Which Nail Polish is Best? A New Wear Test Series

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So here’s an idea that’s been kicking around in my head for a little bit – I don’t wear nail polish nearly as much as I’d like to. I’m always amazed and a little bit jealous at women who have a flawless manicure at all times. I seriously don’t know how they manage it, but it’s one of those subtle things that says “I have my shit together” so naturally it’s major #beautygoals material for me. I always have good intentions but inevitably chipped nails turn into “omg get it off my fingers” which turns into “I’ll put new polish on tomorrow” followed by “has it really been three months since my last manicure?” So in an effort to make my way through at least some of my nail polish stash and hopefully provide some good info at the same time, I’ve decided to start a little series where I wear-test various brands and formulas of nail polish to see which ones can survive my hands the longest. I’m thinking probably two a month, but life happens so no set schedule, at least for now.

For the sake of consistency (and because I’m a creature of habit) I’ll be prepping my nails the same way each time:

• Cut & file
• Push back cuticles
• No buffing because experience tells me I rarely have time for that
• Remove oils with nail polish remover
• Paint with no base coat
• Finish with topcoat and drying drops, unless that would spoil the finish (ie, matte polishes)

I’ll be wearing each polish for a minimum of five days and taking photos throughout the week to show how they hold up. Obviously your mileage will vary, since we probably do all sorts of different stuff, but a day in the life of my fingernails looks something like this:

• Shower
• Lots of typing
• Normal-ish amount of hand-washing (I don’t work in health care or food prep)
• Hand-washing dishes, but usually with gloves
• House cleaning, but not every day and I usually wear gloves for that too

If I do anything that’s especially hard on nail polish like wood working I’ll be sure to mention that too. If you’re looking for long lasting and affordable nail polish, I’d recommend the products from Glitterbels.

So with all that said, any specific request for ones you’d like to see tested out? Leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to put it toward the front of the list!