Manicurists

When it comes to nail polish, sheer nail colours are my thing. Nail trends may come and go, but a sheer white nail polish has become my default manicure. The reason being? It looks timeless, chic and brightens your hands without being stark as opaque white nail polish. Like sheer pink nails, it transcends trends, and when I clock someone with a milky manicure, I instantly know they’re chic. IMO, there’s no classic nail colour you can wear.

Given my obsession with them, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and testing some of the best sheer white nail polishes. From OPI Funny Bunny to Essie Allure, there are so many types of sheer white nail colours. Some offer just a tint, while others have more of an off-white hue that is subtle and natural-looking (think of them like a skin tint for nails).

I’ve rounded up some of the very best sheer white nail polishes below, alongside pictures of the exact colours from my Saved folder so you can see the shade for yourself.

1. OPI Funny Bunny

We can’t talk about sheer white nail polishes without talking about OPI Funny Bunny. Available as both a gel polish in salon and in nail polish form to use at home, it’s one of the best sheer whites around. You can layer it up in thin coats for more opacity, and many like to layer it with OPI Bubble Bath as a classic OPI nail layering combination.

2. Essie Allure

Essie’s Allure Nail Polish is one of my regular go-tos when I’m craving a sheer white manicure. It’s very sheer, and more of a bone colour that is much softer compared to the brightness of Funny Bunny. Below, I’m wearing two thin coats paired with Essie Gel Couture Top Coat (which genuinely makes my nail polish last for over a week), and it gives me natural-looking nails that look neat and manicured.

3. Manucurist Active Bright

Looking at Mateja Novakovic’s understated manicure with the Manucurist Active Bright (I’m also a big fan of Active Smooth) hue has 100% convinced me to buy it. It’s a sheer white with subtle flecks of shimmer that give the nails a luminous glow. You can layer it up for more coverage, but it’s a speedy way to make your nails look neat if you only wear one coat. It’s also a nail strengthener, too, so it helps your nails grow long and strong as you wear it.

4. Essie Marshmallow

5. Bio Sculpture Sea Foam

I audibly gasped when I saw this stunning manicure by Julia Diogo, and I just had to find out the shade. It turns out it’s Bio Sculpture’s Seafoam, a cloudy, milky white that I’m desperate to try next. What’s great is that Bio Sculpture offers it in gel form through salons, but you can also pick up the nail polish version in the exact shade if you’re painting your nails at home.

6. Westmoreland Cosmetics Vanilla Gloss 1

Ever since I heard that manicurist Harriet Westmoreland was launching her own range, Westmoreland Cosmetics, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. She’s perfected the milky manicure, and her Vanilla Gloss collection features this stunning shade (No.1), which may be one of the best sheer white nail colours I’ve ever seen. It comes in both Glass Gel and Glass Polish form, too.

7. Bio Sculpture French Blanc

Another Bio Sculpture nail colour I’ve fallen for is French Blanc—and isn’t it the dreamiest milkshade shade you’ve ever seen? This natural off-white shade is like a tulle manicure, cloaking the nails in a sheer veil while making the nail plate look healthy and glossy. I’m obsessed.