Why A Fresh White Manicure Feels So Right For Summer

White is the universal shade of summer — it's the feeling of a linen shirt buttoned up over your bathing suit, or the way an ivory sundress brushes your skin as it catches the salty breeze. As we head into vacation season head-on, we'll be shopping all things white, and coordinating with the perfect matching mani-pedi.

Similar to the way mixing light-toned neutrals can be tricky — like, does cream go with beige? — white nail polish is actually tougher than most colours to get right in formulation. The wrong bottle can run streaky, taking six coats to fully cover the nail. Other times, the colour reads chalky, like your secondary school Tipp-Ex manicure (not so chic).

To avoid the sad, dingy white polishes out there, we've asked nail pros to break down the best bottles on the market. From full-coverage (and super-clean) Tenoverten to an £7.99 Essie classic, click ahead to find the cheapest way to go all-in on summer whites.