buuk.top / Alli Waataja
Not so long ago, groovy swirls and multi-colored French tips were dominating the nail trends. And while bold manicures are sure to reclaim their level of popularity again (trends always come back around), we’re currently living in the minimal manicure era. Need proof? Think: strawberry milk manis, muted-French manis, cloud nails, and glazed donut nails—they’re all modern takes on a sheer manicure. There’s no doubt that your nail tech can help you achieve your dream set, but one of the best things about this neutral nail trend (which is actually classic by the way), is that you can easily do it yourself at home with a bottle of regular polish.
To give you the best options so you can master your at-home manicure, we combined extensive research with our editor’s favorites to compile this list of the best sheer nail polishes on the market. We evaluated each one based on its application, color, buildability, finish, and longevity. Whether you’re looking for a new go-to shade for every day, or you need some wedding nail inspiration, we’ve got options for you.
Essie Sugar Daddy at Amazon
Essie Nail Polish in Marshmallow at Amazon
JINsoon Nail Polish in Dew at Jinsoon.com
Olive and June Pink Goldfish at Oliveandjune.com
Lights Lacquer Cherry Jelly at Lightslacquer.com
Cirque Colors Morningtide at Amazon
ILNP Scarlett at Amazon
Cirque Colors Fairly Floss at Amazon
In This Article
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Best Overall
Essie Sugar Daddy
Ulta
View On Ulta
View On Walmart
Buildable coverage
Neutral pink shade
Glassy finish
Not streaky
Nothing
A sheer, baby-pink manicure will always be classic and fitting for any and all occasions. This popular shade was released in the summer of 2013, and it’s been a staple in nail polish collections ever since, making it our favorite sheer pink nail polish. Why do people love it so much? Because it somehow manages to look beautiful on everyone. The shade of pink is neutral—it doesn’t lean too blue or too peachy—meaning that it looks good no matter what your undertones are. We also love that two coats create a milky, semi-translucent effect, while three coats provide semi-opaque coverage. It glides on smoothly without getting streaky, and the finish is ultra-glassy. If you’re looking for an easy-to-wear shade that looks polished and classic on all skin tones, we highly recommend this one from Essie. Plus, it’s an excellent pick for those wanting to get in on the strawberry milk nails trend.
Price at time of publish: $10
Finish: Ultra-glossy | Cruelty-Free: No
Best White
Essie Nail Polish in Marshmallow
Ulta
View On Ulta
View On Target
Buildable coverage
Neutral white color
Looks nice layers under toppers
Can be a bit streaky
First launched in 1981, this classic white nail polish has been gracing our fingers and toes for more than four decades. The milky shade looks great on a wide range of skin tones because the color isn’t too stark white, nor does it lean too ivory—it’s just the right neutral shade of white. Although it can look a bit streaky upon applying the first coat, a second coat diminishes the streaks and creates a semi-translucent look. If you want to achieve close to full opacity, applying a third coat will get you there. Because the formula is quite buildable, you can achieve a few different effects with just this one polish. It’s also great for layering underneath fun toppers if you want to get creative with your nails. This versatile, fool-proof pick is one we absolutely recommend having in your collection—it’s a great choice if you’re struggling to match your mani with your outfit because it goes with everything.
Price at time of publish: $10
Finish: Glossy | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Ultra-Sheer White
JINsoon Nail Polish in Dew
JINsoon
Looks nice on all skin tones
Looks beautiful under toppers
Not streaky
21-free
Lasts well on nails
Cant be built up for much coverage
If you like the look of a super toned-down manicure but you still want a little bit of color and a dose of shine on your nails, this is the polish for you. It looks fantastic on everyone because there’s just a hint of neutral white color to it, and we love how smooth and non-streaky it is. While it’s not very buildable, just one or two coats create an even, glassy, milky finish that looks perfectly polished and understated. You can see your natural nails through the color, but it provides enough coverage to create a uniform finish. Because of the sheer formula, it’s also a great option to layer underneath shimmer or glittery toppers to make them pop a bit more than if you were to apply them straight to your nails. We also appreciate that the formula is 21-free, meaning it’s formulated without 21 of the potentially harmful chemicals (like formaldehyde and toluene) found in a lot of nail polishes.
Price at time of publish: $18
Finish: Glossy | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Opalescent
Olive and June Pink Goldfish
Olive and June
Buildable
Catches light beautifully
Non-streaky
Shimmer is incredible fine
Nothing
Pearly, opalescent nails have been incredibly popular lately, and we’re certainly not complaining about the trend coming back around. While some shimmery nail polishes can look frosted or a bit stark against the skin, this one has such a fine shimmer running through it that it still maintains a subtle appearance. It goes on streak-free and while one or two coats look pretty sheer, a third coat will help you achieve medium opacity. Perhaps the best part of this shade is how beautifully it catches the light—when out in the sun, you’ll see pink, blue, and purple flecks in what appears like a subtle duo chrome effect.
