Finding the perfect sheer milky shade of nail polish is sort of like finding the perfect red nail polish. One tends to (if they are like moi…) accumulate many on the quest for that shade that will make the clouds part and the angels sing hallelujah. I like my sheer French mani (minus the white tip) type of colours to be a little more on the white side. I remember seeing this colour on a friend back in the 90s – I guess you’d call it a sheer “jelly” white. And she was so elegant and stylish, I wanted that mani immediately. She bought me a bottle of what her manicurist used – some custom colour I could never replicate. Sheer white is elegant, clean and of course, neutral. It adds a polished look that is somehow a little more sophisticated than sheer pink.

Disclosure: I also bought the perfume she wore. It was 1992 I think, and when we hung out (she lived in Montreal) she always smelled so yummy. I figured since we didn’t see each other often, “stealing” her perfume was not really a crime. It was Annick Goutal Passion, a sultry white floral concoction layered over that weirdly beautiful musk base that only Annick Goutal can do. When I wore it, a few people said I smelled like “sexy jasmine tea”. True story.

But, let’s get back to the nails, shall we? I think after years of searching I may have found the perfect sheer white jelly. I flirted with Essie Marshmallow, but the streakiness and difficult application always meant I needed 3 coats, and then, what’s the point of a sheer jelly, really. Protip: Jelly polishes have a thick jelly-like substance that is often sheer and has an extremely glossy finish. Some jelly polishes will become opaque with a couple coats whereas others will remain slightly sheer, leading to VNL (visible nail line). Deborah Lippmann Call Me Irresponsible is a stunning purple, but annoying in that I need almost five coats. Not sure how much I love jellies in colour vs sheer “your nails but better” shades. Something I have found about jellies – they wear really well. Perhaps their squishy aspect makes them flexible so when you bend or knock your nails they don’t chip as easily as creams? They do tend to have a thick consistency, and tip wear is also reduced.

Well, OPI Funny Bunny could be The One. Two coats for perfect barely sheer coverage, and I love the white tone to the colour. It applies like a dream, and has that “self levelling” quality that is necessary to prevent streaking and to ensure an even application. Yes, I like a sheer pink (OPI Bubble Bath usually) but there is something chic about white. It’s everywhere these days, and since I am NOT a fan of the Liquid Paper White Out opaque white nails (reminds me of our old school nurses shoes?) OPI Funny Bunny hits the sweet spot for me. In case you were wondering, Funny Bunny came out in OPI’s soft shades Garden Party collection.

Do you like a sheer white mani, or do you prefer pink? Would you dare to wear the opaque white nail du jour? And, do you have an opinion on jelly nail polish?

OPI Funny Bunny appears to be part of their permanent collection, and I imagine you can buy it in shops where they have a large selection of OPI. I got mine at Trade Secrets – think they run around $8-$12.