7 Nail Polish Layering Combos That Always Look Expensive Leave a comment

As a beauty journalist who spots nail trends for a living and who spends a lot of time speaking to celebrity nail techs as part of my job, I’m always looking at the emerging nail colour trends. And in my quest to achieve my most expensive-looking nails yet, I’ve often noticed that top manicurists will rarely use just one shade of nail polish or gel polish for their manicures. In fact, they’ll often combine nail colours to create a custom shade for their VIP clientele.

Nail polish layering means you can achieve a bespoke blend that perfectly suits your nails and your skin tone. And what could be more luxurious than a tailored combo? It also means you can experiment with different finishes, from sheer nail colours to shimmer nail polishes, meaning you can get endless results. I’ve previously written about the best OPI nail layering combos (such as the iconic Bubble Bunny combo), but thankfully, some of the best nail polish layering combinations come in both gel polish form and in at-home nail polish formulas, meaning you can easily try the combo if you can’t make it to the salon.

So, if you’re looking for your most expensive-looking manicure yet, scroll ahead. I’ve rounded up the best nail polish layering combos for you to try for your next mani. And if someone asks you what nail colour you’re wearing, you can smugly reply “it’s custom”.

Arguably the most iconic and well-known nail polish layering combos of all time, OPI Bubble Bath and OPI Funny Bunny are one of our team’s favourite duos for a pink milky manicure. It’s even been coined its own name as Bubble Bunny, which recently inspired OPI to launch its own Bubble Bunny colour too. The combination of the milky white and sheer pink makes for a universally chic manicure that never misses. Most people like to paint two coats of Funny Bunny first before finishing with a coat of Bubble Bath for a glossy mani.

OPI Put It In Neutral and Bare My Soul make a chic layering pair if you prefer your manicure sheer and neutral rather than overly opaque. As seen here on celebrity manicurist Iram Shelton, the combination of these two shades creates a soft, soapy finish.

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You’ll often see manicurist Mateja Novakovik combining different Manucurist nail colours for a custom look, and this one stopped me in my tracks mid-scroll. Layering both the Active Glow Polish and Moon Nail Polish results in a satin-like finish and a pretty pink hue that instantly brightens the nails.

French Rose and French Crème are two of Bio Sculpture’s best nail colours if you love a milky pink manicure. Here, manicurist Lois Samantha has combined the two for this incredibly chic and understated manicure. Thankfully, the brand offers them both in gel polish and nail polish, so you can get the look at home if you can’t make it to the salon.

Celebrity manicurist Georgia Rae’s mix of one coat of Funny Bunny, one coat of Baby, Take a Vow and one coat of Put It In Neutral might just be the ultimate formula for effortlessly classy nails “When I’m doing my own manicures I like to apply one super thin layer of Funny Bunny followed by a layer of Love Is In the Bare or Baby, Take A Vow,” says Rae. “On a deeper skin tone, I’d layer it with Put It In Neutral, which has a more beige undertone. Both shades allow the sheer white to show through but warm it up slightly so it’s not so stark,” she says.

Shimmery nail polishes have been trending, and I love this combo for a barely-there sparkle. The Manucurist Active Smooth base acts like a tinted moisturiser for the nails, whilst the hint of sparkle from the Active Plump nail polish adds a sheer sparkle that’s so pretty.