Popular Nail Polish Brands

Ah, Nail Polish Brands. There's so many and yet there's only so few that you actually see in nail salons and online. They are all different in quality, have different textures, and there are specific types of nail polish for different occasions. So, what are the most popular nail polish brands?

Let's answer this question with a list I made below using my experience as a nail technician and my time as a customer.

CND

CND is one of the most popular nail polish brands from what I have seen. It is literally in every nail salon you visit and CND products are used to train professional nail technicians. CND Shellac is half nail polish and half gel!

Shellac Power Polish

Shellac is only dried in a UV light and gives you a quality nail polish look with a total of 4 coats.

It comes in 90 different​ luxury shades and lasts up to 2 weeks. After that, expect it to chip.

Vinylux Polish

This is the nail polish from CND that applies and dries quickly. It doesn't require a base coat and lasts for about a week without chipping.

There are 99 fashion shades allowing you to quickly prepare for any situation. It dries in minutes without using an LED or UV Lamp and becomes more and more durable when it's continuously exposed to natural light. However, because it dries so quickly, it is also prone to chipping within the first week.

Honestly, it's amazing for a short notice occasion because it gives you that quality nail polish with a sexy look. If you apply a good top coat, it may last longer than a week.

CND Nail Polish Brand Review

OPI

Nail Lacquer

A very clean and geometric nail polish. Less thick and gloopy than other basic nail polishes allowing you to store it for quite a while.

One of the best nail polish products around, if you used it, you would know what I'm talking about.

It paints on very smoothly and stays for a week.

Remember to apply 2 top coats for a stronger color.

Gel Color

​Keeps your nail polish shiny and chip-free for around 2 weeks. This is the base coat and top coat for OPI nail polish.

Haven't had any chips from washing dishes and they remained shiny and beautiful for about ~14 days.

Infinite Shine​

Gives you "long wearing" nail polish. Top coat needs to be thick so I always use 2 coats, which is pretty much the standard. Unfortunately, after 3-4 days it began to chip from household chores.

OPI Nail Polish Brand Review​

Gelish

This is one of the best soak-off gel nail polish brands out there. It lasts longer than OPI GelColor and soaks off in 10-15 minutes in your regular acetone nail polish remover.

You apply it like regular nail polish and cure under an LED lamp for 30 seconds or 2 minutes under a UV lamp. Just use an LED lamp instead of a UV for this. As of 2016, it is available in 175 colors giving you a wide range to play with.

Keep in mind that the glittery nail polish peels off quicker than regular gel nail polish. This is due to the texture being less smooth and having higher friction with anything it comes to contact with. I compared gelish to shellac, check it out.

Gelish Nail Polish Review​

Sally Hansen

The number one selling nail polish brand in America. Sally Hansen provides other products such as stickers and other decals to make your nails stand out.

Most of the products you find from Sally Hansen come in a starter kit, which is perfect for beginners. In addition, there are lots of youtube videos and nail art things to get creative with.

Miracle Gel

Very similar to Gelish nail polish, comes in 66 different shades and is supposed to last 14 days. This is one of those gel nail polishes that doesn't require any LED or UV lights to dry and applies directly on your natural nails. Use 2 coats for a nicer finish and make sure to use a top coat to prevent it from chipping after 5 days. (Early chipping is very common without a good quality top coat)

​Sally Hansen Nail Polish Brand Review

In The Mood

A playful nail polish that changes color based on your temperature. Apply two coats to your natural nails, a topcoat for a glossy finish and then go out in the sun to watch the color change. My favorite fun nail polish that's easy to apply.

There's nothing bad to say about In The Mood nail polish, it lasts around 2 weeks and does exactly what it's supposed to. If you rub your nails, you can get it to change color immediately.

In The Mood Nail Polish Brand Review

Revlon

A Canadian cosmetics company with several different nail polish products. One of the main things I noticed when wearing this polish is that it very rarely chips on the first few days without a topcoat. My favorite part about their nail polish are the small brushes that are just perfect for small nails.

Gel Envy

Usually chips a little within 5 days (quite a long time relative to OPI). You can always use another top coat to make your manicure last longer, but at that point you might as well use a different nail polish brand. If you use Revlon top coat, apply a thick layer. 

Transforming Effects

This is the Revlon Top Coat. Black nail polish makes these stand out really well, anything close to white reduces the visiblity of the effects. Beautiful nair art effects for beginners.

Revlon Nail Polish Brand Review​

China Glaze

Ah, China Glaze. The brand that has a ridiculous amount of colors and different variations of nail polish and other products. 

This is not the best nail polish, but not the worst either, it's just ok. However, since you can find China Glaze in every nail salon and just about in any store, that makes it one of the most popular nail polish brands.

One main concern about China Glaze is their really thin brush. Nail salon workers don't like it and I don't like it.

Since theres so many different nail polish colors, I don't mind spending $5 to get the right one.

China Glaze Nail Polish Review​

Popular Nail Polish Brands Consensus

My favorite top 3 are;

To be honest, CND has so many nail related products that I find it hard to give other brands a real chance. In The Mood and China Glaze are nice little add-ons for different textures and effects, but besides those, nothing else really pushed me to buy other brands consistently. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this popular nail polish brands breakdown! Good luck in your nail polish​ adventures and let me know if you have any questions.

What is your favorite brand of nail polish and why?​