Confirmed by Nail Artists: 8 OPI Layering Combos That Instantly Tell Me You Have Immaculate Taste

Nail-color compliments are right up there with fragrance-related praise; nothing brightens my day more than when a friend, coworker, or complete stranger begs to know what polish I’m wearing. What’s even more of a win is when said polish happens to be a duo, so I can say something along the lines of: “Oh, this? It’s a custom combo.” Of course, I’ll then reveal the magic pair (I’m never one to gatekeep), which more often than not is a combination of chic OPI shades. The brand is responsible for some of the timeless nail colors of all time (Funny Bunny, Put It in Neutral, Big Apple Red… Need I go on?), but layering them together opens new doors when it comes to immaculate, expensive-looking manis.

Just take it from celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt, who frequently combines OPI polishes for her A-lister clients (Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few). “With OPI’s range of colors, there are so many that you can blend until you get your perfect shade,” she tells Who What Wear. “It’s customizable, playful, and helps you achieve finishes that don’t exist in a single bottle. Every time you layer, you discover a new color story that feels personal and unique!”

To layer at home like a professional nail artist, she recommends grabbing some sort of palette (a handheld mirror or paper plate, for example) to mix the two shades, as opposed to layering one polish on top of the other directly on your nail plate. Simply add a drop of each pigment you want to mix, then blend before applying. “I recommend using a thin nail brush to swirl the colors together until you get an even cohesive tone,” Ganzorigt adds. “This helps you avoid streakiness and ensures the customized shade applies evenly.”