Anyone who knows me knows that I’m far from minimalist. As such, I’m pretty much the last person in the world who’d opt for a neutral nail color over a boldly-patterned manicure. But, with one of my best friend’s weddings on the horizon, I’ve realized that there’s a very real possibility she’ll want all her bridesmaids to wear neutral nail polish on her big day. That said, I figured it was high time to suss out the best neutral nail polish the market has to offer.

Despite the rainbow of nail polishes on the market, there are a couple neutral polishes with name-brand recognition consumers regularly request during their nail appointments (or paint on themselves.) Essie’s “Ballet Slippers” certainly comes to mind, as its beloved by stars like Jennifer Aniston, Kate Middleton, and, reportedly, the late Queen Elizabeth. Similarly, OPI’s “Bubble Bath” is a close second, revered for its simple pink hue that’s subtle and sweet.

But they’re certainly not the only ones out there. Being a beauty writer, I narrowed it down to the top five brands in my rolodex and went directly to the source to request their top-selling neutral colors. Once the samples arrived, I chose the colors that most closely mirrored each other to get the best possible comparison between brands.

To put the polishes to the test, I painted one nail in each color. By the end of my swatching, my left hand had a coat of Orly “Prelude To A Kiss” ($8) on my pinky, JINsoon “Muse” ($18) on my ring finger, OPI “Bubble Bath” ($14) on my middle finger, Olive & June “CCT” ($9) on my pointer finger, and Essie “Ballet Slippers” ( $9) on my thumb. In an effort to give each polish the best possible chance of lasting, I topped them all off with Olive & June’s cult-favorite Olive Your Mani Topcoat ($9).

Here’s my honest thoughts.

Orly, Prelude To A Kiss — $8.00

This nail lacquer is an opaque peachy-beige that goes on smoothly but is too pigmented for a true neutral nail look. It’s worth noting that of all of Orly’s top neutral polishes, this was the most neutral, and on my skin tone, it just didn’t look natural. It’s also too opaque to look like you’re not really wearing anything at all. The silver lining is that it’s one of the longest-lasting polishes of the bunch.

Pros

• Long-lasting
  
• Affordable

Cons

• Thick and opaque
  
  
• Too pigmented to be considered a true neutral

JINsoon, Muse — $18.00

This neutral nail polish has a milky, slight peachy hue that makes it pigmented without overdoing it. If you’re going for a transparent look, this is the one for you, as it stays clear, even with too coats. But if you want an opaque finish, skip it. What’s more, it has such a thin brush that it doesn’t apply super evenly. That said, it’s the number-one longest-lasting of the bunch, with zero chips after five days of wear.

Pros 

• Buildable neutral color
• Pretty hue
• Extremely long-lasting

Cons 

• Small brush head
• Expensive

OPI, Bubble Bath — $13.00

One of the most renowned neutral nail polishes, Bubble Bath is a semi-opaque pinkish-white polish that’s the perfect neutral hue after two coats. Since it has a thin, classic brush, though, it doesn’t apply super evenly. With that in mind, for fully opaque coverage, three coats is probably best, but then you run the risk of premature chipping due to extra layers. After five days, this polish only slightly chipped on the edge.

Pros 

• Buildable neutral color
• Doesn’t require a ton of coats
• Affordable

Cons

• Chips easily with more coats
• Thin brush head

Olive & June, CCT — $9.00

Here we have the most beautiful neutral nail polish I’ve tried to date. Designed with a wide brush, this sheer milky pale pink polish glides on more evenly than any other polish of the bunch and looks picture perfect in just two coats. If you do want more color, you can get it, but I find two coats to be *Chef’s kiss.* After five days, it chipped at the top edge.

Pros 

• Buildable neutral color
• Doesn’t require a ton of coats
• Wide brush
• Affordable

Cons

• Chips over time

Essie, Ballet Slippers — $9.00

Considering how wildly popular this nail polish is, I was surprised to see just how poorly it applied. The sheer pinkish-white polish doesn’t go on evenly and it chipped on the edges and in the middle of my thumbnail within the first two days. It’s worth mentioning that my thumb nail is ridged for whatever reason, so perhaps that plays into it, but overall I’m sadly unimpressed.

Pros 

• Sheer (if you want that)
• Affordable

Cons

• Thin, uneven polish
• Chipped quickly
• Tough to build color

And the winner is…

Of the top five most popular neutral nail polishes that I tried, the Olive & June CCT was the clear star, with its easy-to-use wide brush that makes for impeccable application. It’s a very similar color to the JINsoon Muse polish, albeit a bit more opaque.

That being said, it all depends on your preference for a neutral nail polish. If you want something that’s almost clear, maybe go with the JINsoon Muse or the Essie. If you prefer something more opaque, OPI or ORLY will do the trick (just invest in a solid topcoat.) But in terms of application, price, and look, CCT is a good go-to, and will be accompanying me to all formal events from here on out.

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