Is Expensive Nail Polish Worth It

I've basically been doing my ain manicures since I popped out of the womb, which means I've tested only virtually every nail smoothen formula that's crossed my path. And recently I embarked on a self-assigned mission to find the longest-lasting formula out there. Hither's how my experiment went: I chose x of the nearly pop blast polish brands on the market, painted each of my nails with a different ane, keeping the top and base coats the aforementioned for consistency. Here's how each of the polishes measured up — be sure to keep our results in mind for your adjacent at-home mani-pedi session.

Deborah Lippmann

Deborah Lippmann La Vie En Rose, $18, available here: I had to layer on three coats of this shade to go information technology to my desired level of opacity — which isn't a longevity problem at all, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless. I had to look an actress-long time for it to dry, but it was worth it: This polish lasted an entire nine days without a single chip. It did accept a few indents where I'd clearly gone too thick on the polish and had dinged information technology earlier information technology dried all the way, all the same.

Sally Hansen

Sally Hansen Phenomenon Gel Nail Polish in Totem-ly Yours, $7.99, available here:This is the but polish I tested that's marketed as a "gel-outcome" formula. And it was equally impressive as the Deborah Lippmann one, lasting for more than a week without chipping – nine days to be exact.

Smith & Cult

Smith & Cult Feathers and Flesh, $18, bachelor here: Smith & Cult is known for its on-trend shade options (and Instagrammable packaging), only neither of those attributes necessarily translate to a long-lasting manicure. However, not only did this polish concluding through plenty of swimming, dish-washing and bundle-opening; it also maintained the glossy smoothen that ordinarily wears away after a mean solar day or two. On day nine, the just noticeable clothing was a bit of lifting right at the edge of the nail.

OPI

OPI Pale to the Chief, $6.70, available here: This neutral shade from OPI's Kerry Washington collection (new for autumn) chipped after a week — it was a tiny, heartbreaking bit on the very tip of my pointer fingernail (probably caused by frantic typing). Luckily, it was also the kind of fleck that can be easily patched with a tiny dot of polish, which I would accept done if not for this experiment. Oddly enough, the chipping didn't get any worse subsequently that. Normally I'd expect the whole boom to start flaking off, but the rest of the polish stayed put, making the fleck barely noticeable.

Nails Inc

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Nails Inc in Cornwall Gardens, $14, bachelor hither: This stake regal hue was by far the longest-lasting polish — which surprised me, I'll admit. I've always been a fan of U.K.-based brand Nails Inc for its trendy hues, simply I couldn't have guessed that it would stay in acme shape for longer than whatsoever of the other polishes. Apparently matcha is a phenomenon worker, even for your nails. Who knew?

Jin Soon

Jin Soon Nail Polish in Prim, $xviii, bachelor here: Manicurist Jin Soon Choi's smash polish line is one of my favorites because I can always rely on information technology to terminal a total calendar week. For this experiment I chose Prim, a beige-tinged white shade that chipped up virtually the tip of my thumb on day 7.

Chanel

Chanel in Canotier, $28, bachelor here:Chanel has a flake of a reputation within the smash junkie community for non being very long-lasting. Simply, come up on, it'south Chanel. I used a metallic shade, which was even so going strong on day six. And so everything unraveled: fries appeared in three spots all at once. Just something this formula has going for information technology is that the shade didn't fade at all; the gilded was withal as metal and gleam-y every bit it had been on day one — well, what was left of information technology was, anyway.

Zoya

Zoya in Sally, $10, available hither: Zoya's formula is five-complimentary, meaning it doesn't incorporate some of the chemicals used in other brands. That'southward great, but it as well means the polishes can be a lilliputian temperamental when it comes to truly lasting. I painted this 1 on my heart finger, and it was the commencement to recede from the edges a flake, which I suspect is due to the fact that it's my longest finger and is subject to the most contact mean solar day-to-day. Otherwise, it made it to day ix sans fries, but information technology lifted merely a fleck at the cuticle.

Essie

Essie in Cocktails & Coconuts, $viii.l, available here:This was the commencement in the agglomeration to chip. I painted it on my ring finger, and wound up with a pocket-size fleck at the tip just four days in. By day eight, there were multiple chips effectually the edges of the finger. Not ideal.

Butter London

Butter London nail smooth in Toff, $fifteen, available here: This was definitely the darkest shade that I chose of the unabridged bunch, but information technology's such a Butter London classic that I always tend to gravitate toward it. Information technology started receding at the tip four days in, then got a tiny chip just at the tip 6 days in. But past twenty-four hours nine, information technology hadn't gotten any worse than that – and the sheen of that dark, rose shade was still at that place.

The winner:

Nails Inc was the truthful champion here, having survived the entire test bit-free, with Sally Hansen and Smith & Cult close behind. The moral of the story, if you want a long-lasting manicure? Use a adept base of operations- and topcoat, pigment on super-thin layers and always exist sure to let each coat dry thoroughly. And don't e'er assume that the most expensive smash polish is one 1 with the about staying power.