Believe us when we say that everyone who has ever painted their nails has had a short-lived manicure. You’re probably wondering what it takes to achieve the long-lasting best nail polish if you’ve already made it a point to be careful with your nail care. Fortunately, there are several techniques to extend the life of your manicure. All you need are the correct tips and tactics, as well as a few changes to your routine. The polish used is equally as crucial as the polishing method when it comes to finishing a manicure.
To put it another way, whether you’re new to the best nail polish painting, a seasoned DIYer, or like to bring your own best nail polish to the salon, choosing the appropriate formula is critical. Because, if you’re anything like us, a chipped manicure is one of the most uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing aesthetic concerns. If you’ve ever painted your own nails while looking for the best nail polish, you’ll know that not all the best nail polish is made equal: Some leave a streak, others dry in hours, and still, others contribute on the same day.
Top 12 Best Nail Polish Brands Perfect Colors Shiny Nails
You might easily spend years searching for the perfect brush and formula, so we did the legwork and compiled this list of tried-and-true polishes. Browse 12 of the best nail polish brands to add to your collection in 2021, from unquestionable classics to tiny businesses with non-toxic formulations. These are the greatest best nail polish for all of your mani and Pedi requirements, from cheap finds to splurge-worthy purchases, and in a variety of colors to suit every taste.
1. Best Overall: Essie Nail Polish
Arguably one of the most recognizable best nail polish brands, it’s difficult to find a nail salon that doesn’t have rows upon rows of these characteristic white-top bottles. Founded in 1981 with only a dozen hues, the mega-company has grown and expanded to include a wide selection of permanent colors as well as seasonal collections. However, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options, you can’t go wrong with the cult-classic Ballet Slippers, the famous light pink that’s even a favorite of the Royal Family. Smooth application, consistent coverage, and great chip resistance are the standard, regardless of hue.
2. Runner-Up, Best Overall: OPI Classic Nail Lacquer
OPI polishes have adorable and smart titles that we love nearly as much as the exceptional formula. It’s ultra-shiny and lasts for up to a week. Furthermore, not only is there a stunning array of colors to pick from but there are also a variety of unusual textures and finishes, ranging from metallics to mattes.
3. Best Drugstore: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel
There’s a reason why this is the best-selling gel best nail polish in the United States. Simply told, the recipe is fantastic. It has a lot of shine and long-lasting power, and the flat-headed brush makes application a breeze. Not to mention that there are approximately 100 different hues to choose from.
4. Best No Chip: Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro
If even the smallest of chips sends you scrambling for cotton balls and remover, this is the polish for you. A unique combination of ten active substances creates the appearance and feel of a gel manicure without the need for a curing light or prolonged (and potentially destructive) removal. The brush is particularly remarkable, with 320 bristles and a rounded tip to help you coat your whole nail flawlessly.
5. Runner-Up, Best No Chip: Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish
Alternative to in-salon gel manicures from Essie All you have to do to apply the chip-and fade-resistant color (on bare nails, no base coat necessary) is swipe it on, then top it with the Gel Couture Top Coat. Then sit back and get ready to be envious of your work for days to come.
6. Best Non-Toxic: Nails Inc. Plant Power Nail Polish
There were three-free polishes, five-free best nail polishes, eight-free polishes, and even ten-free polishes. However, this Nails Inc. alternative takes the cake because it is 21-free. This is the brand’s purest and friendliest collection to date. It’s 73% plant-based and vegan, yet it still provides the long-wear qualities that we all strive for in nail polish. Even the packaging is environmentally friendly; the brand replaced their plastic cap with this 100 percent FSC ash timber cap.
7. Runner-Up, Best Non-Toxic: Sally Hansen Good.Kind.Pure
This one isn’t quite 21-free, but it’s still rather amazing at 16-free, having been made without, you guessed it, 16 distinct dubious chemicals and substances. The plant-based, vegan polish is ideal for clean beauty queens, but everyone will love the stunning hues and glass-like gloss.
8. Best Kit: Olive & June The Everything Box
Bring the nail salon to you with this handy kit, which is a one-stop-shop for beautiful nails. There’s also the polish to note; you may choose any six colors from the brand’s extensive collection, all of which are 7-free. There’s also a remover and all the equipment you’ll need. But what about our favorite part? Their one-of-a-kind ‘Poppy’ tool, a universal polish handle that connects to any cap and allows anybody to legitimately paint their own nails.
9. Best Color Selection: JINsoon Nail Lacquer
Jin Soon is one of the most well-known manicurists in the industry, with a long list of celebrity and journalistic customers not to mention beauty editors, who flock to her several New York City salons in droves. Her namesake polish product makes it simple to get the same professional-inspired look at home, owing to a silky smooth and sparkly formula that’s also devoid of five widely used problematic chemicals. And the color palette is unrivaled, with a vast yet carefully managed array of spot-on classics—think nudes and reds—alongside more on-trend hues.
10. Best High-Shine: Butter London Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer
The name says it all: this best nail polish has a glass-like gloss and a thicker, cushiony consistency comparable to gel polishes. It also doesn’t require a base or topcoat, making it an excellent alternative for individuals wishing to shorten the time it takes to complete a manicure. It’s also devoid of ten common pollutants and can be used for up to ten days.
11. Best Splurge: Dior Vernis Couture Color
Yes, purchasing expensive best nail polish may appear to be an extravagance, but this one is definitely worth every penny. All of the colors are made with special pigments that increase vibrancy and intensity, as well as polymers that provide a greater grip between the color and your nail. The recipe is devoid of toluene, formaldehyde, phthalates, and camphor, and it also contains silicon to help strengthen nails.
12. Best Budget: Maybelline New York Fast Gel Fast Drying Nail Lacquer
This rookie is only a few dollars, which means you can get a huge bunch of the 18 distinct colors for less than the cost of one professional manicure. It dries quickly a key plus since let’s face it, no one likes the drying process and includes a cuticle-shaped brush for extremely precise swiping.