Best Overall

Sally Hansen Good.Kind.Pure Nail Polish

$10

$9 at Amazon$8 at Target

$12

$10 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Persea Gratissima (Avocado), Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract | Number of Shades: 71 | Size: 0.33 oz | Finish: Gloss and shine | Cruelty-Free: No

Sally Hansen has been a drugstore staple since 1946, and their Good.Kind.Pure Nail Polish collection proves why they’re still a favorite. Our tester loved the wide, flat brush for smooth, even coverage and the vibrant, true-to-bottle colors. One coat delivered streak-free shine, while two created a rich, opaque finish. Even with constant hand washing, typing, and cooking, our tester noted that the nail polish remained in place beautifully. She only had a minor chipping on the tips of her nails after days of wear. 

Heidi, tester: “The glossy finish is what I hoped for—that salon-fresh look! The color stayed true throughout the week.”

Best Overall, Runner-Up

sundays Nail Polish

View on Dearsundays.com

Key Ingredients: 100% vegan and 10-free | Number of Shades: 32 | Size: 0.47 oz | Finish: Gloss and shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sundays is a nail care brand that has wellness as its main core value. The brand focuses not only on products that are healthier for you but also on providing a salon experience from the comfort of your own home. Their polishes have a 10-free, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free formula. Our tester found that it has a super glossy finish that lasts over time. The brush is nice and wide, but also curved enough to prevent going over the cuticle by accident. The formula applies evenly, with no streaks visible.

Allison, tester: “The polish held up very well to washing, typing, and other daily activities, with only minimal creasing observed. After a few days, the color still looked super fresh, shiny, and vibrant.”

Best Chip Resistant

Butter London Patent Shine 10X

View on AmazonView on Butterlondon.com

Key Ingredients: Diamond Powder and Bamboo Extract | Number of Shades: 43 | Size: 0.20 oz | Finish: Gel-like cushion and shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Butter London, founded in 2005, offers a comprehensive range of products, including nail care, makeup, and body care. They have even collaborated with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow on a nail lacquer line. One of the standout features of this polish is its exceptional durability, lasting at least a week without chipping. It’s not the most pigmented lacquer, but it’s easy to build up with multiple layers for a more opaque result. According to our tester, it makes nails feel stronger compared to other polishes they’ve used in the past.

Karla, tester: “It’s less than ten dollars and has a buildable color that is chip-resistant with a natural shiny finish. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a long-lasting at-home manicure.”

Best Quick-Drying

ella+mila Nail Polish

View on AmazonView on TargetView on Ellamila.com

Key Ingredients: Citric Acid | Number of Shades: 17 | Size: 0.45 oz | Finish: Matte

Ella+Mila, founded in 2014, proves that safe nails can still be stylish. Their collection includes metallics, neons, shimmer, and pearly finishes. Our tester tried a polish from their matte collection and noted that the color looks vibrant with just two coats. She also loved that the first coat dried fairly quickly, in about a minute. If your life is as busy as our tester’s—applying sunscreen to kids daily, typing on the computer for work, and applying hand lotion, for example— then this might not be the best choice. However, for short-term wear or those who use their hands less frequently, it’s a great option.

Ashley, tester: “I really like how well it applies; it went on evenly with minimal effort, and it layers well.”

Best Pigmented

OPI Natural Nail Polish

$13

$13 at AmazonView on Opi.comView on CVS

Key Ingredients: Tocopherol | Number of Shades: 30 | Size: 0.5 oz | Finish: Shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes

OPI is a trusted brand for nail care, and their Nature Strong collection features formulas with 65% or more natural-origin ingredients. There are multiple finishes from crème to shimmer, glitter, and metallic. Our tester tried a metallic rose gold polish inspired by the colors of rose quartz and sunrises. The polish went on streak-free, even with two coats, and dried quickly. It lasted well without a top coat through daily activities, but a top coat extended the wear time even more.

Karla, tester: “After a few days, the finish still looked fresh and shiny. Even after the full week, the color was still bright and glossy with no dulling.” 

Best Plant-Based Formula

Nailtopia Nail Lacquer

$10 at AmazonView on CVSView on Nailtopia.com

Key Ingredients: Vitamin B5 and Vitamin A | Number of Shades: 50+ | Size: 0.17 oz | Finish: Shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Nailtopia’s polishes are formulated with plant-based bio-sourced fruits and vegetables. Some of the vegetable-based ingredients they use, such as potato, corn, wheat, and manioc, partially replace conventional petrochemical solvents. It also contains worthy skincare ingredients such as vitamin A, B5, and biotin. The brush is slightly wide, so keep that in mind if you have small nail beds; however, it applies streak-free with just one swipe. One coat is great, but two coats give fuller coverage. It doesn’t have a lingering nail polish smell, but removal took some time due to the glitter in the shade, and nails felt slightly dry afterward. Adding cuticle oil and hand cream helped with that.

