Why it's great: "This is the closest nail polish that have come close to a gel-like nail finish without the LED light," says one impressed reviewer. This polish stands up to more than just everyday wear. One reader reports that it lasted through activities like sanding and painting. And even though it's "durable," readers say it's also "easy to remove with regular nail polish remover." One reader sums up this polish with one phrase that nail polish nuts will recognize as the gold seal: "Must get more colors!"
Like a killer scarf or a one-of-a-kind necklace, your nail color can be a key accessory. Whether you get your nails done at a beauty salon or use a drugstore nail polish, the secret to the ideal mani-pedi is great nail polish. Because there's really nothing like the feeling of freshly lacquered nails.
And since we live in the age of instant gratification, we expect a lot from our nail polish. For starters, nail color choice is of the utmost importance: The nail color has to speak to you, be in season and fit the event you're attending. Beyond that, the nail polish has to offer a good value (read: long-lasting and not too expensive) and look the same way on your nails as it does in the bottle. Plus, since we're always looking for ways to slice time off our beauty routines, we also want our nail polish to dry superfast. Finally, our nail polish must be chip-resistant.
Think our standards are too high? Or can one nail polish really do it all? Our readers tried and tested many a nail polish to weed out the not-so-great ones from the gems. Here, the 13 best nail polishes.