As we head into spring, you may find yourself looking to shed the gloominess of winter and dive headfirst into the promise of spring. Even if you’re like me and have a primarily black wardrobe, it’s not difficult to add a pop of color (or lack thereof) to your manicure with pristine white nail polish. We’ve gathered the best white nail polishes that we could find, from shimmer to matte, and more. Whether you want something bright for your first open-toed pedi of the season or want to keep things crisp and clean, keep reading to find the perfect white polish for you!
For the longest-lasting, healthiest white nails, look no further than Deborah Lippmann’s dual patented formula that promises to give you a gel-like glossy finish without any nail damage. This white gel-like polish contains fortifying ingredients for your nails, including evening primrose, vitamin E, and biotin. Green tea extract protects your nails from damage, while silk fibers help remedy uneven nails. Amazing Grace will give you a sophisticated gel-like manicure without all the hassle and upkeep. Grab it from Nordstrom!
Finding a vegan, plant-based, cruelty-free, high-shine, and halal-friendly nail polish is impossible. Or so you thought. Our choice for the best vegan white nail polish goes to Free Time is Me Time, a true white from Nails Inc. The Plant Power nail polish line comprises 73% plant-based ingredients and is free of sulfates SLS and SLES, and parabens. The packaging is also recyclable, as Nails Inc. traded their plastic cap for 100-percent FSC ash wood. You can pick it up at Sephora.
One of the things that have always irked me about painting my nails is finding a regular polish that lasts longer than three days without chipping. For the longest-lasting white manicure, OPI’s Alpine Snow is the best pick you could go for. This glossy white polish is rich in color and should last up to seven days if paired with OPI’s primer and gloss. Purchase it at Ulta or Amazon!
Zoya was initially created by founder Zoya Reyzis when she was pregnant and wanted an alternative to traditional polishes’ harmful ingredients. It was the world’s first toluene-, formaldehyde-, and DBP-free polish. Inspired by runway looks, Genesis is a crystalline white with a beautiful shimmer finish. You can pick up Genesis from Ulta.
For a clean white polish option at the drugstore, you should check out Sally Hansen’s Good.Kind.Pure Vegan Nail Polish in White Tea. This line is 100% vegan and formulated with 75% plant-based ingredients. It’s free of 15 harmful ingredients, including formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, acetone, and phthalates. White Tea is a glossy white finish, one of the 30 color choices in this clean, affordable formula. Add it to your Amazon cart!
White may seem like a straightforward color, but Sugarette from Smith & Cult is anything but basic. Our favorite white shimmer polish, Sugarette, is an opaque, smoke white shimmer with an 8-free formula and certified vegan and gluten-free. This eye-catching shade will highlight the dimension and nuance of the color, proving white is far from boring. You can grab it from Amazon.
If you’re a habitual nail painter, you have probably heard that Sally Hansen’s Insta Dri Nail Color dries… well, almost instantly. The 3-in-1 formula (base, color, topcoat) saves you even more time. White on Time is our favorite quick-dry white polish, and with a name like that, you are almost guaranteed to save time on your manicure. Opaque in as little as one coat, White on Time provides a glossy manicure in just minutes. Purchase it at Ulta or Amazon!
When I was a teenager, if you couldn’t afford to get an actual French manicure or even press-on nails, you could always entertain yourself by giving yourself a French manicure with a bottle of White-Out in study hall. With Orly’s White Tips Lacquer, there’s no need to coat your nails in a chalky mess. The white crème shade is perfect for achieving that clean, classy French tip. You can purchase White Tips at Ulta.
Our favorite super shiny white polish is another Sally Hansen pick, this one from the Xtreme Wear line in the shade White On. The Xtreme Wear line features Xtreme gloss and color in over 30 shades. The long-lasting color promises to be chip-resistant, fade-resistant, and waterproof. This super shiny, high-gloss white polish has a subtle shimmer finish. You can order it from Amazon.
If you don’t want to spend a fortune when it comes to nail polish, there are plenty of budget options available. Our choice for the best drugstore white nail polish is Revlon’s Nail Enamel in Pure Pearl. This polish can usually be found for under $10 and comes in over 64 shades. Pure Pearl is part of their neutrals collection and features a glossy finish over this shimmering pearl white hue. You can order it from Amazon or anywhere Revlon is sold!
For an easy gel manicure at home without the need for a curing light, one of the most accessible options is Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel. Get Mod will give you a clean, crisp manicure that, when paired with the Miracle Gel top coat, could last you up to fourteen days! You can order Get Mod from Ulta or Amazon.
If you want a sheer, barely-there hint of color on your nails, then Essie’s Marshmallow is a perfect choice. This sheer, cloudy white polish provides just enough coverage over your natural nails to look put together without calling too much attention to itself. One coat is ultra-sheer, with your natural nails peeking through. You can layer more coats to increase the opaqueness. It’s available at Ulta and Amazon.
Matte nails can be just as beautiful as shimmer or shine, and a crisp flat white will stand out beautifully against tanned skin this summer. China Glaze’s White on White hits the mark with this matte, milky white shade. China Glaze polishes are formulated with kaolin clay to improve the hardness of nails and are also 7-free. You can purchase White on White at Ulta.
For salon-ready vibrant white nails at home that will last you more than three weeks without chipping or fading, consider getting a dip manicure. If you’re wondering what dip powder is, you can check out our guide here for more information. Top Billing from Red Carpet Manicure is a white cream shade that will give you up to 21 days of wear at home. You can pick it up from Ulta or Amazon.
When you think of iconic moments involving the color white, you might think of Marilyn Monroe and her billowing white dress. Morgan Taylor provides our pick for the best pearly white shade in Some Girls Prefer Pearls from their Forever Marilyn Collection. This luminescent pearl is complemented by four other shades in the line representative of Monroe’s now-classic Hollywood style. You can purchase the Marilyn Collection at Ulta.
Photos via Ulta