15 Best Drugstore Nail Polishes That You Should Try In 2023
Achieve the perfect salon-like mani-pedi at home at a budget-friendly price.
Expertise: Makeup & Beauty
Experience: 3 years
Esha Saxena is a writer and journalist with over 3 years of experience. She holds a master’s degree in media and mass communication and firmly believes that makeup is nothing less than art. Combinin... more
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Freshly manicured nails look gorgeous, but not everyone has the time to visit the salon frequently amidst their hectic schedules. The secret to getting the perfect mani-pedi at home is to pick a great nail color. Nowadays, the best drugstore nail polishes come in stunning shades and offer enough longevity at affordable prices. In this post, we have curated a list of the 15 beautiful drugstore nail polishes (under $11) that will make your drugstore trip worthwhile. Keep reading to explore our top picks!
In This Article
15 Best Drugstore Nail Polishes That You Should Try
Best Glitter-Finish:Essie Mirror Metallics In “Good as Gold”
Pros - Great formula that goes on smoothly
- Quick-drying
- This shade can get away with one coat as it’s very opaque
- DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde free
- Highly saturated
Cons
- May emphasize nail imperfections like ridges.
Pro TipEssie Mirror Metallics In “Good as Gold” Review
All that glitters is all you need! This nail polish by Essie’s Mirror Metallics collection is a gorgeous gold shade, which is entirely muted – it’s not too yellow, neither it’s overly flashy. Its formula is excellent, and it provides for easy application. Two coats are all it takes for the most opaque finish!
This one’s a great option for the Winter Holiday season or just about any day because it’s a super versatile color. This shade will look stunning on almost every skin tone.
Best Long-Wear FormulaSally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear In “Mauve Over”
Pros - Easy to apply
- Great color
- Long staying
- Dries quickly
Cons
- Slightly hard to remove
Pro TipSally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear In “Mauve Over” Review
Sally Hansen is one of the most popular drugstore nail polish brands. The shade “Mauve Over” seemingly changes its color depending on the lighting. Regardless of the lighting, this color looks utterly gorgeous. Its formula builds quickly to opacity, dries rather fast, and lasts forever even without a top coat.
It’s a great shade for winter and fall, or even spring, and will look so hot on light to medium skin tones!
[ Read – Top Rated Sally Hansen Products For Women ]
Best Opaque-Finish Formula:Essie Nail Polish In “Mint Candy Apple, Green”
Image: Essie
Pros - Great color formulation
- Easy to apply
- Good applicator brush
- Long staying
Cons
- Chips easily without top coat
Essie Nail Polish In “Mint Candy Apple, Green” Review
This Essie nail polish in the shade “Mint Candy Apple, Green” is fresh and light and would make a beautiful shade for spring or summer. Its new formula is great, and two coats provide a full-fledged opaque finish.
Whether you have light skin, medium or dark skin tone – this color will surely stand out and score you some compliments. When you feel your creative juices flowing, this mint-green shade is a great addition to your nail art design ideas!
Best Gel-Based Formula: Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel In “Lady Luck”
Pros
- Long-wearing
- Gel formulation
- Easy application
- Dries quickly
- Opaque finish
Cons
- Slightly pricey
Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel In “Lady Luck” Review
This gorgeous shade is a blend of pink and coral with a subtle gold shimmer. The formulation of this line of nail polishes by Revlon is impressive. We loved its consistency, quality, glossy finish, and its staying power. This shade has a low-key neon vibe going on, which makes it a really fun and youthful shade!
Overall, it’s a great color for summer or spring and can easily be pulled off by all skin tones.
Best Vegan Formula:ILNP Abundance Color Shifting Nail Polish
Pros - Fully opaque
- Long-lasting
- Quick drying
- Cruelty-free
- Paraben-free
- Vegan
Cons
- Some may find the consistency thick
ILNP Nail Polish In “Abundance- Red, Orange, Bronze, Gold Ultra Chrome Color” Review
For the ones who don’t have the words dull and simple in their vocabulary, the ILNP Abundance Shifting Nail Polish in red, orange, bronze, and gold ultra chrome color is ideal for them! Never experience a dull moment with this vibrant, flamboyant product that attracts all the attention, making you the life of the party. It is fast-drying and fully opaque, hence does not require a base coat. Curated with high quality nail lacquer formula, it delivers long lasting results and does not get faded easily.
