OPI Love is in the Bare: The Sheer Pink Worth the Wait
Published 2026.03.25. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. This shade was gifted as PR by Beyond Polish so we could share it with you, but all opinions are my own.
It isn’t available in the regular retail formulas like standard lacquer, Infinite Shine, or press-ons.
But it is still absolutely worth checking out.
Around that time, I was hunting for shades similar to Baby, Take a Vow, Let’s Be Friends!, Lisbon Wants Moor OPI, Funny Bunny and Bubble Bath.
During all the searching, the name Love is in the Bare kept appearing again and again, like I was finding clues on a little pink trail of breadcrumbs.
At the time though, I was focused on traditional lacquer formulas, so I admired it from afar and mentally bookmarked it for the future.
Fast forward to last year, when I started exploring the world of gel polish.
Suddenly, Love is in the Bare came back to mind, and it felt like the moment had finally arrived to try it.
After several years of curiosity, it was time to see how this famously delicate sheer pink actually held up.
Was it really worth the hype?
So, when Beyond Polish reached out last fall and asked if there were any colors I had my eye on, Love is in the Bare immediately went onto my wish list and happily, it was a wish they granted.
I’ve been having fun working through all the lovely nail colors they’ve sent over, both regular polish and gel polish, and as we move into wedding season, this felt like the perfect moment to finally take a deep dive into this cool, sheer light pink.
What I love most about this shade is how it looks like an American Manicure on natural, medium-length nails like mine.
It gives your nails an effortlessly polished look - almost like your nails woke up one morning and decided to be extra pretty.
It creates the kind of manicure that makes it look easy for your nails to be beautiful.
The vibe is very much “strawberry milk nails.” It’s a sheer milky pink with a glossy, glass-like finish.
When I first saw it, the phrase that popped into my head to describe it was crystal pink, because it has such a soft, luminous quality that catches the light beautifully.
Another thing I really like is the flexibility in how you can wear it.
Two coats gives you a delicate wash of sheer pink that looks elegant and softly polished. Three coats adds just a bit more light pink presence - still sheer, but with a little extra pop of color.
I’m showing it here in three coats so you can really see the tone of the pink.
It’s a pinkish white with just the right amount of translucency.
It also works beautifully in professional environments where light pink nails and neutral manicures tend to be the go-to.
So as funny as it sounds, this polish sat on my wish list for about four years before I finally got to try it and I continued to think about it periodically the whole time.
Part of that delay was simply the backlog of polishes I had to photograph and post - my own collection, my mom’s collection, my sister’s collection, plus a few donations from my neighbors’ stashes.
Another part of the delay was that gel polish has a bit of a learning curve compared to regular nail polish.
There are extra pieces involved - the lamp, gel-specific base and top coats, prep products, removal supplies - so it took me a while to wrap my head around the whole setup.
But once I did, I discovered that gel polish can be just as fun as traditional lacquer.
In some ways, it may actually be more relaxing to apply.
Because gel polish doesn’t air dry, you don’t have to rush each coat.
You can take your time shaping and perfecting the polish, then cure it in the lamp when you decide it’s ready - not when the air, humidity, and room temperature decide it’s ready.
And of course, the magic moment at the end is hard to beat: once you’re finished, your manicure is instantly rock solid.
You can go right back to normal life without tiptoeing around your nails for the next hour. I still avoid soaking my hands in water right away, but it’s definitely less delicate than fresh traditional polish.
I can easily finish a gel manicure and then jump right into making lunch, grabbing hot cast iron pans, and getting on with my day - confident my nails will still look great when I’m back at my desk later that afternoon.
With regular polish, I’d be worrying about a fresh manicure melting, denting, or warping near the oven.
For me, it was absolutely worth the wait. And if you’re a fellow sheer pink lover who’s open to gel polish, I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t fall for it too.
Best of all, OPI Love is in the Bare is available in the newer Intelli-Gel formula, which is TPO and HEMA free.
I’ve had excellent wear with OPI’s HEMA free gels - up to 22 days when I really focus on good nail prep.
I have oily nail beds, so for me, “good nail prep” for gel means something like this:
Removing prior overlays or polish
Buffing and shaping the nail using a buffing block, then first shape nail tips with a rough grit disposable file, finish with a glass file
Cuticle removal with cuticle remover cream and metal nail pusher
Scrubbing the nail with a nail brush and dish soap
Double dehydrating with isopropyl alcohol and lint free wipes
Prime with brand-matching primer
Now you’re ready for the base coat
Those are the prep steps I did for this manicure and what I’ve been doing lately.
To end, for a polish that started as a multi-year curiosity, I’m officially pleased with it and very glad I held onto the wish long enough for it to manifest.
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