Gel | Vegan | Halal | Indie | Breathable
Taking care of your nails is essential to your health. Observing a cosmetic treatment for your nails (such as manicure and pedicure) is one of the best ways to stay free from germs and disease and make your nails look great.
A good nail polish with the correct formulas and ingredients will help decorate your nails, make them look attractive, protect the nail plates, and set you apart from the rest on every occasion.
Choose a good nail polish that is quick to dry, has a lasting and shiny appearance, and is durable and not reactive to water and fire. Here are the top brands for different types of nail polish to consider;
TOP GEL NAIL POLISH BRANDS
Gel nail paint is activated by LED or UV light, making it quick to dry and appropriate for any occasion. It also lasts longer than standard polish, lasting at least two to three weeks and not chipping throughout that time. The greatest gel nail polish brands are listed below.
1. Essie
The brand: Essie Weingartenin founded it in the 1980s and is a major American nail polish brand. In 1981 the founder started the brand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Need to know: She launched 12 fashion nail polish to help women feel special and gift them a perfect manicure. They later sold the company to L’Oreal, a mega beauty brand.
Essie gel couture stands out among others because its colors remain timeless, chic, and elegant. It is harder to scrap, which has made it win many awards over the years.
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2. OPI
The brand: OPI is a nail polish manufacturer based in America co-founded by George Schaeffers and Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. Their headquarters is located in Calabasas, California. The original name is Odontorium Product Inc.
Need to know: Following her childhood in Hungary, she moved to New York City. After some years, her brother-in-law George Schaeffers bought a dental supply company that started with OPI and invited her to work for her in 1981. They noticed that nail technicians were purchasing their product using the same products used for dentures for artificial nails and switched to selling cosmetic nails. In 2010, OPI was sold to Coty, Inc. and made Weiss their brand ambassador.
OPI gel does not damage the nails; it even makes them stronger. They are super-rich, last longer and with up to seven days wear off time.
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3. Dior Vernis
The brand: Dior Venis was founded in the year 1962. Dior started with one of the first slogans stating, “Today, the four shimmering letters of Dior have come to the tips of your ten fingers.” It does dry to a nice hard finish and doesn’t shrink around the edges.
Need to know: It is recommended that the coats of color be allowed to dry before applying the gel. It enhances and gives your natural nails a shiny and healthy environmental glow. You can get the perfect manicure at home with Dior nail polish.
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4. Sally Hansen
https://www.sallyhansen.com/en-us
The brand: Sally Hansen was born in December 1908 in Kansas, United States. Hansen took over her parent failing cosmetic company and turned it to Hollywood’s house in partnership with her husband and her brother. In 1946 Sally left the house of Hollywood to focus on her beauty company in New York City.
Need to know: Sally’s first product was Hard as Nails, the nail strengthener, and it’s one of the top-selling cosmetic nails polish.
Sally’s gel nail polish improves the look of ridges and imperfections and helps seal fragile nails. It locks in color and beautiful gloss. It also provides healthy-looking radiant nails.
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5. Revlon
The brand: In1932, Revlon was created in New York City. On March 1, Charles Revson and Joseph Revson the two Jewish brothers along with Charles Lachman who is a chemist, added the L in Revlon .
Need to Know: The three founders gathered their knowledge and resources to develop a single product using a unique manufacturing process. Instead of dyes, they used pigments. The single product was nail enamel with different shades. In 1937. They started selling the polishes and in six years, the company became an organization generating millions. Revlon added lipstick to the collection and offered an entire manicure line in 1940.
Revlon’s ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel system is a breakthrough 2-step technique that offers salon-quality gel to your home without the dangerous UV lights.
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TOP VEGAN NAIL POLISH BRANDS
Vegan nail polish does not contain any components produced from animals. While many large nail polish products are not vegan, several vegan companies on the market provide colors that are equally as brilliant as those made with carmine and other animal ingredients. Cruelty-free nail polish indicates that the manufacturer has not tested its products or ingredients on animals.
