Pearl Nails
L to R: Nina Ultra Pro Molten Opal, Sally Hansen Color Therapy Fluer-t, OPI Kyoto Pearl bottles on pink marble background
Updated 2024.07.05. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
Pearls come in a wide variety of colors, however, the most associated colors with the “pearl” are white and cream.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, pearls are formed when a wayward piece of material, like a food particle, becomes trapped inside a mollusk.
The mollusk senses the material and coats it in two substances - aragonite and conchiolin.
The end result is a crystalline structure with a high amount of reflection and a beautiful luster.
The sheen of pearls can vary between individual pearls themselves, and also between individual nail polishes formulated to mimic pearlescent luster properties.
To pay tribute to the mollusk's natural process resulting in the beauty of the pearl, below are swatches of three of the best pearl white nail polishes we’ve encountered so far.
Nina Ultra Pro Molten Opal swatch
Nina Ultra Pro Molten Opal swatch
Nina Ultra Pro Molten Opal 709244
In the bottle, Molten Opal looks like a pearl white nail polish with a holographic rainbow overtone. It’s one of those lacquers that is pretty to gaze at in the bottle.
On the nail however, Molten Opal is more like a sheer pink-lavender with a white pearl undertone. Shown in two coats, it is a sheer pearl white opal.
Sally Hansen Color Therapy Fluer-t swatch
Sally Hansen Color Therapy Fluer-t swatch
Sally Hansen Color Therapy Fluer-t 111
From Sally Hansen’s Color Therapy line, Fluer-t is a medium coverage pearl white nail polish, shown in two coats. We love this line because this formula has a double purpose: it’s a nail treatment and color.
OPI Kyoto Pearl swatch
OPI Kyoto Pearl swatch
OPI Kyoto Pearl NLL03
Kyoto Pearl is the most opaque pearl white nail polish of all three pearl nail polishes shown in this post. It is a cool white pearl that almost looks like pale silver.
Shown in two coats, Kyoto Pearl is the fullest coverage pearl white nail polish in this post.
L to R: Nina Ultra Pro Molten Opal, Sally Hansen Color Therapy Fluer-t, OPI Kyoto Pearl bottles on pink marble background
Which pearl nail polish is right for you?
This all depends on the benchmark you use to decide!
Depending on…
Coverage:
Frost Level:
Nail Treatment:
Relative Beauty:
Now, that’s in the eye of the beholder. You must make this call.
All in all, these are just a few examples of the best pearly white nail polishes we’ve come across so far. Each of these will make nice pearls to wear on your nails, they’re just different from one another. Pearl nail polishes, like those shown above, are all beautiful in their own way.
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