Clear Nail Polish – Best Brands, How to Make, Ideas & Uses

Clear nail polish has many uses apart from the simple manicure. In this article, find out what it is, uses, how it is different top coat, the best brands of clear polish, colors, designs, how to make one yourself from scratch at home and types of transparent nail polish such as matte, gel, pink and more info including best for men, uses on warts, jewelry …

What is Clear Nail Polish

Clear nail polish, as it name suggests, is a transparent no-color or clear colored nail polish that is most frequently used as a top or base coat to protect nails, ease application of colored nail polish, and create a certain effect e.g gel, shiny or matte.

A good clear nail polish can prolong the duration of nail polish and protect the nail from chipping and possibly breakage, depending on the formula and the nourishing agents it contains.

You can purchase a clear nail polish at most drugstores and cosmetic stores separately or as a part of a nail polish/manicure or pedicure kit. Usually, it sells for less than $10 unless you are going for a high-end brand.

 How to make Clear Nail Polish from Scratch at Home

If you don’t have the time or resources to go purchase clear nail polish from the stores, you can make your own clear nail lacquer at home, by following the steps below. The basic recipe calls for using a part of transparent glue and one part of water to dilute it. Here is how:

1. First you need to put the glue in a small container. 1 tbsp of glue is enough to fill an empty nail polish bottle.
2. Add in distilled water in an equal parts (another tbsp in this case) and mix well with a wooden or metal stick (or toothpick if you have none of these).
3. Transfer the mixture carefully to the empty nail polish bottle.

You can also optionally add a few drops of Vitamin E or K which are great nourishing factors for nail growth and contribute to a more shiny finish. Another variation is to add a few drops  of ordinary nail polish color like orange, pick, or red and mix for a transparent wash of color.

Clear/Transparent Nail Polish Colors

Although clear nail polish is transparent and doesn’t have any color or under one, there are some versions of clear nail polish that have subtle coloring yet transparent hues like:

• peach
• pink
• red
• lavender
• beige
• green

These variations are often used in french manicures or just for giving the nail a transparent layer of color without going fully opaque as the natural colors of the nail will stills show through.

Clear Gel Nail Polish

Clear gel polish is used in hybrid gel polishes or nail polishes that give a gel-like look and adds to that semi-shiny and plumped up gel finish. Some popular choices for clear gel nail polish include:

• Essence gel look top coat
• Sally Hansen Salon Insta gel strips
• Dior Gel Coat

Clear Pink Nail Polish

Clear pink nail lacquer is one of the most popular transparent shades used alone or in french manicures. Some brands that carry this shade include:

• Hema Natural Pink Nail Polish (a clear shade with very subtle true pink hues)
• Opi Pink to Envy ( a translucent creamy pink shade)
• Essie Pink Glove service (a translucent cool petal pink)
• Dior Nail Glow ( a very transparent shade with true pink undertones)

Clear matte Nail Polish

For those that don’t want a shiny or gel-like finish to their nails, a clear matte nail polish might be a great idea alone or on top of your ordinary nail polish color. Here are some options:

• Kleancolor Madly Matte
• Essence Matte About You
• Butter London, Matte finish

You can also make your own DIY matte transparent nail polish by adding a tiny amount of cornstarch  (about ⅓ tsp) to your ordinary clear nail polish and then mix well to combine. Test it on your nails to see if the finish looks more matte. If it still looks shiny, add a bit more cornstarch.

Best Clear Nail Polish-Brand Reviews

Most major drugstore brands like OPI and Essie carry clear nail polishes with different finishes to try out. Here are the best and most popular options:

Opi’s Nail Envy

Opi’s nail envy offers a fully transparent and all-purpose formula that adds a clear layer of protection on top of the nails and a natural semi-matte finish. On the downside, the price for a single bottle exceed $20 and numerous applications should be done to help the nail heal and grow faster. Average online rating: 4.2/5 stars

Rococo’s Nail Apparel in Sheer Gloss in Playgirl

This clear nail polish is ideal for those looking for a creamy, smooth, nude and semi-transparent finish that is buildable depending on the amount of coats you apply. One bottle is also relatively cheap as it retails for 12 pounds or $15

YSL in Rose Romantique

For all those seeking a pale pink translucent shade with a creamy finish, this shade from YSL is def worth the buzz and the money you’ll pay as the formula applies easily on the nails and provides a long-lasting result.

