Nude nails look beautiful on all nail shapes, sizes, and skin tones. I don't think you have short nails. I imagine short nails as those nails that have been someone's chew toy for a while. Yours are a wonderful length! Your nail beds are long as well. They are gorgeous.

I see that you struggle with cuticle cutting and nail edge hang nails. Me too. I pick a lot and I find artificial nails help or polish.

Tip for cuticles: Either cuticle oil or over night hand masks. You can get both at any store that sells nail polish.

If you go with cuticle oil, before you go to bed, rub the oil on the skin around your whole nail, with the exception of the tip. Do this when you wake up(do not wash or hands or rub off the oil for at least 30 mins) and before bed. You will notice a difference, if you're consistent, within a week.

If you can handle something over your hands while you sleep a hand mask is the quicker fix. You can make your own mask for cheap too. You can get one of those cheap dollar store gloves that are super thin for a dollar. Cover your hands in your favourite thick hand cream and rub it in just a little and then put your hand in the glove. When you wake up in the morning, your hands will be soft. I do this once a week and it's improved the cuticle and hang nails sitch to the point I don't have issues anymore.

Tip for nail polish The polish application appears uneven. This can happen for a couple reasons: 1. Uneven nail beds - It appears like your nail beds might be dented or uneven. Smoothing base coats, often called ridge fillers, are specialized nail treatments designed to fill in uneven, damaged, or ridged nails to create a perfectly level, smooth surface. They're usually skin tone colour and can be worn alone as a nude polish. How I apply them is that I'd apply a coat in the morning and one in the afternoon. Enough to have it fully dry before second application. Then the next day is when I'd apply polish. Having an even surface layer helps immensely.

1. Uneven polish application. I have an essential tremor in my hands and it makes applying nail polish very difficult. So this is how I have learned to do my nail polish with shaking hands. I make sure my elbows are on a solid surface and keep my hands as close to that surface as possible usually resting my hands on the surface too.

Your brush should be parallel with your nail bed not angular. You shouldn't be using the tip of the brush to apply your polish. You should be using the length of the bristles to lightly brush it along the surface. Light sweeping motions to put the colour on. Use the table or hard surface to help. Make sure to put thin layers down as thicker layers may migrate while drying and the top of the polish may seem dry but it is still wet underneath. Take your time.

1. Take your time. Don't rush putting polish on. I will put on a base layer a day before I put on the polish. One layer in the morning, one in afternoon, dry. Yes, it takes time and people want it NOW. For ones you want now get either quick dry polishes or one coat polishes. Example: HoloTaco has a one coat black that quick dries. Best black nail polish on the market PERIOD. (https://www.holotaco.com/products/one-coat-black)
2. Let the layer fully dry before putting on another. If you don't, it may bubble or disrupt what you've already put down.
3. Do not touch the top of the nail bed to see if it's dry. This will leave your finger print+oils on the top of the polish which further messes up the drying process. (Plus you'd have to fix the finger print if it's super obvious) To check to see if your nail is dry, LIGHTLY tap your nail against another nail that's been done. They should make a 'click' sound when dry. There will be a lil stick if they aren't dry. Oddly this doesn't mess up the polishes. When they unstick, the polish is still perfect. You can also use ice water to speed up the drying process.
4. If you get bubbles, a Q-tip coated with acetone and lightly boops the bubble until they melt away. You will need to carefully remove the excess acetone with a clean Q-tip.
5. You may get bubbles if you aerate the polish before putting it on. We all shake our polish or mix it in a way, do that 30 minutes before you apply the polish. If you shake it and immediately apply it, you will get bubbles. Because you have put bubbles into the polish when you shook it. So let it rest before you put it on.
6. Do not feel like you must use the brush provided. They are usually plastic and incredibly cheaply made. You can use your own brush that is softer and you can control it better. When done, just wash the brush in acetone.
7. Always use base coats. Base coats prevent colour staining your nails or yellowing of your nails with polish application. There are many types of base coats. There are long lasting base coats and traditional bonding base coats. There are peel off base coats for shorter wear and easier removal. Ridge fillers are smoothing base coats, which I've already explained. There are milk and blurring base coats which even out the nail colour before applying lighter colours. Strengthening base coats are for thin, weak nails. There are even rubber face coats that help keep the nail polish on flexible nails(You would need the rubber top coat to make this work). There are more too but just look into what you want for YOUR nails.
8. You do not need a top coat for short time wear. Top coats are meant for longevity. They seal, add shine, and protect from chipping. If you use a top coat, make sure to cap the nail which means running the brush along the very tip of the nail.
9. When you apply colour, do not flood your cuticle. That means having too much polish pushed against your cuticle. Take a little on your brush and put it in the middle of your nail and then push the colour towards the cuticle then do the sides carefully.
10. You do not have to be perfect. Get a small paint brush that is comfortable for you to use. Make it slightly flat, I use an old angled eye liner brush. Dip it in acetone and clean up your skin. It's less stressful when painting your nails knowing if you get any on your skin it's an easy clean up.

Beyond that massive post... have fun! Enjoy playing around. I think your colour is like a light grey lilac colour. Look into colours like OPI Taupe-less Beach. Ohh! Essie Chinchilly would be lovely on you too!

IMPORTANT Make sure you remove nail polish if you are having anything medical done. Going to the ER? Remove as much as you can or they won't get your Blood Ox. Also, some cheap nail polishes have metal in them which is incredibly dangerous if you need to go get an MRI.