Lauren, tester: “It dries fast, goes on smoothly, and delivers solid color with just one coat. ” 

Best Budget

Pacifica Polish in Dirt Road

$5

$5 at AmazonView on Pacificabeauty.com

Key Ingredients: Algae extract | Number of Shades: 30 | Size: 0.5 oz | Finish: Gloss | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If saving money and getting conscious nail polish is your goal, this one is worth looking into. The Pacifica Plant Magic Nail Polish retails for under $5. It has a sturdy, thick brush that ensures even application. It takes a few coats to get a full, rich color and stays on without major chipping. Our tester did experience some dulling at the end and staining after removal. Aside from that, it has a glossy finish that is amazing for busy day-to-day wear.

Ashley, tester: “I put it through a lot between daily application of sunscreen on my two kids, typing on a computer throughout the day, lotion application to my hands, and cuticle treatments. Given all of this, I would say it performed better than I expected.” 

Best Color Variety

Zoya Nail Polish

$12 at Amazon$12 at UltaView on Nhc.com

Key Ingredients: N/A | Number of Shades: 50+ | Size: 0.5 oz | Finish: Semi-glossy | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re indecisive about nail colors or just love having endless options, Zoya Nail Lacquers will be your best friend. With more than 50 shades in the lineup, there’s something for every mood. Our tester wore Leighton, a vampy, almost-black-but-not-quite purple, through a weekend of heavy lifting, box unpacking, and endless hand-washing, and it held up impressively well, rivaling the wear of a professional manicure. The formula is on the thin, watery side, so patience is key, and darker colors can leave behind a faint stain after removing, so it’s important to use a base coat. Once dry, it settles into a semi-gloss finish with a bit of texture. Using a good base coat and top coat is essential with this one. 

Erica, tester: “The color is my favorite part about this product! It’s rich, moody, a little edgy, and interesting. I’m consistently looking for this vibe when I go get a manicure, and the selection rarely delivers like Zoya’s does.”

Best Glossy

Olive and June Nail Polish

View on AmazonView on Oliveandjune.com

Key Ingredients: Octocrylene | Number of Shades: 70+ | Size: 0.46 oz | Finish: Gel-like | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Olive & June shook up the nail world with their Mani System, a DIY kit designed to make at-home manicures easy and enjoyable. They offer both regular and gel polishes, all of which feature a wide brush for smooth, even coverage. The formula is thinner, so two coats give the best opaque finish. Our tester, who types and washes hands constantly, loved the glossy look right after application. By midweek, the shine faded slightly, but the color stayed vibrant with minimal chipping. Overall, it’s smooth, long-lasting, and beginner-friendly.

Heidi, tester: “The color looked pretty on my nails and matched the bottle. The coral color looked glossy and opaque. I loved how vibrant and shiny it looked—like I just went to the nail salon!” 

Best Vibrant

Holo Taco Nail Polish

View on UltaView on Holotaco.com

Key Ingredients: Tocopheryl Acetate | Number of Shades: 66 | Size: 0.4 oz | Finish: Rich and shiny | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Founded in 2019 by YouTuber Cristine Rotenberg (Simply Nailogical), Holo Taco is known for bold, innovative formulas. All polishes are 10-free and vegan, with a rounded brush that makes it easy to paint neatly along the cuticle. The thick yet smooth formula glides on streak-free, one coat gives solid coverage, while two coats create a richer finish. Our tester found the color to be long-lasting, with only minor chipping after a week, even holding up well during pool time. Vibrant, durable, and fun, it’s a perfect pick for summer nails.

Darlene, tester: “I really liked the color. It looked rich and completely opaque. I received numerous compliments, and people were surprised to learn that it was regular polish that I had applied myself. It had a very shiny finish, and aside from the slight loss of shine, the color stayed vibrant throughout my weeklong wear.”

Best Streak-Free Finish

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer

$22 at AmazonView on Dazzledry.com

Key Ingredients: Sunflower oil | Number of Shades: 174 | Size: 0.5 oz  | Finish: Matte and semi-glossy | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Bio-organic chemist, Dr. Valenty, launched Dazzle Dry with the belief that “beauty and wellness go hand in hand.” The brand’s four-step manicure system (nail prep, base coat, polish, and top coat) can also be purchased separately. Our tester skipped the base and top coat but still found the wide, rounded brush easy to control and the polish smooth, streak-free, and quick-drying. Two coats delivered full coverage with a matte finish that developed a natural gloss after a few hours. For even more shine and longevity, the full system (especially the top coat) makes a noticeable difference.

Erica, tester: “This stuff lives up to its name! Each coat dried in under five minutes, which was honestly magical for someone like me who is notorious for finding a way to smudge my polish before it’s dry. I was back to typing, opening a can of seltzer, and confidently swiping on my phone, not long after I closed the nail polish bottle, which is unheard of.”