While we ramp up for a holiday season of bright red nail polish and glitter topcoats, Kate Middleton, like all royals before her, will reportedly refrain from such extra manis. In fact, it's actually rumored to be part of Kate's job description to keep her nails nude. According to British tabloid OK!, royal protocol demands it [1].
But as we've seen before, that doesn't mean Kate can't wear anything on her nails. In fact, she's somewhat of an Essie aficionado. She rocked a mix of the brand's Rose Lounge (pour one out for this sadly discontinued soft pink) and Allure [2] ($9) at her 2011 wedding to Prince William. She's not alone in her love for the drugstore line — Queen Elizabeth has been wearing the same shade [3] of Essie in Ballet Slippers [4] ($9) for 29 years. This pinky nude hue was created when the queen's hairdresser wrote to brand founder Essie Weingarten in 1988, requesting a bespoke shade for her majesty.
Of course, this rule only applies to public functions (aka pretty much whenever Kate Middleton steps outside of Kensington Palace). So perhaps when she's not being watched, Kate paints on metallics and dances around like she's gone rogue à la that classic 1998 Disney film, My Date With the President's Daughter. Probably not, but a girl can dream.
Ahead, find four nude shades you can rock while you princess-wave.
O.P.I. Soft Shade Nail Lacquer in Privacy Please
O.P.I. Soft Shade Nail Lacquer in Privacy Please [5] ($11)
Deborah Lippmman Nail Polish in Naked
Deborah Lippmman Nail Polish in Naked [6] ($18)
Oribe Lacquer High Shine Polish in The Nude
Oribe Lacquer High Shine Polish in The Nude [7] ($32)
Context Nail Polish in Take It Off
Context Nail Polish in Take It Off [8] ($15)
RMS Beauty Nail Polish in Luminizer
RMS Beauty Nail Polish in Luminizer [9] ($15)
Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish in Well, Well, Well
Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish in Well, Well, Well [10] ($8)
Jin Soon Nail Polish in Tulle
Jin Soon Nail Polish in Tulle [11] ($18)
Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer in Beach Babe
Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer in Beach Babe [12] ($9)
Kure Bazaar Nail Polish in Nude
Kure Bazaar Nail Polish in Nude [13] ($24)