OPI Put It In Neutral and the Sheer Nudes That Go With It

OPI Put It In Neutral and the Sheer Nudes That Go With It

OPI Put It In Neutral is the soft pinkish beige that a lot of people quietly keep in their drawer. Here is how I would wear it, the other OPI sheers that sit beside it, and the pink nudes and nail care that keep a neutral manicure looking clean.

OPI's own story says it began in 1981, when it was a tiny dental supply company called Odontorium Products Inc. Its co-founder Suzi Weiss-Fischmann has said that nail polish names of the day were things like Red No. 4 and Pink No. 2, and that OPI set out to give shades names people would remember. That is why a color called Put It In Neutral exists at all, and I think it is one of the best names in the whole range.

OPI Put It In Neutral is described by OPI as a soft beige pink with a glossy finish, and it is the one I would put on first. It is the kind of neutral that works the week you have no plan. Bubble Bath is a gentle pink that OPI calls neutral, and it comes twice here, as a Nail Lacquer and as an Infinite Shine polish, which OPI lists as a pale pink crème with up to 11 days of wear. Funny Bunny is a soft white crème that is sheer and glossy, so it layers into a French tip or a clean white wash. Let's Be Friends is a nude pink with the same glossy finish.

For something plant leaning, OPI Nature Strong in Blossom Into Awesome is a baby pink crème, and For What It's Earth is a creamy mauve pink. OPI says the Nature Strong formula is vegan and at least 65 percent natural origin. Nail Envy in Bubble Bath shares the Bubble Bath name, so I would expect a pink tint, but I can only go by the name.

A simple test: paint one coat, wait a minute, then look at your hand in daylight. If it still shows your nail line, add a second coat for a milky look.

Big numbers collage for OPI Put It In Neutral: six products from OPI, Dior, Manucurist and Chanel, each set beside a large numeral
OPI Put It In Neutral

OPI sheer neutrals

Milky pinks from other makers

Sheer pink is a category with a lot of personalities, and the small differences matter. Dior Nail Glow is described as giving an instant French manicure effect, with a lightly tinted, shiny finish that gives the nail a rounded look. Manucurist Active Plump Pink Glazed is an iridescent pearl baby pink with collagen in the formula, so it is the one for a pearly glow. Olive & June Dream Job is, according to the brand, a milky sheer pink with a warm undertone and a plump, gel-like finish.

Some of these I can only describe by name. Chanel Le Vernis in 111 Ballerina is a shade named after a ballerina. Londontown Lakur in Invisible Crown is a light pink. Kure Bazaar Paris Rose Milk and the Colored Nail Hardener in Light Pink both go for a milky pink. Hermès Les Mains Hermès in 01 Rose Porcelaine brings a porcelain pink.

Pairing tip: two thin coats of a sheer pink over a clean, filed nail look cleaner than one thick coat, and they chip less visibly. Wipe the nail with remover first so the color goes on evenly.

What I would skip: a sheer pink over a ridged, unbuffed nail when you are heading to a close up event. Sheer formulas show every bump, so smooth the surface first.

Sheer pink and nude polishes

Prep, shine and nail care

A neutral manicure looks good only when the nail under it looks good. That is where the quieter products come in. OPI Nail Envy Original is a strengthener that OPI says has biotin, calcium and vitamins, and it can also go under color as a base. Manucurist Active Smooth in 00 is a milky pinkish beige strengthener and ridge filler, which makes it the one for uneven nails. Manucurist Active Glow in Raspberry is a peachy pink gloss with a mirror shine and translucent coverage, so it is a tint and a treatment in one.

For shine, OPI Infinite Shine Gel-like Top Coat, Olive & June Long Lasting Top Coat and Chanel Le Gel Coat all finish the job. OPI says its top coat gives gel-like shine with no lamp, and Olive & June says its top coat is super glossy. Chanel Le Gel Coat is a longwear top coat, and that is all I can tell you about it.

L'Occitane Strengthening Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil has shea, apricot and almond oil to soften cuticles. Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream is a rich, vegan cream that the brand says absorbs quickly.

What I would skip: cuticle oil or hand cream right before you paint. The oil leaves a film and the color will slide. Use them after the top coat is dry.

Base coats, top coats and nail care

Finding your neutral

To pick your neutral, hold the bottle next to the skin on the back of your hand. A pinkish beige like OPI Put It In Neutral tends to disappear on medium skin, while a milky pink like Bubble Bath brightens fair and cool skin. A mauve pink like For What It's Earth can look right on deeper tones. Keep the rest simple, with a buffed nail, a clear strengthener underneath and a glossy top coat. Once you have the color you like, repaint it every few days before it looks tired. Neutrals are forgiving, but they love a fresh coat.