The best nail polishes for a natural, barely-there manicure
Our beauty expert shares the sheer pink nail polishes she rates for creating a natural, low-maintenance manicure at home.
Saga
Our beauty expert shares the sheer pink nail polishes she rates for creating a natural, low-maintenance manicure at home.
I’ve always longed to be one of those women who has immaculate nails all year round. They’re the same women who send birthday gifts rather than WhatsApp messages saying, "Sorry I forgot!"
They use something called a wardrobe rather than "that chair". And they can somehow miraculously locate their passport without leaving the place looking as through the police have just executed a search warrant.
I have now made my peace with the fact that I am not that woman. I am the person who improvises an emergency dog poo bag out of a discarded Maltesers packet and who has twice arrived at the wrong venue for a wedding.
So, as mysteries go, my inability to keep up with manicures is hardly up there with "who built Stonehenge?" But fortunately, the nail gods have now thrown me a lifeline. Because the "barely there", natural nails look has become this year’s biggest beauty trend.
Everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Margot Robbie has ditched elaborate talons for short, low-key nails in sheer pink. And boy, is it blissfully low maintenance. Chips are barely noticeable, and because you’re only using the merest hint of colour, touch-ups don’t require the steady hand of a neurosurgeon. The ‘barely there’ manicure is also fabulously flattering for us over-fifties – a sheer wash of pink has the effect of making nails look healthier and more youthful.
Of course, one of the secrets to nailing the natural look is selecting exactly the right type of polish.
These are the ones I’d reach for.
Top nail techs swear by Chanel’s exquisite shades of polish. And Chanel Le Vernis in Ballerina (1, RRP £30) is a masterclass in minimalist chic. This soft, romantic pink was Selena Gomez’s nail shade of choice for her engagement pics and it delivers a gorgeously glossy finish.
The flat, wide brush makes application a breeze, and the long-lasting formula is impressively chip-resistant. About as high-end as a home manicure gets.
Essie’s Ballet Slippers was the late Queen’s go-to shade of polish, while the Princess of Wales has famously favoured Allure, but sorry royals, for one of the best natural polishes, I’m flying the flag for rose-petal-toned Essie Nail Polish 13 Mademoiselle (2, RRP £8.99). I’d go with two coats for this one – its milky translucence gives nails that elusive ‘your-nails-but-better’ look. The precision brush makes for a reassuringly streak-free finish.
If you’re after the high shine look of a gel manicure without stepping inside a salon, it’s worth exploring the new generation of gel-effect polishes. And, wowzers, have OPI delivered with OPI Infinite Shine Gel-Like Lacquer Polish in Bubble Bath (3, RRP £17.50). You’ll come for the flattering candy pink hue, you’ll stay for the speedy drying time and scratch-resistant finish, which gives 11 days of wear.
Another gel-effect pink polish I’ve fallen hard for is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel – Once Chiffon A Time (4, RRP £9.99). A sheer blush tone that lasts up to 16 days, it dries to a glossy, professional finish in just five minutes. I use a clear top coat with this one to boost the shine and loved how fresh and clean my nails looked. Sally, we salute you.
The founder of Glaize nails memorably appeared on Dragons’ Den, where she promised to disrupt the nail industry with her salon-quality stick-on nails. And she only went and did it. Glaize analyses pics of your hands, then delivers a set of custom-sized stick-on nail gels straight to your door.
My ‘barely there’ nails pick is Bare Bloom (5, RRP £16), a flawlessly natural translucent pink. The zero painting and drying time has won this genius product a place in this lazy girl’s heart.
Enjoy your fabulously low-maintenance, understated manicure. Personally, I can’t wait to be mistaken for one of those women who has her life absolutely nailed.
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