Top 10 Favorite Nail Polish Brands (5 Drugstore + 5 Higher end)

Hi Beauties,

I did a video over on my Youtube channel (which should be uploaded soon- I'll link when it's uploaded) on my top 10 favorite nail polish brands (5 drugstore + 5 higher end). I thought it would be fun to put up an accompanying blog post for those who aren't subscribed to my videos. Again these are my top brands not necessarily my favorite shades.

Let's start with my top 5 drugstore nail polish brands:

 

The first brand that I really like is by NYC, specifically their Long-Wearing Nail Enamel range. Not only do they last forever like the name suggests, but they are only 99 cents, which is incredible. One downside is that these polishes have more of a strong distinct smell when compared to other polishes. I'm also not sure if these are a 3-Free formula, so if that is something that bothers you I would steer clear from these. I really like them though. Pink Promenade is one of my favorite shades from the range as well, and looks gorgeous in the summer with a tan.

 

The Sally Hansen complete Salone Manicure nail polishes are so nice! The brush is wider which allows for you to almost coat your entire nail with one swipe. This shade isn't necessarily my favorite, although it is a pretty color. It is in the shade "Plum luck". With the complete salon manicure range I don't feel as if I need to use a top coat, because they are super glossy. You can find this range in most drugstores and grocery stores and they run around $6.99.

If you are a fan of the Sally Hansen complete salon manicure polishes, then you will love the Wet n Wild Megalast salon nail colors. They have the same brush that can coat a nail in one swipe, and are very long lasting. The upside of the Megalast range? They are only $1.99, which is an absolute bargain. 

Sinful Colors nail polishes have quickly become one of my favorite nail polish brands. They are high quality and only $1.99 each. The pictured shade- "Sugar Sugar" is also one of my favorite shades out of all the Sinful Colors polishes that I own. I've heard it's a dupe for China Glazes' Ruby Pumps. 

Revlon nail polishes are a really great drugstore polish. They sometimes need several coats because they can apply streaky (which I think is because of the thin brush), but you don't need a top coat because they are very glossy. This is my favorite black nail polish that I've ever tried. It is called "Black Lingerie" and is gorgeous! 

Now on to the higher end nail polishes:

Butter London polishes run about $15.00 which is definitely a splurge, but I really like these polishes. This shade is in Wallis, which is my sisters middle name, so I just HAD to pick up this shade. They are long lasting, and have some very unique shades. You can sometimes find these on BOGO at Ulta.

OPI Nail polishes are my absolute favorite! They are long lasting, the brushes make application a dream, and they have some very unique shades. These run about $8.00. The pictured shade is my favorite OPI shade of all time, which is "Rumple's Wiggin'" the perfect pastel purple. I love to wear it during spring and summer.

Essie is another staple brand in many collections of the beauty obsessed, and I think they definitely suck you in with their many collections. These polishes retail for $8.00 and have become more widely available and easier to find. One thing I will say about Essie polishes is that I have a hard time applying them without streaking. The brush is very thin which I think contributes to the streaky application. I'm not sure if it is just me and my application technique, or if other people have had the same issue, but I'd love to hear any suggestions on how to get a smoother application. I really have also been enjoying their Billionails and Trillionails nail treatments, and there will be a separate blog post coming up soon on those. 

MAC Cosmetics Nail Polishes are definitely a splurge item, retailing for $16.00 each, but I really like them, especially the cream finishes. This polish was from the MAC Hello Kitty collection in a shade called On the Prowl, and is a gorgeous true light grey color without having any purple-taupe-y undertones. MAC has included a similar color in several collections, so it shouldn't be too difficult to locate something similar. MAC polishes are long lasting, and don't apply streaky. Typically two coats will give you a flawless full coverage color on your nail. I'm a sucker for MACS limited edition packaging, especially the Hello Kitty Collection! (I'm a little Hello Kitty obsessed!)

I only have 2 China Glaze polishes, and 1 China Glaze top coat, and I really like them. The reason I haven't gotten more is because their selection is so HUGE that I get overwhelmed looking at swatches. They retail for $6.99 which is not much more than the some of the polishes at the drugstore, and I believe that you can buy them at Sally's beauty (which is out of the way for me) or Ulta. The brush is very similar to that of Essie polishes, so you have to do a couple of coats in order for it to be a true full coverage color without any streaky-ness. This is also one of my favorite shades out of all my polishes, because it is a true Tiffany's blue and is called "For Audrey". My favorite movie of all time is Breakfast at Tiffany's, so when I heard about this polish I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!!

So there you have it! My top 10 favorite nail polish brands! I have heard wonderful things about Zoya, so that will probably be the next brand that I try out! I'd love to hear what your favorite nail polish brands are! Also let me know if you'd like to see a nail polish collection video or blog post as I'd be happy to do that.

Hope you all are having a happy Tuesday!


xoxo,
Erin