1. Ella+Mila
The brand: It was founded in the USA by Narineh Bedrossian, a mother of twins named Ella and Mila, in 2014. Out of necessity, she wasn’t finding nail-care products that her daughters could safely use; everything was made with unpronounceable and harmful chemicals. After five years, the brand has expanded into makeup and body care made without parabens, phthalates, lanolin, gluten, and even accessories.
Need to know: Ella and Milla is a top vegan nail polish brand with a base coat, topcoat, and nail polish remover. It contains vitamin E, which makes nails stronger and healthy. Ella Milla is free from 7 harmful chemicals typically found in polish.
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2. Zoya
The brand: The brand’s name is Arts of beauty which was founded by Zoya and her husband Michael Reyzis, a chemist, in 1986. From being a pianist in Russia, Zoya initially owned a nail salon after moving to the USA. In 1979 she earned her cosmetology license after she and her husband moved to the United States.
Need to know: Through her hard work, and a demand for quality and healthy, natural ingredients for her clients, it became evident that there was a need for the perfect products. Michael created the first working fast drying topcoat and the longest wearing, toxin-free natural nail polish in response to his wife’s requests. Art of Beauty was launched in in1996 after clients began clamoring for a nail-drying product.
Zoya is a top pick for non-toxic nail polish, and their cosmetic brand and their nail polish are famous.
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3. Nailberry L’oxygene
The brand: Sonia Hully first started in 2012 in Chelsea, London, as a luxury nail bar. It then grew into a big multi-award-winning polish brand. Sonia noticed most of her clients were experiencing damaged nails, and she came up with a solution.
Need to know: The result was the award-winning L’Oxygene range. By using the latest patented technology, the L’Oxygéné range delivers color in a healthier manicure. Since then, the range has been complemented with an extensive range of nail treatments exclusively designed to treat further and repair damaged nails.
The brand shades are 12 free, vegan and gluten-free, cruelty-free, breathable, and oxygenated.
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4. Barry M
The brand: Barry M is a British cosmetics company. Barry Mero started his business as a boy selling nail polishes on a stall in his mother’s front garden.
Need to know: After a while, he moved into retail with a shop in Ridley Road Market, London. He started his brand in 1982, specializing in on-trend makeup and nail products. Barry Mero died in 2014, and the company is directed by his son, Dean Mero.
The polish performed well, scoring four on a scale of five. It can stay a week without peeling after application. It is easy to apply due to its round brush.
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5. Maggie Anne
The brand: Maggie Anne was founded in 2016 and has since grown to have over 40 unique colors in the range. Not only has Maggie Anne grown in the range of unique shades but also crowned numerous awards, firstly being shortlisted in the Pure Beauty awards a few months after launch to then winning two substantial awards a year later in 2017.
Need to know: The first award win was “Best Nail Brand” with Beauty Shortlist awards and then “Best Nail Polish” with Natural Health International Beauty Awards later in the year. The following year in 2018, Maggie Anne was shortlisted with Natural Health and currently holds the newest crown for Best Nail Polish with Natural Health International Beauty Awards 2019.
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TOP HALAL NAIL POLISH BRANDS
Halal nail polish is permeable to air and water. Practicing Muslims can wear it during prayer rituals if water can penetrate the varnish and reach the nail; the ordinary polish is not advisable for prayers.
1. 786 cosmetics
The brand: 786 Cosmetics was founded in late 2017 by Ibrahim Ali and his wife, Iqra Isphahani. Ibrahim saw a void in the cosmetics business for Muslim women: there weren’t many halal (Islamically permissible) solutions. He decided to launch a cosmetics collection aimed exclusively at the Muslim population, focusing on breathable nail paint in particular. He was the driving force behind the search for the ideal formula that met Islamic standards while also being high quality. Iqra wanted the brand to emphasize diversity, which was the firm’s entire goal, so they devised a plan to promote beautiful cities worldwide, with each color representing a different city. It started with locations they’d visited, then cities they wanted to see, and finally evolved into a method to engage with their client base and fans as people from all over the world submitted ideas for the 60+ colors. 786 Cosmetics has developed to become a worldwide recognized brand, with products sold in 10+ countries and customers all over the world.
