Are white nails in fashion?

A white manicure is a timeless classic that returns every summer. “White nails never really go away, they just keep reinventing themselves,” Bio Sculpture manicurist Faye Louise Dennis tells Vogue. “It’s one of the most versatile shades you could pick, as it looks striking against all skin tones and pairs [well] with all summer outfits. White nails also feel inherently fresh and clean—almost like a reset after a long winter.”

How to apply white nail polish without streaks or bubbles

Light colors offer little room for error as they tend to show every nick, scrape, bubble, and streak. Fortunately, Dennis has a few expert tips:

• Start with clean, dry nails and always use a base coat. It fills in any ridges or texture, creating a smooth, even surface for the color to lie on.
• Always apply the polish in three strokes—one down the center and one to each side, using thin coats rather than thick ones.
• Resist the urge to go back over wet polish to fix imperfections. It disturbs the drying polish and usually makes streaks worse.

Why does my white nail polish turn yellow?

The only downside to a white manicure is that sometimes the color can turn yellow around the edges and tips. According to Dennis, there are several reasons this can happen. “UV and sun exposure are the biggest culprits of yellowing as light breaks down polish pigments and oxidizes the top coat,” she explains. “Skin-care products, cleaning agents, sanitizers, and even self-tan can all react with the polish, too, causing it to discolor faster than you’d expect.”

To prevent this, Dennis recommends selecting a high-quality base coat and choosing polishes with built-in UV filters. After that, it’s about maintenance: wearing gloves when washing dishes or gardening, and avoiding handling spices like turmeric with bare hands.