With a little dexterity and some time taken to perfect your technique, doing your own nails gives you the freedom to create a salon-worthy manicure at home and avoid the hassle of going in for appointments or paying for pricey touchups. Our top pick for the best nail polish brand, Essie, offers over 1,000 shades at an affordable price, while luxury brands like Hermès and Chanel are making smaller, more curated collections for those who want an elevated look.
When shopping for nail polish, it’s helpful to consider the design and shape of the bottle (for better handling during application), shade options and how long the polish lasts. We consulted deputy editor Jane Sung as well as professional nail artists to curate this roundup of the best nail polish brands.
Best Nail Polish Brand Overall: Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish
Best Value Nail Polish Brand: Olive & June Polish
Best Luxury Nail Polish Brand: Hermès Les Mains
Best Nail Polish Brand For Strengthening: Chanel Le Vernis
Best Long-Lasting Nail Polish Brand: JinSoon Nail Polish
Best Vegan Nail Polish Brand: Londontown Enhanced Colour
Best Gel Nail Polish Brand: Le Mini Macaron Gel Manicure Kit
Best Nail Polish Brand Overall
Essie: A High-Quality Drugstore Brand With Numerous Color Options
Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish
Essie’s bestselling polishes strike the perfect balance between aesthetics, ease and affordability. The line is 100% vegan and comes in 1,000 different hues, from subdued pastels to bold neon colors. Celebrity manicurist and educator Julie Kandalec is a big fan of the brand’s sheer and neutral shades like Ballet Slippers, Mademoiselle and Sugar Daddy. And nail artist Laura Malarkey loves the convenience factor of shopping Essie nail polishes. “I can find it in any store, and the shade range is unbeatable,” she says. “It applies easily and lasts a long time.”
Best Value Nail Polish Brand
Olive & June: Affordable, Beginner-Friendly Options
Olive and June’s stylish bottles look a lot more expensive than they are. The polishes are all under $10 and don’t skimp on quality or color options. The brand also offers comprehensive manicure and press-on nail kits to help you master professional-level nail looks at home, plus curated seasonal kits that include popular shades. Olive and June also sells a universal cap, aka The Poppy, made of soft rubber silicone that fits on the cap of the nail polish bottles and is designed to stabilize your hand for a smoother application and a neater finish.
Best Luxury Nail Polish Brand
Hermès: Limited-Edition Colors And An Expertly-Designed Brush
Hermès Les Mains
It may cost you a small fortune to buy an iconic Birkin bag, but Hermès nail polishes are thankfully a much more attainable splurge. Each of the bottles is designed with the design house’s signature branding and comes with an easy-to-use brush that’s long and rounded for precise application. The formula itself includes ultrafine pigments that enhance the shiny finish of the line’s classic range of reds, pinks and jewel tones. The brand also sells limited-edition shades based on runway trends.
Best Nail Polish Brand For Strengthening
Chanel: Classic Shades Enhanced With Ceramides
Chanel Le Vernis
Chanel’s bestselling nail polishes are made with ceramides to help strengthen and protect nails over time, making them ideal for using in between gel manicures, too. But it’s the iconic colors themselves that stand out, according to celebrity nail artist Queenie Ngyuen, who says the brand’s polishes always top her list when she’s working with clients. “Their colors are incredibly pigmented and long-lasting,” she says, adding that an updated brush design makes it even easier to maneuver.
Best Long-Lasting Nail Polish Brand
JinSoon: Vegan, Cruelty-Free Polishes Founded By A Nail Artist
MOST POPULAR
JinSoon Nail Polish
Founded by nail artist Jin Soon Choi, these cruelty-free and vegan polishes are easy to use and generally a good value for the price. Each polish is infused with a UV filter and gel-like polymers that extend the wear time and shine while preventing fading. Kandalec is a huge fan of JinSoon’s shade range. “This is a really fun line with everything from classics to fun sprinkles, like the Fab Top Coat,” she says. “Jin Soon really knows what the market wants and delivers.”
Best Vegan Nail Polish Brand
Londontown: Made With Botanical Extracts And Vitamin E
Londontown offers a wide range of nail products beyond its standard polishes from nude nail “concealers” to hardeners to probiotic nail masks give pre-manicure protection. Despite the relatively affordable price, the formulas are all high-quality, too. They’re vegan, gluten-free and typically infused with nourishing ingredients like the brand’s signature blend of oils, botanical extracts and vitamin E. The contoured brush also helps you apply polish in tight corners of your nails without smudging them.
Best Nail Polish Brand For Shine
Gucci: A Curated Collection Beloved By Nail Artists
Gucci Nail Polish
For a luxe manicure, consider Gucci’s tightly curated lineup of nail polishes spanning 10 shades from mint green to creamy yellow. “The Ellen Bush shade is my favorite,” Kandalec says. “It’s a retro pink shade, and I even used it exclusively on set for a film that’s about to be released.” The high-gloss finishes are designed to catch the eye, but they’re also easy on your nails. Each shade has been formulated with vitamin E to boost hydration and shine.
Best Gel Nail Polish Brand
Le Mini Macaron: Portable, Giftable Kits for Manicures That Last
Le Mini Macaron Gel Manicure Kit
Featured in our best at-home gel nail kits story, this portable kit makes gel manicures easier with its mini macaron-shaped LED lamp, three-in-one polish (combining a base coat, top coat and color) and buffing tools. Nail artist Rachel Joseph likes how this kit streamlines the process of manicures, even if you’re trying your hand at gel polish for the first time. “It’s an easy and quick application, and easy to travel with so you can do your nails anywhere, anytime,” she says. The polishes are all vegan and cruelty-free, too.
MORE FROMFORBES VETTED
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve published dozens of beauty articles including nail-specific topics like the best press-on nails.
- This article was written by beauty contributor Neha Tandon, who has firsthand experience with many of the brands on this list.
- All picks were approved by Forbes Vetted deputy editor Jane Sung, who considers herself an at-home mani pro and has been covering beauty and wellness for more than 15 years.
- We interviewed celebrity manicurist and educator Julie Kandalec; celebrity nail artist Queenie Ngyuen; nail artist Rachel Joseph; and nail artist and celebrity manicurist Laura Malarkey about their favorite nail polish brands.
How We Chose The Best Nail Polish Brands
To put together this list of the best nail polish brands, we used our market knowledge to narrow down picks, carefully evaluated the formula of each and took into account a wide variety of tastes, preferences and budgets.
- We researched top brands and formulas, asking nail artists for their additional recommendations.
- To refine the selection process, many products have been tested firsthand by Forbes Vetted editors and contributors.
- The experts we interviewed provided suggestions as well as input on the best nail polish formulations and other shopping tips.
- We extensively evaluated each nail polish brand for its shade range, design and nourishing ingredients.
- As everyone’s budget and needs look different, we included both affordable and luxury options.
