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(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
If there’s one beauty category quietly having a moment right now, it’s nail perfectors. While getting a manicure and trying out some nail trends or nail art is a luxurious treat, sometimes our fingertips might need a break from regular gel nails or BIAB. Or, you might just not have the time to get them done at the salon, but still want something low-maintenance that keeps your nails looking neat. And that’s where nail-perfecting polishes come in.
Unlike traditional nail polishes, nail-perfectors sit in that sweet spot between bare nails and full-coverage nail polish. Their magic lies in their ability to mimic the effect of a nourishing treatment and a fresh manicure, all in one swipe. Think sheer, milky nail tones, soft manicures with pink veils and translucent neutrals that enhance rather than mask. Think of them as skin tint, but for your nails. Many of them help to blur ridges, brighten your nail beds and leave your nails looking effortlessly healthy with just a hint of colour. The result? Your hands look polished and put-together with minimum effort.
Many nail perfector formulas also come with nail-strengthening ingredients in tow, like keratin, hydrating oils or brightening pigments—meaning your nails don’t just look better, they actually are better once the polish comes off. They’re also forgiving: no chips that are obvious from a distance, no high-maintenance upkeep and no need for ultra-precise application. Perfect for those in-between salon appointments or anyone embracing a more low-maintenance nail routine.
If you want your hands to look a little more polished without trying too hard, nail perfectors might be the nail upgrade you’re looking for. Ahead, we’ve tested the very best formulas that smooth, strengthen and elevate your natural nails—no at-home gel kit required.
The Best Nail Perfectors, Tried & Tested
- Best Overall: Manucurist Active Smooth (£20)
- Beauty Editor’s Pick: Essie To The Rescue (£11)
- Dior Nail Glow (£29)
- OPI Nail Envy (£23)
- Nails Inc Glow-Enhancing Nail Perfector (£9)
1. Manucurist Active Smooth
Shades: 4
Rating: 9/10
“I think this is one of the best nail polishes I have ever tried,” says Who What Wear UK junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay. “Advertised by the brand as a ‘CC cream for your nails,’ the Active Smooth formula has been designed to smooth ridges and blur imperfections. Yep, it’s literally like a no-makeup manicure. It contains 75% plant-based ingredients, castor fibres, AHAs and vitamin E, and works to strengthen and revitalise your nails for a healthy-looking finish.
I went for the shade 00, which has a satin finish and a subtle rosy hue. I applied one coat, and it was a little too sheer for me, but after two coats, I was obsessed with the way that it looked. The colour was perfect for my skin tone, and gave my nails a plump, juicy, glowing look that earned me so many compliments throughout the day. I’m quite hard to impress when it comes to nail polishes, but I honestly felt like I had achieved a salon-worthy manicure in a matter of minutes with this product.
One thing I will say is that nail polishes never really last that long on me, as I am always cleaning, opening packages and doing various jobs that can cause my nails to break and chip, but the great thing about this polish is that it blended beautifully into my natural nail, so even when it chipped, it was barely noticeable.”
Shop Now:
For
- Range of shades
- Leaves nails looking perfected and strengthened
Against
- On the more expensive side
2. Essie To the Rescue UV Gel Damage Repair Nail Treatment
Shades: 1
Rating: 8/10
“Lately, I’ve been struggling to grow my nails, which can sometimes be brittle and prone to breaking easily,” says Who What Wear UK beauty editor, Eleanor Vousden. “So, I figured Essie’s aptly named ‘to the rescue’ polish would be exactly what my nails needed—it’s actually been designed for nails that have been damaged by gel treatments. I have a sensitivity to gel nail polish, so while I’m not subjected to any damage there, I do have very weak nails that are in need of some TLC.
It comes in one universal shade—a sheer, neutral pink—that coats nails in a light veil. One coat leaves nails glossy, while two or more coats give more of a milky pink finish, which I love! It applies really smoothly and dries pretty fast as nail polishes go. I’m impatient with nail polish, but this only took a few moments to dry. So far, a great first impression.
The polish contains a triple protein complex, which works in tandem with ceramides and MSM to both strengthen and hydrate dry, brittle nails. I wore this for a whole week—and experienced minimal chipping, may I add—and I really noticed a difference in my nails. They felt stronger, and I even noticed them growing longer as they were not breaking as they normally would. In fact, I was assembling furniture the week I tried this out, which would normally leave my nails in tatters, but this not only protected my nails, but the polish itself remained chip-free.
After about six days, I started to notice some light chipping, but with the sheer formula, it’s very forgiving and not very noticeable, so you could probably go a little longer without needing to reapply it. Overall, I’m really impressed with this nail perfector, which not only makes my nails look neat and glossy but also leaves them noticeably stronger and longer. I’d highly recommend it and hope that Essie brings out some other colours in the formula—I’ll be adding them to my basket for sure.”