This one will surely have you covered for all the late night clubbing scenes with your besties.
Pro TipBest Chip-Resistant:Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Collection In “Terra Coppa”
Pros - Easy application
- Gel formulation
- Does not chip off
- Goes on smoothly and dries quickly
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Expensive
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Collection In “Terra Coppa” Review
A bottle of this shade of Sally Hansen nail polish is reportedly sold every two minutes – making it a best-seller! According to InStyle, since its launch, this bottle has been sold over 32 million times. “Terra Coppa” is the most Instagram-worthy rose gold shade that is long-lasting and universally-flattering. It goes on glittery, but it dries up to a more subtle shimmery finish that isn’t very flashy. It applies easily, and its gel formula holds up for a week and stays chip-free. It goes with everything and keeps glowing for long.
This one can be worn all round the year and is great for every skin tone!
Best Easy-To-Apply Formula:OPI Infinite Shine 2, California Dreaming Collection In “This Is Not Whine Country”
Pros - Great color
- Easy to apply
- Fast drying
- Long staying
- Great applicator brush
Cons
- Expensive
Pro TipOPI Infinite Shine 2 Review
“This Is Not Whine Country” is a little sheer, but it can be built upon, and once it dries, its saturation and shine is so beautiful. It’s a wine-colored shade with blue and berry undertones that looks so sultry and hot! The formula of this nail polish is great, and its brush makes for an easy application that lasts for over a week!
This shade is perfect for any time of the year, and we can visualize this shade looking stunning on every skin tone.
Best In Budget:L.A. COLORS Color Craze Nail Polish
Image: L.a. Colors Pros - Chip-resistant
- Long-lasting
- Easy application
- Smooth finish
Cons
- Thick consistency
- May take longer to dry
The L.A. COLORS Color Craze Nail Polish In “Cocktail” Review
With a tint of alluring pink and a glossy, shimmery finish, the L.A. COLORS Color Craze Nail Polish is bound to become one of your favorite nail paints. The product offers a vibrant yet subtle hue that is ideal for everyday wear. The colorful glitter present in it further supports a flirtatious and lively look, perfect for days when you want your nails to do all the talking.
Best With Shimmery Finish:China Glaze Nail Polish In “Heart of Africa”
Image: China Glaze Pros - Gorgeous color
- Applies smoothly
- Dries quickly
- Long-lasting
Cons
- The polish in the bottle dries out rather quickly
China Glaze Nail Polish In “Heart of Africa” Review
“Heart of Africa” from China Glaze is a beautiful deep shimmery wine color. If you instantly want to glam up your hands and feet, this color should be something you absolutely must look at! Two coats of this give you a fully opaque finish and decent staying power.
This vampy shade is perfect for fall, winter, and the holiday season and looks exceptionally flattering on medium-tan skin. To get a better understanding of the product, you can check out this video on YouTube.
Best For Nail Art:Essie Nail Polish In Designated DJ
Pros - Very saturated
- Beautiful color
- Quick-drying
- Long-wearing
Cons
- Chips without top coat
Essie Nail Polish In Designated DJ Review
This was launched as a part of Essie’s 2017 Spring Collection. The shade is a rich, deep plum with more purple in it and no matter what the season, this will look gorgeous. Its formula is great, and you get an opaque finish in two coats. The applicator brush is easy to use and gives you a smooth and even finish.
This is a color that will look flattering on every skin tone, all year round! It can also be used for doing your nail art designs.
Best Pigmented Formula:RARJSM Holographic Dark Purple Nail Polish
Image: Rarjsm Pros - Suitable for sensitive skin
- Non-toxic material
- Good durability
- Fast drying
- Highly-pigmented
- Easy application
- Low odor
Cons
- Not smudge-resistant
RARJSM Holographic Nail Polish In “Dark Purple” Review
Always stay abreast with modish looks and top trends with the RARJSM Holographic Nail Polish. The product offers a gel formula that is durable and dries up in minutes. It is curated from non-toxic material that is free from all the chemicals that commonly harm the nail bed, thus making it a suitable option for sensitive skin as well. It is a highly-recommended product that won’t require frequent coating and promises long-lasting up to 21 days. With innumerable benefits and an attractive holographic look, this one is going straight to our top favorite nail polishes list.
