Coral Nails: 10 Coral and Peach Nail Ideas for Spring and Summer

Coral nails are a bright, warm mix of pink and orange that glows against tanned, olive and deep skin. A coral that leans pink, or a paler peach, flatters fair skin too.

This guide covers how coral, salmon and peach differ, who each suits, ten designs and how to paint sheer corals evenly.

Coral, salmon and peach nails: what's the difference?

All three sit between pink and orange and differ mainly in how vivid and pale they are.

• Coral. The most saturated of the three, too bright to pass for a nude. It can lean pink, like our 004 Coral Pink, or orange, the side our orange nail ideas cover.
• Salmon. Lighter and more muted than coral but deeper than peach, and a good middle ground for the office.
• Peach. The palest, close to the colour of a healthy nail bed. Our 186 Peach sits on the pink side, while others lean towards a yellowish apricot.

What skin tones look best with coral nails?

Coral is most flattering on warm undertones and on tanned, olive and deep skin. Cool undertones suit pinker corals such as Coral Pink, or the cooler shades in our pink nail designs. If gold jewellery flatters you more than silver, you're probably warm, and our guide to nail colours for your skin tone has two more tests.

• Fair skin. Choose a pink-leaning coral, as an orange one draws the eye to any redness on the knuckles. On warm fair skin, Peach passes for a nude.
• Medium and olive skin. Both coral and salmon pick up golden tones in the skin. On olive skin, avoid yellowish apricots, which can make it seem sallow.
• Tanned and deep skin. Saturated corals stay vivid and pair well with gold jewellery. Peach makes a pale contrast once it's fully opaque, since a patchy coat leaves an ashy cast.

10 coral nail designs for spring and summer

1. Short bright coral nails

Bright coral on short nails needs no nail art and is practical for typing. Build Coral Pink in two or three thin coats, curing each, and seal with Diamond Top Coat, a high-shine top coat that intensifies the colour.

A strong shade outlines every nail, so file all ten to the same length and shape, round or squoval. Cap the free edge with each coat, as the smallest chip shows on coral.

2. Coral French tip nails

Coral tips over a peach base make a tone-on-tone French for the office on short and medium nails. Start with RB04 Peach Rubber Base, a peach-tinted rubber base that strengthens the natural nail, and cure it.

With a fine liner brush, draw a smile line that mirrors the curve of your cuticle, about two millimetres deep on short nails. Paint the tip in two coats along the same line, curing each, then seal.

3. Peach nude nails

A peach nude warms the hands without reading as a colour, so it passes in a conservative office. The simplest is Peach Rubber Base on its own, which also strengthens nails that bend or peel. Cure a thin first layer, then a fuller one that levels over ridges, and seal with top coat. Add two thin coats of Peach before the top coat for a clearer colour.

4. Coral and gold nails

This pairing suits warm undertones, gold jewellery and summer weddings. Paint eight nails in Coral Pink and build the ring fingers in B030 Or Solaire, a builder gel with a golden sheen. Builder gel comes off by filing, so those two nails take longer to remove.

For coral nails with glitter, use a fine gold glitter gel polish over Coral Pink on the ring fingers instead. Seal it under two thin coats of top coat so no particle catches on hair or fabric.

5. Coral and pink ombre nails

Coral and pink are neighbours on the colour wheel, so they blend without turning muddy. Pair Coral Pink with 085 Strawberry Burst, a sun-kissed pink, on medium or long nails, where the fade has room.

1. Paint and cure one coat of Strawberry Burst.
2. On a piece of make-up sponge, brush both colours side by side, overlapping slightly.
3. Dab it onto the nail, coral towards the tip, rocking it slightly to blur the join.
4. Clean the skin, cure and repeat once, then seal with two coats of top coat to smooth the texture.

6. Coral nails with white daisies

White daisies work on short nails, as each flower needs only a few millimetres. Over Coral Pink, add one or two to each ring finger in opaque white gel polish, since a see-through white turns pink on coral.

