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From milky whites to rosy pinks, these polishes give nails a clean, polished look.

Erica Kam is a freelance contributor for HuffPost Shopping based in New York City.

Even better, many “your nails but better” polishes are both sheer enough and close enough to your natural nail color that chipping isn’t as visible, letting you go longer between applications. You may not even need a base coat, depending on the formula. On top of that, some of these nail concealers can also act as strengtheners to protect the health of your nail, too.

Essie’s Gel Couture polish can be applied and removed like regular polish, but is formulated to match that gel-like shine, as well as to be longwear. You can brush it straight on the nail without a base coat or the use of a UV lamp, and follow up with the Gel Couture top coat for a lasting, glossy mani in two easy steps. When you’re ready to take it off, you can use a regular acetone or non-acetone remover without soaking or scraping that can damage the nails.

We first heard about this from Abigail Williams, our editorial director of audience growth and strategy, who adores the lilac-orchid shade “Bodice Goddess.” It’s a natural, jelly pink that’s designed to enhance anyone’s nails. (The polish comes in 16 additional pink and red shades.)

“This is my new favorite ‘your nails but better’ polish,” Williams said. “This is the first polish that doesn’t straight up piss me off to watch chip off because I can barely see where the polish stops and my own nails begin.”

This line of five polishes has gained some fans, including BuzzFeed editorial VP Peggy Wang, who said, since purchasing a few months ago, “I’ve only gone a day without having [Manucurist] on my nails because I liked how my nails looked so much more with it on.”

We found a second fan in our office, breaking news reporter Lydia O’Connor. “I usually do two coats of the Active Glow in blueberry for a sheer but juicy berry hue, then add a layer of Active Shine for a little shimmer,” O’Connor said. (You can purchase these together in a duo.) “It’s the perfect amount of color and sparkle to feel like you’ve gotten a manicure without the hassle of trying to paint your nails perfectly with a regular opaque polish.”

“It’s so light and subtle that I don’t have to be super careful about application. It takes me like 10 minutes to do three coats,” Wang said. “I have been keeping my polish on for about one and half to two weeks and it hasn’t chipped, but it wouldn’t be very visible even if it did.” 

Get the Active Duo from Manicurist for $32 (originally $38).

Londontown's Kur illuminating nail concealer has been a reader favorite for a minute.

"With this, a Microplane foot file and gel socks, I’ve been skipping the nail salon and saving tons of money without having to hide my feet in close-toed shoes," wrote former senior editor Janie Campbell. "Even my fingernails — so hopeless I don’t even bother getting manis — look great with it."

Campbell got the recommendation from senior breaking news reporter Lydia O'Connor, who said, “I am obsessed with this product. One coat gives you that ‘is she wearing nail polish, or does she just have flawless doll nails?’ look. Two coats gives you a milky, slightly iridescent finish that I love.

“It’s basically fool-proof to apply. The formula isn’t streaky at all, and the brush is quite wide, allowing you to cover your whole nail in one seamless swipe. This is the only polish that’s ever looked decent when painting with my non-dominant hand." Get your own bottle in six different shades.

In addition to the Illuminating Nail Concealer, Londontown makes another home-run product: the Perfecting Nail Veil. At $20 a bottle, this “veil” can deliver both a high-shine sheen and some protection to your nails, so you can save money on manicures and help your nails stay healthy all in one product.

The Nail Veil isn’t a brightener like the Nail Concealer, but instead offers a bit of color and focuses on providing nourishing ingredients for your nails like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs can gently exfoliate your skin (which includes your nails) and remove dead skin cells to promote cell turnover, which naturally slows as we age. So, using a product with AHAs on your nails like the Nail Veil can reduce your nails’ visible signs of aging. Plenty of reviewers also mention using this product while letting their nails grow out and heal from gel manicures. The Nail Veil comes in 10 shades and in a two-pack.

Fingernails can become thinner and more brittle with age, driving reader interest in nail strengtheners like this one, a regular bestseller. The strengthener, which also acts as a nail concealer and comes in 11 shades and in multi-packs, contains keratin, jojoba oil and evening primrose oil to harden, hydrate and protect the nails. The milky color can be built up with additional coats, letting the treatment double as a pretty polish.

Promising review: "This really fills in the ridges on my natural nails and cancels out the yellow. It also dries really fast compared to most air-dry nail polishes. I got the milky white color, two coats is like "your nails but better" it doesn't actually look white since its so sheer, just enough to cancel the yellow" —Grace McCauley

This fast-drying, light polish with a sheer, milky finish comes in three shades: Chiffon (the warm-toned light pink shown here, which also has fans over on Reddit), Organza (a peachier nude) and Linen (a classic sheer white). Each shade has the same non-toxic, buildable formula, and reviewers say the polishes compare favorably to brands like Essie or OPI.

Promising review: "Definitely a 'your nails, but better' color. I have used this alone or as a base for a french manicure. Cirque always provides quality products and the range or colors and types of polish are great." —Sky

Don't want such a high shine? Opt for something like Almond Milk from Sally Hansen's Good. Kind. Pure line, a plant-based demi-matte pinkish nude that's designed to last up to seven days. Like most others on this list, the color is buildable from one to three coats depending on how opaque you want the polish to be. This formula is also 16-free, meaning there's no it's absent of chemicals like formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, acetone and more.

Another polish by Sally Hansen, this Color Therapy formula in the shade Rosy Quartz has more of a sparkle effect, if matte's not your thing (though it's still subtle). This polish is infused with biotin — which experts have previously told us is important for nail health and strength — and argan oil for hydration, putting the "therapy" in Color Therapy.

Promising review: "Beautiful light, light pink sheer, sheer polish. Been looking for this forever! Used to have one like it years ago but it was discontinued. Have been looking for a replacement ever since. Like your own nails, but better. Highly recommend if you like the barely there hint of color look. I love it!!!!!!!" —S J Bedard