Best nailpolish brand?

I'm new here, so please don't mind me if I do something wrong, anyhow what do you find to be the best nailpolish brand. I'm used to buying the more expensive essie nailpolish just out of habit and am curious do wet n' wild or any of the other less expensive brands work as well? Do they chip more easily? Look cheaper? etc etc etc.  

Personally when looking for nailpolish I get whatever catches my eye.  Because of this I make sure to spend extra on a good topcoat that really makes whatever's underneath shiny and last long.  I like Barielle's No Chip Speed Dry.

I love Colorstay.  It stays on well, for a week maybe.  Though I've noticed the darker colors show chips within a couple of days and the lighter ones are better for longer.  The clear topcoat that comes with the colorstay helps the other cheapo nail polishes I have stay on longer too.  Wet and Wild stays on better for me than some of the other kinds (like Sinful which chips in 2 hours!).  The wet and wild does only last a day or two without chips (thats pretty good for a buck though, so I just retouch it when they chip).

OPI  and essie =)

I can buy something that promises to last a week, and have huge chips in it by the end of the day -_-; .  That's part of the reason I don't paint my nails often, because nothing stays.  My toenails, however, I'm more likely to see grown-out parts at the base of the nails before the paint on those has chipped off. . .  I guess I'm just really rough on my hands.

There are big differences in the quality and content of professional polishes (OPI, Essie, Creative, Toma, Haken, etc.) vs. "drug store" brands (revlon, wet and wild, sally hansen, etc).  There are additives that are actually BANNED for use in nail polish not sold through a professional.  These additives create a very tough, long lasting, rich color.  Another thing to realize is that the cheaper the brand (wet and wild for instance), the less pigment in the polish and the more coats you have to apply to get the actual color.  So wet and wild is like 1/8 pigment and the rest is the other substances.  Professional brands have many times that amount of pigment ( I dont know an exact amount, but I wouldn't be surprised at up to 65%). 

Does that mean other non-professional brands are bad?  Nope.  There is a market for all brands.  Some people look for price, others for quality, others don't care, they just want it to look pretty.  Whatever works for you.  All I can say is try it.  A good base coat will adhere well to the nail and help things last longer and a good top coat witll provide a lot of shine and protection.

If your polish chips right away, there are a couple main reasons:  oils on the nail or weak thin nails.  The thinner the nail, the more it flexes and the more the polish chips.  Oil will prevent adhesion.  It is super imortant to have a clean dry nail to polish.  Even if you just wipe with polish remover before polishing, that is better than nothing.  There are products out there that also help cleans the nail prior to polishing (OPI has one called Chip Skip).

 

I hope this helped.

Jessica

Me too, I change nail polish every fourth day or so, so I buy cheap ones. I use a good base/top (sp?) though: Depend's multi. I really like Rimmel's 60 seconds, you only need one layer and it dries really quick.

I was surprised when I was shopping at a beauty supply shop to still see nail polish with toluene and formaldehyde in it (probably what you said was banned).  Polish used to all have that stuff in it and it does stay on much longer, but that stuff is not good for you.

You are correct, it is not good for you - in large amounts.  The tiny amounts present in nail polish are pretty harmless, unless you are allergic to formeldehyde,  Or unless you eat the polish (yuck).  Most professional polishes last longer because of those ingredients, but professional polishes also have around 2-3 times more pigment than polishes you buy in a store, which is why the color is richer.  FYI, there are professional polishes without those ingredients, if you are worried- Zoya & SpaRitual off the top of my head.  BTW, OPI and Nail Envy are full of formeldehyde!

OPI, MAC & Essie are really good. 

 

[QUOTE=naildiva]You are correct, it is not good for you - in large amounts.  The tiny amounts present in nail polish are pretty harmless, unless you are allergic to formeldehyde,  Or unless you eat the polish (yuck).  Most professional polishes last longer because of those ingredients, but professional polishes also have around 2-3 times more pigment than polishes you buy in a store, which is why the color is richer.  FYI, there are professional polishes without those ingredients, if you are worried- Zoya & SpaRitual off the top of my head.  BTW, OPI and Nail Envy are full of formeldehyde![/QUOTE]

I have to avoid anything with the Tolulene and Formaldehyde myself. It all started when I tried Nailtiques several years ago. My nails grew beautifully and looked gorgeous but the nails all became detached from the skin!!! (painful and ugly!) Thank God, they grew back fine. I was never really sure why that happened until I used the Nailtiques again and then I realized it happens anytime I use a polish with those two ingredients. Weird how I never ever paid any attention to the ingredients before and no doubt DID use polishes with them in it.

Anyway, I use cheap (very inexpensive) polish ALL the time and I feel my nails always look nice and professional if I do say so myself!  I've used the expensive too and just don't see the difference. I'm not saying there isn't a difference -- this is just my humble opinion. Plus, I am a nail polish addict, so you can see why I like to stick to the one and two dollar bottles.

It may just be a coincidence but, actually, I've noticed the brushes seem to be worse[i/] in the high end brands. I noticed that right away because I thought it just shouldn't be so seeing as the polish is supposed to be "better" and costs more ...