The best summery nails

For someone whose nails are almost never unpainted, I'm decidedly unadventurous. With the best of intentions, I'll lustily examine all the beautiful, bright, multi-finish colours on the manicurist's sample fob, or in my bedroom drawer, and invariably plump for some variation on red.

But summer is a time to take stock and embrace lightness and, being ever suggestible and fearful of missing out, I've been seduced by the multichrome nail polishes (that shift between shades under light) on Pinterest. Opaque multichromes are fiddly and heavy-looking, but the sheerer versions suit my current mood down to the ground, since they're the closest I can comfortably get to following the new no-polish craze extolled by the fashion crowd. (It's about showing how healthy one's nails and cuticles are, without the suspicious camouflage, apparently. The wellness bores can prise the lacquer bottle from my cold, dead, imperfect hands.)

With a sheer multichrome, you get a peep of what lies naturally beneath without sacrificing all colour and prettiness – and unlike traditional pastels (which I avoid at all costs), they don't look at all bridal. Zoya's Monet (£9.95) is an almost clear, cruelty-free polish with mirrored pink and blue particles that remain largely invisible until they catch the light, when nails become a clear lilac. I love it alone, but the glitter is sparse, so you may prefer it as a topcoat, or worn over gel polish such as CND Shellac to relieve boredom and conceal wear and tear between monthly changeovers (always ensure you use non-acetone remover, so gels beneath stay intact).

When glitter feels too childlike and unsophisticated, I opt for OPI's Significant Other (£7.95), which gives a smooth, shimmery, silver-lavender finish that's like catnip for beauty fans – I receive compliments at every wearing (which, with hands like mine, is remarkable). As a bonus, the semi-transparency of iridescent polish makes the inevitable chips harder for the naked eye to spot, so you can more safely use cheap lacquer.

My best buy, however, are Primark's Prism Holographic Nail Polishes, which, despite their name, are not holographic, but multichrome, though at £1.50 a bottle (in store only), I shouldn't nitpick. One, 2 Cute For You (beautiful polish, nauseating name), is a pearly-white with a surprisingly skin-flattering purple reflection that looks fabulous alone for a subtle, summery gleam.