Clear Nail Polish on Warts

Warts can be quite troublesome to get rid of when they pop and fortunately you can make them heal faster by using a clear nail polish on top of the affected areas.

By applying a clear nail varnish, you are essentially forming an invisible barrier that will protect the warts and deplete them from oxygen, making the shrink faster as a result.

Just make sure you are not using a formula with BPA, camphor, or other harmful and irritating ingredients as you will do more harm than good to your warts.

Clear Nail Polish on Jewelry-for Coating Purposes

Does clear nail polish keep jewelry from tarnishing?

Besides its obvious use on the nails, clear nail polish can also be used for other coating purposes. Some people report that applying a coat or two of clear nail varnish on jewellery and metal decor objects, protects them from tarnishing. This is because tarnishing, is a natural process that happens because the metal is exposed to oxygen and other elements. So when you apply a protective barrier like clear nail polish, the surface is protected from exposure to oxygen and tarnishing is prevented.

However, some people complain that the clear nail lacquer may crack and chip and not look good when painted over such surfaces. To prevent or at least minimize this, make sure you are using a strong formula and apply preferably 2-3 layers as anything more or less might chip off the surface faster.

Other clever Clear Nail Polish Uses at home

Some other uses of clear nail lacquer you can try at home or in DIY projects include:

• Painting the center of a button to hold its tread and prevent it from getting loose
• Sealing an envelope in place or saliva
• Keeping the screws of glasses and sunglasses secure
• Be used in place of ordinary glue for sealing projects
• Correcting laddered tights
• Preventing shoelaces from loosening after you tie them up
• Smoothing out small unevenness in the surface of various textures e.g granite or bathroom walls.
• Preventing car paint from rusting
• Preventing further panty hose holes and tears

Clear Nail Polish for Men

Men can also wear a translucent nail polish to protect and revive the look of their nails without adding any color that will look obvious. Most ordinary clear nail polishes for women will do, but since shiny finishes may look unnatural on male nails, men should preferably aim for semi-matte or matte finish formulations.

Here are some good options for males:

• For Men, Matte Finish Nail Protector
• Seche Natural Matte finish nail protector
• Sally Hansen Hard as nails, clear nail hardener

Clear nail polish vs top coat-Differences

Clear nail polish is often confused with a top coat in some cases, people use these terms interchangeably to describe the same thing.

However, a clear nail polish can either serve as just a clear dose of color, as a base, or as a top coat whereas a top coat is only applied on top of ordinary nail color to protect the nail from chipping and adding a certain finish e.g matte, gel, or shiny. A clear nail polish can also come with subtle transparent color hues like pink and nude, whereas a top coat is typically clear and devoid of any color.

In general, a clear nail polish can serve as a multi-purpose product whereas a top coat is mostly formulated to be applied on top of the nail.

Transparent Nail Polish Designs

Due to the fact that transparent nail polish is clear and has little to no color, it can be used on any color combo and nail decals. Most popular choices for adding some creative spark to it include:

• Applying it with small rhinestones ot tiny gems for a jewelry effect
• Applying it with glitter powder all over your nail or to the tips of your nails to add sparkle
• Applying it as a top coat for french manicure, with optional peach, nude, or pink undertones.
• Using it as base together with nail art pens in various colors and patterns like branches, flowers, or stars.
• Using it with nail decal stickers and helping keep them in place.

Clear Nail Polish Rack

If you are looking for a way to organize your clear and other nail polishes, perhaps you should get a clear nail polish rack. These are typically made of a transparent acrylic material, or even glass material. With these, you can store your nail polish in the rack or storage and keep them nicely displayed. Not only will your polishes be safe but they will also look more tidy and organized. This is a good storage option for anyone who buys and collects bulk clear nail polish or other colors in large quantities such as magnetic, metallic, gel and even acrylic, and is looking for a way to organize them.

Originally posted 2021-01-04 16:25:30.