Price at time of publish: $9
Finish:Pearly | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Red
Lights Lacquer Cherry Jelly
Lights Lacquer
Buildable
Neutral red shade
High-shine finish
Fades relatively fast around nail edges
A great way to change up your standard red manicure while maintaining a classic look is to opt for a sheer, jelly-red shade. This one is fantastic because the vibrant shade is neutral, meaning it looks great on people with varying skin tones and undertones. The formula is quite buildable; you can yield semi-opaque coverage with multiple coats, or you can opt for just a coat or two to create a semi-transparent finish. It applies smoothly and has a gorgeous, glassy finish, and it also looks incredible when applied underneath shimmer or flaky toppers. It does fade a little bit around the edges of the nails within a few days (which is common for jelly polishes), but aside from that one con, we absolutely love this one.
Price at time of publish: $11
Finish: Glossy | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Blue
Cirque Colors Morningtide
Cirque Colors
View On Cirquecolors.com
Slightly buildable
Non-streaky
High-shine finish
Shade of blue is a bit muted
Looking to incorporate a little something blue on your big day? This sheer sky blue shade from Cirque Colors is the perfect way to have some fun with your wedding manicure while still keeping it simple. It’s also a great option for anyone who’s hesitant about experimenting with color on their nails because it can be worn very sheer or built up for a bit more color payoff. Though we wish the shade itself had a bit more vibrance to it so it popped more against the skin, the fact that the color is muted and just a tad gray-leaning could be a plus for those who like to maintain a subtle look. The formula is smooth and completely streak-free, and we love that it dries down to a high-shine, glassy finish.
Price at time of publish: $13
Finish: Glossy | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Shimmer Topper
ILNP Scarlett
ILNP
View On Ilnp.com
Can be worn on its own or layered
Has multicolor flecks
Fine shimmer
Nothing
One of the best things about sheer toppers is their versatility. This one is great because when worn alone, it looks almost like bare nails in some lighting, and it looks incredibly dimensional and shimmery in other lighting. When layered on top of deep colors, it transforms them into multi-dimensional shades with the most eye-catching red shift. And when you look really closely in direct sunlight, you can see micro-flecks of orange, purple, and blue, making it hard not to keep glancing at your nails every chance you get. The formula is smooth and easy to apply evenly without streaks, and it can be built up slightly to offer your desired level of shimmer. If you’re looking for a fun polish to add to your collection that will help you add a little something special to your manicure, we think you’ll fall in love with this one from ILNP.
Price at time of publish: $13
Finish:Glossy, shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Flaky Topper
Cirque Colors Fairly Floss
Cirque Colors
View On Cirquecolors.com
Can be worn on its own or layered
Flakes are thin and easy to apply
Multi-dimensional
Nothing
Adding some subtle texture to your nails is a super easy way to take your manicure up a notch. This flaky topper from Cirque Colors is perfect for this because the flakes are multi-dimensional and they catch the light beautifully, but they’re not overly thick or chunky. The polish is smooth and easy to apply, and perhaps the best part is how buildable it is. One light layer on bare nails or over a solid color will give you a subtle, reflective coat, but two to three layers create a more bolder finish. The pink and blue duo chrome effect is cute and whimsical-looking—and we like that the flecks are suspended in a sheer pink polish because this helps to give the nails an even finish.
Price at time of publish: $15
Finish: Glossy, flaky |Cruelty-Free:Yes
Final Verdict
Our best overall pick is Essie Sugar Daddy because it’s buildable, smooth, and looks gorgeous on everyone and for every occasion. The popular shade has been a classic for an entire decade, and considering how foolproof it is to apply and to wear, we understand why. But if you’re looking for a sheer nail polish with a bit of shimmer and dimension to it, we highly recommend checking out ILNP Scarlett.
What to Look for When Buying Sheer Nail Polish
Shade
Even though sheer nail polishes don’t have the same intense level of pigmentation as creme polishes do, it’s important to consider the color you select nevertheless—especially for the ones that are buildable. If you’re looking for a fool-proof, neutral pink that seems to just look beautiful on everyone, we recommend Essie Sugar Daddy. If you’re in the market for a sheer polish that still offers some fun color, try the Cirque Colors Morningtide.
Finish
You’ll find that most sheer polishes have shiny or glossy finishes, but some of them are infused with fine shimmer or sparkles to give the finish some extra dimension. If you want to add some texture and a light-catching element to your sheer mani, go for a flaky topper, like the Cirque Colors Fairly Floss.
Buildability
Some sheer polishes offer just a hint of color for a super natural, milky look (JINsoon Dew is the perfect example of this), while others offer buildability which allows you to customize your look a bit. If you’re looking for a shade that you can wear sheered out or build up quite a bit, we recommend Olive and June Pink Goldfish or Essie Marshmallow.
Unfortunately, some nail polishes are just a bit streaky and the only way to eliminate this is to build them up significantly. However, it’s always best to apply sheer nail polishes in medium-to-thick (not too thick) coats because this helps to achieve even coverage and eliminate some streaking.
Like we mentioned, it’s best to apply sheer shades in medium-to-thick layers to avoid as much streaking as possible. In order to ensure the polish sets well, allow one to two full minutes of drying time in between coats.
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Alyssa Kaplan is an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied marketing and product development in the cosmetics industry as well as fashion business marketing. Alyssa has been a commerce writer at buuk.top since 2022, where she covers all things beauty.
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