Shop Now:
Essie
To the Rescue UV Gel Damage Repair Nail Treatment
For
- Strengthens nails
- Great to use in between gel manicures
- Sheer, milky finish
- Long-lasting
Against
- Would like to see more shades
3. Dior Nail Glow
Shades: 1
Rating: 7/10
“It doesn’t get much chicer than Dior’s Vernis Nail Glow, and after hearing glowing (no pun intended) reviews from nail techs, I had high expectations for this nail perfector,” says Eleanor. “The polish itself is a bright pink but totally sheer varnish. It gives the nail a natural tint rather than opaque coverage, so if you want something with more blurring or smoothing coverage, this might not be for you. However, if you want something that leaves your nails looking natural, just better, then you’ll love the effect. One coat delivers a rosy pink tint, while two gives a brighter yet still sheer flush of colour to your nails. And it’s so pretty.
It contains sweet almond oil, which helps to nourish the nails as you wear it. The formula itself is very thin and almost watery in texture, which makes it glide on easily but also allows it to dry really fast. It’s great if, like me, you despise nothing more than waiting for your nails to dry. This took mere moments, and I could follow up with a second coat soon after without worrying about smudging. Two or three coats were the sweet spot for me, but you can dial up or down the intensity with fewer or more layers.
The only downside? I did experience some chipping in the first couple of days after applying it. However, with it being so sheer, it wasn’t hugely noticeable. But given the price, I’d hoped it would last a little longer. Knowing this now, I’d be inclined to seal it in with a top coat next time to get more wear out of it between my manicures.”
Shop Now:
For
- Adds a healthy glow to nails
- Dries fast
Against
- Has a luxury price tag to match
- Chips quickly
4. OPI Navy Envy
Shades: 9
Rating: 6/10
“As a writer who covers beauty, I’m the first to put my hand up to test a new treatment or trial a launch that’s sent shockwaves through the internet,” says Who What Wear UK SEO writer, Ava Gilchrist. “Despite this, nails is a category I’ve yet to really get my hands on. Manicures are a rare occurrence in my world, so when I paint my nails, I typically use one neutral glossy colour because it’s quite generous in concealing mistakes.
So, all of this is to say that when a nail-perfecting version of OPI’s cult classic Bubble Bath shade came across my desk, I was itching to slather it on my digits. The OPI Nail Envy range uses nail strengthener with proprietary Tri-Flex Technology™, which promises to strengthen and protect against chipping, peeling, and splitting. Because of this, I did find the product was a little chalky when painted on, with each layer applied with varying viscosity, leaving some unwanted streaks. The end result was a little more saturated and rosy than the true milky Bubble Bath original shade, but it did feel like it washed my bare nails in that ‘you, but better’ effect that I love from pale colours.
It’s also said to be a ‘liquid shield’ for your nails, which sounds like something that would pique the interest of someone who makes regular salon visits and puts their fingers through the ringer with constant acrylics, gels, or BIAB manicures. I don’t fall into that category, but I still like the thought of wearing a product that treats my nail bed without any extra steps. If you’re a novice like me, I think this is a great entry point for exploring and improving your nail health.
Shop Now:
OPI
Nail Envy Nail Polish in Bubble Bath
For
- Strengthens nails
- Comes in an array of iconic OPI nail colours
5. Nails Inc Glowing My Way Glow-Enhancing Nail Perfector Polish
Shades: 4
Rating: 7/10
“My nails are always breaking, so I really struggle to grow them. Because of this, I was very excited to try this Glowing My Way nail polish from Nails Inc,” says Grace. “Although it looks pink in the bottle, it actually goes on incredibly sheer. As someone who loves a naturally juicy, glowy finish, I was a fan of how this looked, but I did hope for a little more colour on the nails after applying two coats. That being said, it did provide incredible shine.
Now, onto the formula. This features a nourishing blend of castor oil and hyaluronic acid, making it ideal for dry, brittle nails. While I haven’t used it long enough to notice a major difference in terms of how quickly my nails are growing, I have noticed that my nails feel stronger and more healthy since testing this.
All in all, I would say that this is a great product to have as part of your at-home manicure kit. The only downside for me is that it doesn’t add much colour to the nails, so I would probably use this as more of a base coat rather than an all-in-one nail treatment and polish. However, if you do like something super subtle, then this would be the perfect choice.”
Shop Now:
Nails Inc
Glowing My Way Glow-Enhancing Nail Perfector Polish
For
- Gives nails a sheer pink glow
- Contains castor oil and hyaluronic acid to hydrate nails
Against
- Not for you if you want more coverage
How We Tested
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Over the past month, we’ve been putting some of the most popular nail perfectors to the test. Among our editors, some of us have gel manicures on the regular, while some of us are nail polish aficionados, so we evaluated just how well the nail perfectors not only strengthened our nails, but also how well the polish stayed put. We tried some of the most popular nail perfectors, from icons such as Dior and OPI to newer nail- perfecting polishes from Essie and Manucurist.