Experts Swear By This £29 Nail Polish for Glowy Nails, But These Cheaper Alternatives Are Just As Brilliant

Although we are mere days into the start of a new year, experts are in agreement that the biggest nail trends in 2025 will be all about texture, colour and embellishment. From cat-eye manicures to 3D nail designs, the new year offers up a chance for us all to embrace a more-is-more approach to nail art. Thankfully, though, there’s still a place for our collective obsessions with minimalist manicures. Last year saw low-maintenance nails dominating with sheer nail colours and milky hues amongst the most-requested shades in nail salons up and down the country. And there’s one nail polish that reigns supreme when it comes to blush-tinted radiant nails—Dior’s iconic Nail Glow.

Renowned for its ability to deliver an ultra-shiny, sheer wash of pink to nails, basically every nail artist has a bottle of this in their kit for jobs that require healthy-looking nails pronto.

Often described as the ‘no makeup mani’ Dior Nail Glow is usually applied to bare nails and is an efficient way to achieve a groomed and brightening effect," explains celebrity session manicurist, Ami Streets. "The hint of pink enhances the natural undertone of nails and camouflages any imperfections and the super high shine finish looks as glossy as gel polish."

However, while the results speak for themselves, at £29 a pop this stuff certainly isn’t cheap.

Shop Dior Nail Glow

"I believe Dior Nail Glow is worth its price point because it’s hard-wearing, delivers a beautiful finish and requires just one to two coats per application," explains Streets. Plus, there's no denying the luxury of using a designer beauty product for your at-home mani.

The good news is, however, that there are plenty of alternatives on the market if clean-girl, glowy nails are your thing. Call them nail polish dupes if you will but this little edit have been tested and approved by myself, with some recommendations from Streets too.

"For those on a little more of a budget as opposed to in the market for luxury, all of these products are excellent options to enhance and revive natural nail colour and to achieve a manicured look effortlessly, whatever your skill level," says Streets.

Ahead, the best Dior Glow nail polish dupes

1. Manucurist Active Glow in Raspberry

Pros: Pretty rosy hue, nail care benefits, natural finish

Cons: Not hugely glossy

"If you’re looking for options on the market which contain added benefits and a cocktail of ingredients to nourish and strengthen nails, try Manucurist’s Active Glow," suggests Streets. Last year saw French nail polish brand launch their Active range which had basically every beauty editor I know (and myself included) absolutely hooked. There are formulations to boost brightness and add shine, but it’s their Glow finish that everyone raves about. If I haven’t been for a professional manicure then it’s this that’s on my nails almost exclusively as I love how healthy it leaves my nails looking. It’s not as overtly shiny as the Dior Nail Glow, but it has a beautiful natural sheen and the subtle rosy pink shade is beautiful. Plus, it’s infused with sweet almond oil, raspberry extracts and AHAs so it actually improves the condition of your nails while you wear it.

2. Nails Inc Glowing Out Nail Perfector

Pros: Affordable, high-shine finish

Cons: Not the longest lasting

If glow is what you’re after then this sheer tint from Nails Inc certainly delivers. For me, the glass-like finish takes a basic at-home manicure up a level and makes nails look so expensive. Alongside the glossy texture, it coats nails in a soft pink hue that minimises ridges and discolouration and leaves nails shimmering and bright. "Layer a couple of coats to intensify the colour to a gorgeous deeper pink tone or go minimal with a single application for the ultimate ‘clean girl aesthetic’ look," Streets suggests.

3. Essie Nail Care Hard to Resist Nail Strengthener in Pink Tint

Pros: Improves nail strength, adds a natural glow

Cons: Very subtle colour

I was loyal to gel manicures for a long time, but after deciding to give my nails a bit of a rest I found that they had become quite weak and prone to breakage. Enter this delightful nail strengthening formula from Essie. Formulated to improve the strength of your nails, it contains nail bonding technology that hardens nails, prevents splitting and peeling and improves brittleness. Alongside that, it has a lovely radiant pink tint which mimics that iconic Dior glow while improving the strength of your nails. The colour is slightly more subtle than others on the list, but you can definitely get a little more pigment if you layer up 2 or 3 coats.

4. Leighton Denny Nail Illuminator Blush Brightening Nail Polish & Base Coat

Pros: Radiant finish, improves flexibility of nails

Cons: It’s more opaque than others

Enriched with kind-to-nail ingredients like illuminating porcelain flower extract, antioxidant lime tree extract and nourishing vitamin E, this brightening nail polish offers as much in the way of strength and protection as it does in glow. Although it’s coined as a base coat, this polish does have more of a pigmented finish than some of the other nail polishes mentioned. In fact, it really does deliver a noticeable slick of blush pink to nails. That means it works brilliantly as a standalone polish and it looks so beautiful when it catches the light thanks to its slightly iridescent finish. Plus, it’s great at minimising uneven texture and improving the overall appearance and health of your nails.

5. Kure Bazaar in Bubble Vvee

Pros: Ultra-glossy, translucent pink shade

Cons: Needs a couple of layers

This polish looks seriously pink in the bottle—neon, in fact—but once applied to your nails it imparts a very similar soft pink glow that the Dior Nail Glow has. The finish is ultra shiny and almost mimics the glossy, juicy look of a professional gel manicure which I absolutely love. It does need multiple layers if you want a really tinted effect, but the polish dries down fast and lasts well once you’ve applied it. Bonus points for the fact that it’s enriched with organic sesame oil to nourish your nails at the same time too.

6. Le Mini Macron Nail Brightener

Pros: Luminous finish, makes tips of nails look whiter

Cons: Not widely available

French manicures are timeless, but creating your own at home can be tricky if you aren’t blessed with a steady hand. Thankfully, this clever nail polish from Le Mini Macron helps you to create a similar effect by cleverly illuminating your nails with a soft pink tint and brightening the tips to make them look whiter. You can use it on both natural and acrylic nails and it contains citric acid to neutralise any yellow tones and discolouration and leave your nails looking fresh, bright and healthy. The only downside is that you can only get it in a couple of places in the UK currently.