I Love This Subtle Blush Nail Polish, and It's a Royal Favourite Too

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: My biggest beauty gripe is chipped nail varnish. And I’m saying this as I sit here typing away with bright, poppy red nails that are well overdue removal (I’m a hypocrite, okay?!). However, the first thing on my agenda this evening when I clock off is to get this varnish off my nails and repaint them so that they look fresh, neat and, well, polished.
You see, the problem with opting for bright nails is that it doesn't wear particularly well. And that is the very reason that around two years ago I swapped my signature red polish for a more understated look. I discovered that opting for a blush shade that is close to my natural nail colour creates a fresh, pretty, glossy finish that, most importantly, doesn’t show any obvious chips or smudges.
Since discovering my love for bare-look nails, it’s fair to say that I have amassed quite the collection of blush nude polishes. However, there is one particular polish that I find myself reaching for more often than not, and that is Essie Ballet Slippers (£8). Glossy, long-lasting and incredibly easy to apply, Essie formulas have been a favourite of mine for years, and Ballet Slippers is no exception.
A little bit pink but a little bit beige at the same time, I find Ballet Slippers matches the natural colour of nails almost perfectly, like a custom nude. For when I don’t have the time to perform a full-blown manicure, I always reach for Ballet Slippers. The natural-looking blush pigment means that application doesn’t have to be particularly precise and any mistakes are barely visible.
And it turns out that I am not alone in my love for Ballet Slippers, it’s a royal favourite too. Always opting for a natural-looking blush polish (presumably for the same reasons I have outlined above), rumour has it that Ballet Slippers was also the late Queen’s go-to. And when it comes to Ballet Slippers, it’s a full royal affair, with both Kate and Meghan also opting for it on occasion.
So although I fancied experimenting with a brighter look this week, you better believe that the unsightly chips I have been left with will have me reaching for that well-loved Essie bottle this evening.
Shop More Blush Nail Polishes
OPI's Bubble Bath shade is a 'clean girl nail' essential.

Shannon Lawlor is the beauty director atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK. With over a decade of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof makeup products and does-it-all skincare.
-
I Asked Beauty Editors to Share the "Almost Neutral" Nail Polishes They'll Never Give Up—Here's the Reveal
It doesn't get more elegant than this.
-
Sorry, French Tips—Fashion People Wear This Anti-Trend Pedicure Color 365 Days a Year
It's cool-girl approved.
-
Move Aside, Milky Manicures—19 More Interesting Ways to Wear Glazed Nails in 2025
Chrome dust and shimmery nail polishes continue to dominate.
-
IMO, Only the Chicest Individuals Will Embrace This Controversial Pedicure Trend
It's defining summer 2025.
-
Yep, "Bubble Bunny" Is Officially the Chicest OPI Combination of All Time
It's not to be missed.
-
L.A., NY, and London: My Chicest Coworkers Share Their Go-To Mani-Pedi Color Combos
No more nail salon indecision.
-
Kylie Jenner's New Anti-Trend Manicure Is Giving '90s Pamela Anderson, and I'm Obsessed
It's the ultimate throwback.
-
Doechii's Nail Artist Just Told Me These 10 Products Are the Secret to Any Great Nail Look
And her favorite looks she's ever created.