Need to know: 786 Cosmetics isn’t your typical nail polish company. The industry-leading solution is permeable to water. As a result, water can pass through their nail polish, allowing you to perform Wudu and pray without removing it. Every component has been fine-tuned. Contrary to popular perception, their nail paint does not flake or peel easily since it is water permeable.
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2. Orly
The brand: In 2015, Jeff Pink, the founder, and president of Orly, a company that creates professional nail color and treatments, celebrated 40 years in business. He owes his longevity to a genuine love for what he does. Pink says, “I’m fortunate because every day I step into this workplace, I feel like it’s my first day.” “This industry excites me, and I enjoy working with my colleagues.” It’s a family-owned and operated enterprise.” Orly’s products are made at a state-of-the-art, the fully automated production plant in Los Angeles, California. “We are highly nimble and able to respond rapidly if we detect a trend emerging, and we can act swiftly if we create the trend.”
Need to know: ORLY provides a comprehensive line of products and tools that prep, nourish, protect, add shine and shorten dry time.
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3. Zahara Cosmetics
The brand: Zahara Cosmetics is one of a slew of innovative beauty products that have just entered the Asian market. The business was created to provide customers with a local, halal, safe, and modern makeup selection.
Need to know: Amira Geneid started Zahara Cosmetics in 2004. Amira and her sister Alia were having trouble finding a halal and safe makeup brand for Muslim female customers when they came up with the idea. That created the foundation for what was to come, and they set out to build a brand that would be excellent for this market.
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4. Amara Cosmetics
The brand: Shamalia Mohamed created the organization in 2011. Los Angeles, California, is where their headquarters is located. Amara bills itself as the first halal-certified makeup brand in the United States, providing cosmetics and beauty products to Muslim women.
Need to know: Amara promotes halal awareness while also serving as a vegan cosmetics company. Amara’s objective is to create cosmetics made entirely of natural components and adhere to Islamic beliefs. The brand is Halal-certified and aims to promote awareness that ‘Halal does not just apply to what we eat, but also to what we put on our skin.’ Alcohol and animal testing are not used in any of the goods.
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5. Inglot
https://inglotuk.com/products/o2m-breathable-nail-enamel
The brand: Inglot Cosmetics is a Polish cosmetics firm based in Przemyl, in the south-eastern part of Poland, specializing in cosmetics production. Wojciech Inglot, a Polish businessman from Przemyl, created the company in 1983.
Need to know: He graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków with a degree in chemistry. He was born on June 11, 1955, in the Polish People’s Republic. In the early 1980s, he built the first state-owned facility. It was a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. After communism fell in Poland, he obtained his chemical equipment from the government and shifted his attention to cosmetics manufacturing. His company’s debut nail polish was released in 1987. The company’s first location outside of the United States opened in Montreal, Canada, in 2006. Since then, the Inglot brand has opened a slew of new stores all around the world.
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TOP INDIE NAIL POLISH BRANDS
1. Jin Soon
https://jinsoon.com/nail-polish-collection/
The brand: Jin Soon Choi is one of the most renowned nail artists in the industry, known for her exquisite simplicity. Jin, who was born in Korea and migrated to New York City in 1991, soon established himself as a prominent freelance nail artist.
Need to know: Her early manicuring experiences at salons, where the pace was quick, and there was little time spent with each client, led her to venture out on her own and provide more personalized, one-on-one services. Jin quickly established himself as the preferred manicurist of renowned editors, photographers, designers, and celebrities. Jin is well famous for her ability to spot current and emerging trends and adapt them into the art of nail design, earning her the title of “Nail Guru” from The New York Times Magazine.
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2. Tenoverten
https://tenoverten.com/collections/polish
The brand: Tenoverten was founded in 2010 by Nadine Abramcyk and Adair Ilyinsky to reinvent the nail salon experience. They connected and became friends after meeting through a mutual friend.
Need to know: They were motivated to establish tenoverten because they would frequently get together after work to get their nails done, and the experience always left them wanting more. They would discuss all of the tiny things they could improve on before deciding to take the risk. Customers also expressed a need for a more inspiring nail salon experience.
