Sheer Bliss Swatch
Along with Sheer Joy and Sheer Style, two brown nail polishes I’ve picked up from Barry M’s Sheer Strength range, Sheer Bliss is a color that looks already amazing with just one coat on.
The undertone is clearly mauve, and even if Barry M has other pinker shades in the Sheer Strength collection, Sheer Bliss is so easy to apply, long lasting, with a more neutral undertone, that it’s currently a favorite of mine.
Read: Duochrome Nails: Nails Inc That Euphoria Life Swatches
Douglas Collection Gravel Swatch
The Douglas Collection Gravel nail polish is one of those cool-toned mauve nail polishes that would almost remind me of the MAC Mehr lipstick for some reason.
This is the last of the really light nail polishes we’re seeing today, as all the other shades are either true mauves or dark mauves – this one is, still, a gorgeous one to wear for a hint of pink on your nails.
Read: 9 Gorgeous Revlon Ultra HD Snap Nail Polish Swatches
Essie Demure Vix Swatch
The Essie Demure Vix nail polish is one of the only duochrome nail polishes the brand currently carries, and one that boasts the slightest duochrome effect ever.
It’s really easy to wear on the daily and great if you’re looking for a nude mauve with an extra je ne sais quoi about it.
Read: 11 Best Nails Inc Nail Polish Colors (Swatches)
Essie Lady Like Swatch
Lady Like is one of the prettiest, true mauve nail polishes you can get for yourself – I cannot wait to finish this bottle, just to get a second one!
It’s neither too light nor too dark, which means that whether you have pale skin or dark skin, it can look banging on you.
If you’re wondering about how Lady Like compares to other popular Essie nail polishes, check out these swatches:
Read: Pink Nails: Revlon Ultra HD Snap Rule the World Swatches
Douglas Collection Rocky Vinyard Swatch
The Douglas Rocky Vinyard nail polish is one of the prettiest mauve brown nail polishes I have in my stash, and I just can’t wait for fall to come around to wear it out.
We’re right in the middle between a purple and a brown here, which gives the it fall nail polish color for lots of skin tones – it feels like the level up from Essie Lady Like, to be honest.
Like almost all the Douglas Collection nail polishes, Rocky Vinyard is opaque in just one coat, and great to pair with a plum nail polish and a white color (Essie Blanc or Barry M Cotton for instance!) for fall nail designs.
Read: Purple Nails: Essence Holo Bomb Nail Lacquer 02 Swatches
Douglas Collection Metal Coper Swatch
I have a couple of metallic nail polishes from Douglas Collection I very much love, and I think my favorite is the Metal Coper nail polish because it is mauve, wearable, and still somewhat extra.
It’s opaque in one coat, but I have applied two just to be able to see the metallic effect better – don’t you think it’s gorgeous?
Read: Glitter Pink Nails: Essie Birthday Girl Nail Polish Swatches
Essie Angora Cardi Swatch
The Essie Angora Cardi nail polish is one of the most popular Essie nail polishes; with its dark mauve, almost burgundy color, it coats the nail with an air of falling leaves and pumpkin spice latte.
It is opaque in two coats, and if you’d like to see a comparison of this one with something a more purple, check out the swatches of Angora Cardi vs Island Hopping.
Read: Gold Nude Nails: Essie Buy Me A Cameo Nail Polish Swatches
Essie Clothing Optional Swatch
Essie Clothing Optional is the last mauve nail polish we’re seeing today, and it almost feels like I’ve kept the best for last.
We’ve got a great balance of brown and mauve in here that makes Clothing Optional super wearable.
Whether you’re looking for a fall or winter nail polish, or even something for daily wear on medium and dark skin, that’s just…
I have no words to describe how much I love this one – check out my comparison with Lady Like to understand where the hue, saturation and undertones are at for each.
Read: Sheer Nails: Essie Ballet Slippers Nail Polish Swatch
Nude and Mauve Nail Polish Swatches and Comparison
Douglas Collection Nail Polish Swatches – Granit, Gravel, Rocky Vinyard, Metal Coper
Essie Mauve Nail Polish Swatches and Comparison – Lady Like, Demure Vix, Clothing Optional, Angora Cardi
9 Nude and Mauve Nail Polish Colors – Swatches and Comparison
Mauve Nails: 9 Beautiful Nude and Mauve Nail Polish Swatches
That’s about it, really – I’m in love with every single nude and mauve nail polish I’ve shown you today.
It’s pretty easy: whenever I don’t feel like wearing a brown or a true nude nail polish, I’ll naturally gravitate towards mauve – doesn’t matter whether it’s light or dark.
Now, if you’d rather wear something brighter, even during the fall, check out these guides I’ve written for you recently:
- 7 Beautiful Mint to Dark Green Nail Polish Swatches
- 5 Gorgeous Light and Mint Green Nail Polishes for Summer
- 6 Gorgeous Lavender and Periwinkle Blue Nail Polish Swatches
Until next time!
Other Essie Nail Polish
- Red Nails Aesthetic: Essie Russian Roulette Nail Polish Swatches
- Red Nails: Essie Too Too Hot Nail Polish Swatches
- Blue Nails Aesthetic: Essie You Do Blue Nail Polish Swatch
- Blue Nails Aesthetic: Essie Aruba Blue Nail Polish Swatch
- Sheer Nails: Essie Not Just a Pretty Face Nail Polish Swatches
- Plum Nails: Essie Ferris of Them All Nail Polish Swatches
- Beach Summer Nail Art: Essie Aruba Blue, Blanc + You Do Blue
Other Barry M Nail Polish
- 5 Blue Barry M Nail Polishes To Have in Your Stash
- Duochrome Nails: Barry M Glazed Sheer Nail Paint Swatches
- Mint Green Nails: Barry M Eucalyptus Nail Polish Swatches
- Electric Blue Nails: Barry M Blue Guava Nail Polish Swatches
Other Douglas Nail Polish
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Collection Sea Witch Nail Polish Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Collection Pink Triteia Nail Polish Swatches
- Berry Nails: Douglas Collection Power of Fushia Nail Polish Swatches
Other Kiko Nail Polish
- 8 Gorgeous Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 20 Mermaid Pink Swatches
- Brown Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 26 Reddish Mauve Swatches
- Metallic Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 29 Silver Green Swatches
- Brown Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 234 Toffee Charm Swatches
- Pink Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 237 Glimmering Petal Pink Swatches
- Soft Purple Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 238 Lilac Whisper Swatches
- Green Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 239 Minty Frost Swatches
- Pastel Blue Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 240 Kiss the Sky Swatches
Other Lip Makeup
- Drugstore Lipstick: Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Ink Swatches & Review
- Duochrome Lipgloss: Glisten Cosmetics Chroma Gloss Swatches
- Kiko Milano Smart Fusion Lip Liner Swatches
- 7 Gorgeous Pink and Coral Summer Lipstick Shades
- 7 Beautiful Summer Lipgloss Shades For All Skin Tones
- 4 Must-Have Matte MAC Lipstick Shades for a Statement Look
- 8 Popular Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Swatches