For round petals, place five small dots in a ring with a dotting tool. For longer ones, press a fine liner brush down at the outer end of each petal and lift as you pull it inwards. Cure the petals before they spread, then add a yellow or Peach centre, cure again and seal.

7. Peach aura nails

Peach aura nails fade from a coral centre into peach, so they grow out without a hard line. Over cured Peach Rubber Base, place a small dot of Coral Pink in the middle. Tap around it in small circles with a round brush dampened with cleanser and wiped almost dry, until the edge disappears.

Clean the skin and cure each nail before the next. One layer is subtle enough for work, and a second, smaller dot deepens the colour for evenings. Our aura nails guide also covers the sponge method.

8. Coral and navy nails

Navy and coral go with summer denim and white linen. Paint the ring fingers in 113 Sapphire, a saturated blue a little brighter than navy, and the rest in Coral Pink. Keep the Sapphire coats thin, since a thick dark coat may not cure through.

To add a nautical accent, pull two or three white stripes across each Sapphire nail with a long striping brush, one stroke per line, then cure. Beginners can use striping tape, trimmed short of the free edge and sealed under top coat.

9. Coral chrome nails

A white pearl chrome powder gives Coral Pink a glazed finish for summer evenings and turns Peach a pale pearl for weddings. Chrome magnifies every bump, so start from smooth, cured colour.

Cure a thin layer of Diamond Top Coat, a no-wipe top coat, then rub the powder in with a silicone applicator while it's still warm. Brush off the excess and wipe the edges with cleanser so the final top coat grips, then apply it, cap the free edge and cure.

10. Coral pedicure

On toes, coral is at its best with tanned feet and sandals. File toenails straight across with slightly rounded corners, and prep them like fingernails.

Keep the colour a hairline from the skin, especially along the deep side walls of the big toe, where gel floods easily. When curing, check that every toenail sits fully under the lamp, as the little toes often end up at its edge.

How to paint coral nails evenly

Bright corals are often sheer, so expect a patchy first coat and two or three thin coats, each cured. Pale peach needs the same care, as its white pigment shows brush marks.

1. Level the nail with a rubber base. After your usual prep, apply a layer from our rubber base collection, capping the free edge, and let it settle over ridges that a sheer colour would show as stripes. Cure it for the time in your gel's instructions.
2. Paint and cure thin coats. Wipe one side of the brush on the bottle neck, then spread the bead in three strokes from a hairline short of the cuticle. Cap the free edge and cure, leaving any patches for the next coat: one thick coat can wrinkle, stay soft underneath and lift.
3. Keep gel off the skin. Clean the cuticle and side walls before curing. Gel on skin causes lifting, and uncured gel on skin is the main cause of gel allergy: if redness, itching, swelling or blisters appear, stop using the product and see a doctor.
4. Check and seal. If the white tip still shows through in daylight after two coats, add a third. Seal with Diamond Top Coat, capping the free edge, and cure.

Frequently asked questions

Is coral a good nail colour?

Yes. The pink in it makes coral easier to wear than pure orange, and the pinker corals suit even fair, cool-toned skin. Its one drawback is that regrowth shows sooner than on a nude.

Are coral nails classy?

Yes, if the finish is neat. Nude, milky white, red and navy are the usual classy choices, but coral or salmon on short, evenly filed nails with a high gloss is smart enough for a summer wedding. Keep neon coral and busy nail art for holidays.

What nail colours should you avoid for older hands?

Very dark colours can emphasise veins and age spots, and chalky, greyish pastels drain colour from the skin. Frosted finishes highlight ridges. Glossy peach nudes and pinkish corals are more flattering, as they bring warmth to the hand.

Should fingernails and toenails be the same colour?

They don't need to match. Matching is traditional for weddings and formal events; otherwise, coordinate them. Toes can take a stronger shade than you'd wear to work, such as bright coral with a peach or nude manicure.

Find Coral Pink, Peach and Strawberry Burst in our gel polish collection, and more ways to wear coral and peach in our spring nail designs.