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3. Trust Fund Beauty
https://trustfundbeauty.com/collections/nails
The brand: Trust Fund Beauty is a cosmetics company that makes cosmetics. Nail polishes, nail paint removers, and lipsticks are among the company’s offerings.
Need to know: Its internet store sells the products all around the world. Samara Granofsky founded it. They started in the year 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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4. Crique colors
The brand: Cirque Colors was launched in 2012 by Annie Pham. She wanted to go beyond the limited color palettes of traditional nail polish manufacturers. The term Cirque, which means “ring” or “circle,” was inspired by the color wheel, which serves as a window into the infinite possibilities of the color spectrum.
Need to know: Cirque has spent the last few years experimenting with color by hand-mixing unique color ideas using unique pigments and raw materials. As a result, you get a different product with a distinct hue and good performance. Cirque Colors makes non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics. Designed and created by hand in Brooklyn, New York. This has made it outstanding among others.
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5. J. Hannah
https://jhannahjewelry.com/collections/nailpolish
The brand: In 2017, Jess Hannah, a jewelry designer based in Los Angeles, released J. Hannah, a carefully curated line of nail paint.
Need to know: J.Hannah nail polishes are seven free (free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, and xylene), highly pigmented, and not tested on animals, and come in a carefully selected range of hues and tones to complement the gracefulness of hands. After the bottle is opened, J. Hannah’s polish is guaranteed to last 18 months.
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TOP BREATHABLE NAIL POLISH BRANDS
Most halal nail polishes are breathable because of their ‘halal’ properties. Oxygen can pass through breathable nail polish.
1. Three beauties
https://www.threebeauties.com/learn-from-us/2018-07/breathable-faq
The brand: Three Beauties is a London-based brand that was established in 1958. The brand’s philosophy is to provide high-quality cosmetics at cheap costs to the general public. With over 50 years of trust, experience, and quality products manufactured from the finest ingredients, the brand has built a solid consumer base.
Need to know: Three Beauties has been known for its signature facial pressed powder since its inception, and women of three generations still use it. It’s a simple, safe, and preservative-free pressed powder that’s excellent value for money.
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2. Inglot
https://inglotcosmetics.com/collections/breathable-nail-polish
The brand: Inglot Cosmetics is a Polish cosmetics company situated in Przemyl, in Poland’s south-eastern region, specializing in cosmetics manufacturing. The company was founded in 1983 by Wojciech Inglot, a Polish businessman from Przemyl. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Kraków’s Jagiellonian University. He was born in the Polish People’s Republic on June 11, 1955. He established the first state-owned institution in the early 1980s.
Need to know: It turned out to be a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm. He received his chemical equipment from the government once communism toppled in Poland and turned his focus to cosmetics manufacturing. In 1987, his company’s first nail polish was released. In 2006, the company launched its first store outside of the United States in Montreal, Canada. Since then, the Inglot brand has expanded to include a host of new locations throughout the globe.
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3. Essie
The brand: Essie Weingartenin founded it in the 1980s and is a major American nail polish brand. In 1981 the founder started the brand in Las Vegas, Nevada when she launched 12 fashion nail polish to help women feel special and gift them a perfect manicure. Essie products also fall under the category of breathable nail polish.
Need to know: Essie gel couture stands out among others because its colors remain timeless, chic, and elegant. It is harder to scrap, which has made it win many awards over the years.
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4. LACC
The brand: One of the top Halal nail polish companies comes from Iran, which is a Muslim country. Farima Hakkak, the originator of the nail polish brand LACC, was born there (but raised in San Francisco).
Need to know: She adds that her purpose is to “inspire other women to follow their hearts and do something they never believed possible,” maybe due to her cross-cultural experience. Mission completed if that something is wearing 10-free, 100 percent Halal nail paint.
One of the main characteristics of good nail polish is to be free from harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, Dibutyl phthalate (DPB), camphor, Toluene, Xylene, Formaldehyde Resin, Triphenylphosphate (TPHP), Colophonium, which are detrimental to the health.
The brands of each type of nail polish listed above provide services that help stay healthy and try as much to sell nail polish free from harmful substances.
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