How to Make a Sheer Polish Opaque

By Amber Katz

(Photo: Getty Images)

There’s such a thing as “sheeritating” nail polish: You paint on a polish that looks creamy and opaque in the bottle, only to find it looks wimpy and translucent on your nails. And because you can rarely try polish before you buy it, you can’t be sure of its sheerness until it dries into a negative-space manicure—that you didn’t ask for. But there are creative ways to make your polish as rich and creamy as it looks in the bottle.

Manage Your Expectations
Nail polish is like Airbnb rentals and Tinder dates—what you see is not necessarily what you’re going to wind up with. “When you condense nail polish [in a bottle], it always appears more opaque,” says manicurist Elle. And keep in mind that nail polish’s shelf life is a year, two at most. “The older a polish gets, the more prone it is to chip, fade, and lose viscosity,” says manicurist Jenna Hipp.

Ace Your Base
Using a tinted basecoat underneath your polish will make it appear more opaque. Deborah Lippmann All About That Base CC Base Coat or Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Makeover Anti-Aging Ridge Filler are sheer, beigy-pink shades that will up your polish’s coverage.

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Or Simply Skip the Base
If three coats of polish provide the opacity you want, skip basecoat, says Elle. “Your polish won’t come out too thick since it’s the same number of coats as a manicure that uses basecoat,” she explains.

Just Add Flour
You can thicken your polish the same way you thicken your dough. “Add a tiny bit of baking flour to polish that has become thin or watery,” says Hipp. “Start with very little and make sure you shake the bottle well.” Easy does it: A little goes a long way. “If you add too much, you risk your nail polish becoming a chunky mess,” says Hipp.

Layer It
If you’re open to tweaking the color, manicurist Tracylee advises painting your sheer shade over an opaque polish in the same color family or even over a complementary tone. “It may even create a completely new look you fall in love with more,” she says. If your sheered-out shade is on the dark side of the spectrum, use an opaque white nail polish (like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in White On or Jenna Hipp nail polish in By Invitation Only) as a basecoat. It will increase the opacity and brighten up the shade slightly. “Just make sure to let the white polish dry completely to avoid streaks,” says Hipp.

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Multitask With a Metallic
“If you like the color but want more opacity, layer it over a metallic shade,” says Elle. “This makes the color payoff more robust and gives the finish a bit of depth, like the gleam of a metallic Christmas ornament.” Elle recommends layering a shade like Essie Jelly Apple over Scarlett O'Hara.

Mix It
If you’re up for playing chemist, a Franken-polish could be the ticket. “You can mix your sheer polish with an opaque neutral or a pure white lacquer to give it a bit more coverage,” says manicurist Jin Soon Choi. But add it slowly, drop by drop, and test it on your nails intermittently. “If you add too much, your polish will end up looking very white,” Choi says.

Accept the Inevitable
If none of these solutions ameliorate the situation, consider that the expiration date has been reached. Hipp recommends using old polish for an art project, like custom thank-you cards.

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