Have you considered pearlescent nails this Spring? When it comes to nail polishes, pearl colours are wonderfully diverse and unique. You can find them with iridescent shifts of pinks, blues, purples, and greens with that pearlescent quality that’s subtle yet glamorously eye-catching. Best of all, pearl colours complement all skin tones. Want to try this at home? See our selection of the best pearl nail polishes and gels and some inspiring ways to wear them.
Pearl & Ombre Manicure
For subtle glamour, mix pearlescent accent nails with a soft ombre colour.
Shop the Look:
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure – Luna Pearl (£5.56)
This beautiful nail polish offers rich pearlescent colour with a pink shift from the first coat. It’s a base and topcoat in one with a Keratin complex for stronger nails and chip-resistant colour.
OPI Nail Lacquer – Suzi Talks With Her Hands (£13.90)
Hands down, this OPI grey nail polish is the perfect shade to recreate this ombre manicure. Using a wet sponge, we achieved a perfectly even fade in 1-2 coats.
OPI Nail Lacquer – Natural Base Coat (£13.90)
Creating a protective layer on nails, this high-performance base coat prevents stains and grips nail polish for a longer-lasting, chip resistant manicure.
Pearlescent French Manicure

A veil of sheer pearlescent colour will add some edge to a classic French manicure.
Shop the Look:
Nails.INC What the Shell Let’s Take a Shelfie Top Coat (£11)
The Nails.INC Let’s Take A Shelfie Top Coat is a cosmic violet shade with a turquoise shift and sparkly finish. The brand’s patented wide hugging brush delivers flawless coverage. Apply a single coat of polish to achieve a sheer veil of colour.
Rimmel London Brit Manicure Nail Tip Colour Shade – 430 Porcelain (£6.99)
Achieve perfect white tips with Rimmel London Brit Manicure Nail Tip Colour in Porcelain. If precision isn’t your strong point, you can still achieve salon-like results using some French Manicure Nail Art Stickers.
Nails.INC Back to Life Recovery Treatment and Base Coat (£15)
The base coat provides a subtle veil of colour to leave nails naturally glowing and healthy-looking. It’s formulated with five reviving oils to improve the condition of damaged nails.
Flecked Pearl Manicure

Barry M Topcoat Nail Paint – Fortune Teller (£2.99)
Create a one-of-a-kind manicure with this iridescent topcoat by Barry M. Infused with stunning holographic flecks to reflect light and create an ethereal finish. The nail polish can be worn alone or layered over any colour.
Striped Pearl Manicure
This elegant manicure is easier to recreate than you’d think. All you need is some striping tape to achieve an immaculate finish.
Shop the Look:
OPI Nail Lacquer – All A’Twitter In Glitter £8.95
Create a glamourous manicure with this iridescent glitter gel-effect nail polish. You can wear it alone or layer it over a different shade for a little extra magic.
Essie 4 Pearly White Shimmer Nail Polish (£7.99)
This pearly white shimmer nail polish by Essie is the perfect shade for striping. Developed with a crystal-clear solvent base and pure micro-milled pigments, the award-winning formula is chip-resistant and long-lasting.
Mother of Pearl Manicure

Less is always more if you want a timeless manicure that will suit anything in your wardrobe.
CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour – 889 Perle Blanche (£24)
Le Vernis by CHANEL is a long-wear, protective nail polish with lasting shine designed to make vibrant colours dazzle. Long-wearing, extra-fine and ultra-shiny, each coat offers an even and lacquered result.
CHANEL La Base Protective And Smoothing (£22)
More than a base, LA BASE is enriched with argan oil and a Vitamin E to repair and strengthen brittle and weakened nails. The polish applies evenly in one coat, plus it’s developed to correct yellow spots and imperfections.
Pearl & Pastel Manicure

Show off your softer side with candy-like pastels and pearl accent nails.
Shop the Look:
Essie Celebrating Moments 633 Cheers Up Lilac Pearl Shimmer Nail Polish (£7.99)
‘Cheers Up’ is a shimmery lilac nail polish with a hint of duo-chrome effect pearl. Developed with a crystal-clear solvent base and pure micro-milled pigments, the award-winning formula delivers chip-resistant colour with a long-lasting finish.
Barry M Sorbet Gelly Nail Bundle (£15)
You can’t go wrong with Barry M’s set of four Sorbet Gelly Nail Paints in shades Berry Sorbet, Lavender, Candy Floss, and Iced Latte. These highly pigmented pastel shades give a glossy, gel-like finish with a single coat.
TIP: Pin this article to your Nails & Beauty boards on Pinterest so you can always come back when you need to!
Join the conversation, leave a comment below.