Preparation
In our busy world, finding time for self-care can sometimes feel impossible, so when you are able to carve out an hour for a manicure, you want to be sure that it lasts. While there are certainly nail polish options out there that guarantee longevity—like gel or acrylic—sometimes, you just want a straightforward polish that won’t chip after a day. To help you and your hands, we asked nail artists and manicurists to share the best long-lasting nail polishes at varying price points so that you can achieve your best manicure yet.
Shopping off this expert-approved list is your best bet, since navigating the beauty aisle can be confusing. You’ll find that many companies claim their products are long-lasting, but determining if this is really true can be tricky for the average consumer, explains Miss Pop Nails, a celebrity and editorial nail artist. “Long-wear polishes often are advertised as such, but then again, so are all nail polishes. Also, the use of the word ‘gel’ is nearly meaningless,” she says. “The key to knowing if something is truly a gel is if you need to cure it under an LED light. If you’re not curing it, it’s a nail polish.”
To take some of the guesswork out of long-wear lacquer, take a look at our experts’ top long-lasting recommendations, below.
Best Overall: OPI Infinite ShineBest Gel-Like: Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab DuoBest Splurge: Chanel Le VernisBest Nude: Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail PolishBest Sheer: Essie ″Sheer Silhouette″ Gel Couture Nail PolishBest Color Selection: Jin Soon Quintessential Nail LacquerBest Environmentally-Friendly: Zoya “Naked Manicure” Nail Polish KitBest Packaging: Smith & Cult Nail PolishBest Pigmented Option: Color Club Nail PolishBest Drugstore Find: Essie Gel Couture Nail PolishBest Ingredients: Paintbox Single Nail Lacquer