Best Tinted Top CoatZoya Nail Lacquer In “Frida”
Pros - Easy to apply
- Gentle formula
- Great applicator brush
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Needs too many coats for a fully opaque finish because of which it takes forever to dry
Zoya Nail Lacquer In “Frida” Review
Frida by Zoya is a sheer, dark, and warm-toned teal blue with a buildable jelly gloss finish. Its unique formula can be worn alone or layered to create an endless variety of custom colors and effects. Talking about the formula, it’s pretty thin and you need to apply multiple coats (around 5-6) to get it to an opaque finish.
This one’s great to use as a tinted top coat or over your nail art designs, but as a stand-alone polish, it’s hectic to apply so many coats. However, we can’t deny that the jelly gloss finish looks incredible. Check out the review of this product for more information.
Best Saturated Formula:Essie Nail Polish In “Wicked”
Pros - Easy to apply
- Quick-drying
- Long-wearing
- Gives you an opaque finish
Cons
- Needs top coat
Essie Nail Polish In “Wicked” Review
This shade by Essie is a beautiful deep brown-purple, and it makes for a sultry winter look. Its formula is great. The applicator brush is easy to use and gives you a shiny, smooth finish with much ease. Two coats give you a fully opaque finish, and the longevity of the polish is decent.
This dark color will look amazing on every skin tone with all outfits and is great for winter, fall, and autumn.
Best For All Skin Tones:Orly In “Haute Red”
Pros - Great formula
- Easy to apply
- The brush does not create streaks
- Long-wearing
Cons
- Takes time to dry
Orly In “Haute Red” Review
If you want a glamorous Hollywood red on your nails – your search ends here! This neutral red is a balance of orange and blue, giving you a true red shade. Its formula applies evenly and beautifully without streaking. Haute Red is a definite staple for your nail polish collection.
Since it’s a classic red, this will look great all round the year and will complement every skin tone so well.
Best Alcohol-Free:Beetles Gel Nail Polish
Pros - Quick drying
- Alcohol-free
- Paraben-free
- Easy application
- Long-lasting
- Chip-resistant
Cons
- May cause allergic reactions in some
Beetles Gel Nail Polish In “Emma Emerald Green” Review
This nail polish has a deep-green emerald hue that can complement all your outfits. This formula allows you fuss-free application sans the messiness. It is durable and can be worn on most occasions without having to worry about the color fading. Its alcohol-free formula doesn’t dry out the nail bed. It is a trendy shade ideal for all age groups!
[ Also Try – Sally Hansen Hard as Nails ]
(*Product prices may vary)
Whether you are a fan of modern nail arts or like to stick to traditional monochromatic nails, to get the best DIY manicured nails, you need to get your hands on the best drugstore nail polish. Nowadays, drugstore nail polishes come in different shades and give you good longevity at affordable prices. The nail colors reviewed in this article have a smooth and quick-drying formula that glides effortlessly on your nailbed. Make sure you choose nail polishes that compliment your skin tone. You can always experiment with a few shades to find the right one. Choose colors based on seasons to keep the versatility alive. Drugstore nail colors will protect your nails from staining or yellowing. We recommend you go through product reviews before purchasing!
Why Trust StyleCraze?
As an author who loves all things nails and manicure, Esha Saxena is an ardent believer that a good manicure can amp up your look. She believes that great nails don’t have to cost a fortune. After carefully considering the product reviews of hundreds of nail polishes, she assembled a comprehensive and detailed list of the top drugstore nail polish. Pick bold or subtle hues and mix and match them effortlessly to create a stylish look.
*Subject to Availability
That was our pick of the 15 best drugstore nail polishes out there that you absolutely must check out! Do you have a favorite drugstore brand when it comes to nail colors? Let us know in the comments!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sally Hansen’s nail polish good quality?
Yes. Sally Hansen’s nail polishes contain plant-based ingredients. These chip-resistant formulas are toxin-free and long-lasting.
Are nails healthier without polish?
No. However, some nail polishes with strong solvents may dry the nails and cuticles. Also, wearing these harsh chemicals for a long time turns your nails brittle.
Does gel polish damage the nails?
Yes. Gel polish turns your nails brittle and dry. In addition, the process of removing a gel polish can damage your natural nails.
How long should you let your nails breathe between manicures?
Let your nails breathe for three to four hours between manicures.
What color nail polish goes with everything?
White nail polish goes with every outfit. It adds elegance to your look and makes any dress stand out.
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