11 Indie Nail Polish Brands Loved By Customers – 2023

Look bold and sophisticated with these long-lasing shades on your fingetips.

Written by Baishali Bhattacharya, Certified Image Consultant, Certified In Makeup Artistry
Edited by Srijani Roy Chowdhury, Certified In Makeup Artistry, Certified Style & Image Consultant
Fact-checked by Krati Darak, Certified Skin Care Coach  • 
All products recommended on StyleCraze are independently selected by our editorial team. If you make a purchase through any of these links, we may receive a commission. Learn more about our product selection process here.

If you are looking for the best indie nail polish to add some fun to your nail art, we got you covered! Indie nail polishes are known for their quirky and glittery nail paints that can jazz up your nail look anytime. Formulated with cosmetic-grade ingredients, in small batches by independent brands, these add a protective layer to your nails and make your nail art last longer. Available in beautiful shades with unique colors and combinations, these give you that glittery holographic effect under the sun. With the uniqueness of their quirky shades, you can now flaunt your nails and innovative nail design any time! To help you get started, we have enlisted the 11 best indie nail polish brands for you to choose from.

Top Picks
CHECK PRICE
Best Long-Lasting:Cirque Colors Holographic Nail Polish
Price on Amazon
Best For Quick-Drying:Tenoverten Indie Nail Polish
Price on Amazon
Price on Walmart
Best Chip-Resistant:10 Free Chemistry Clean Nail Color
Price on Amazon
Best Pregnancy-Safe:sundays Non-Toxic Nail Polish
Price on Amazon
Best UV Backlight Reactive:DIRECTGLOW LLC Neon Glitter Nail Polish
Price on Amazon
Best Easy Application:IBD Just Gel Polish
Price on Amazon
Best Cuticle-Friendly:JINSoon Color Field Collection Nail Lacquer
Price on Amazon
Price on Walmart
Best Glossy Finish:O.P.I Nail Lacquer
Price on Amazon
Price on Walmart
Best Budget-Friendly:essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color
Price on Amazon
Price on Walmart
Best Non-Toxic:ILNP Boutique Nail Lacquer
Price on Amazon

11 Best Indie Nail Polish Brands And Nail Polishes

1. Best Long-Lasting:Cirque Colors Holographic Nail Polish

4.5
Cirque Colors Holographic Nail Polish Image: Cirque Colors

The Cirque Colors Holographic Nail Polish is an Indie glitter nail polish for top coat application. The ‘We Trippy’ shade of nail polish with holographic flakes colors your nails with a sparkling metallic tint or chrome. It comes in liquid form with a holographic finish that looks unique and attractive. The nail polish makes dull and plain-looking nails look prismatic with just one coat. The color combination and blend from this nail polish brand provide a beautiful rainbow effect that looks radiant under direct light. Check this video to learn more about the product.

Pros

  • Gentle
  • Non-toxic
  • Long-lasting
  • 10-free
  • 100% vegan
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Takes long to dry.

protip_icon Trivia
The inspirations behind Cirque Colors were the color wheel and the desire of the founder, Annie Pham, to go beyond the limited color palette.

Why It’s Worth Buying: With over 1,022 reviews, this product has become a fan favorite among users.
Price at the time of publication: $14.5

2. Best For Quick-Drying:Tenoverten Indie Nail Polish

This nail polish from Tenoverten is non-toxic and safe to apply on your nails. The brand offers a collection of gorgeous, long-lasting colors that promote stronger and healthier nails. Each shade is named after the streets of New York. Ludlow is a bright red shade that is sure to grab everyone’s attention. The nail polish comes in a transparent bottle and is free of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP).

Pros

  • Dries quickly
  • Smudge-proof
  • Long-lasting
  • Streak-free
  • 5-free
  • Cruelty-free
  • Paraben-free
  • Acetone-free

Cons

  • Chips easily
Price at the time of publication: $12

3. Best Chip-Resistant:10 Free Chemistry Clean Nail Color

3.9
10 Free Chemistry Clean Nail Color Image: 10 Free Chemistry

The 10 Free Chemistry Clean Nail Color improves the overall appearance of your nails by making them thicker. It contains nail-NRGY Bio Peptide Complex, which is a boosting and revitalizing serum that hydrates, restores, and maintains the nails. It is also enriched with vitamins, minerals, peptides, and ceramides that reduce dryness and hydrate the cuticles.

The formula forms a protective layer over your nails, preventing damage and chipping due to external factors. The brand uses natural ingredients that enhance the health and well-being of the nails. The nail polish is free of fragrance, chlorine, phthalates, propyl-paraben, butyl-paraben, sodium laureth sulfate, and more.

Pros

  • Botanical ingredients
  • 10+ free
  • Chip-resistant
  • Strengthens brittle nails
  • Long-lasting
  • Artificial color-free
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Hard to apply
Price at the time of publication: $12

4. Best Pregnancy-Safe:sundays Non-Toxic Nail Polish

4.5
sundays Non-Toxic Nail Polish Image: Sundays

This nail polish from sundays has a glossy finish and enhances the appearance of your nails. The formula is highly pigmented and free of the 10 most common and harmful chemicals that damage the nails. Peacock Blue is an opaque jade blue shade with dark green undertones that give your nails an elegant touch. This nail polish is designed to last longer without chipping or fading so that your nails look and feel at their best. It also includes a fine soft flat brush with 800 bristles, which easily reach the corners of your nails.

Pros

  • Long-lasting
  • 10-free
  • Pregnancy-safe
  • Highly pigmented
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free
  • Odor-free

Cons

None

Price at the time of publication: $18

5. Best UV Backlight Reactive:DIRECTGLOW LLC Neon Glitter Nail Polish

4.1
DIRECTGLOW LLC Neon Glitter Nail Polish Image: Directglow Llc

The DIRECTGLOW LLC Neon Glitter Nail Polish with glow-in-the-dark properties has a clear formula, making it easy to apply on any base color. The flakie nail polish contains different neon-colored glitters in shapes like stars, polka dots, and bar glitters. These glitters look neon in normal light and appear bright under UV backlight. This cruelty-free nail polish has a shimmery finish.

Pros

  • Clear base
  • Easy to apply
  • Dries quickly
  • Shimmery finish
  • Cruelty-free
  • Dibutyl phthalate-free

Cons

  • Removing it can get messy
Price at the time of publication: $12.95

6. Best Easy Application:IBD Just Gel Polish

4.5

The IBD Just Gel Polish imparts your nails with a high gloss shine. It applies like a regular polish but requires a LED lamp for curing and setting. The polish is suitable for overlaying or sculpting. It strengthens your nail bed and stays on for many days. It is available in 200 shades, so there is a color for everyone’s needs.

Pros

  • Easy to remove
  • Long-wearing
  • High shine
  • Odor-free
  • Chip-resistant
  • Available in 200 shades

Cons

  • May get clumpy after a few days
Price at the time of publication: $9.09

7. Best Cuticle-Friendly:JINSoon Color Field Collection Nail Lacquer

JINSoon offers Indie nail polishes in different shades, ranging from Cherry Berry to Cool Blue Dolly, Kookie White, and Pop Orange. It leaves behind a glossy and smooth finish that you can’t stop admiring. The tinted tones add a retro, edgy touch that go well with any makeup. These nail polishes come with UV filters that form a protective barrier against the harsh sunlight to prevent fading or yellowing.

Pros

  • Long-lasting
  • 5-free
  • Chip-resistant
  • Rapid drying time
  • Vegan
  • Cuticle-friendly
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Extremely streaky
Price at the time of publication: $16.78

8. Best Glossy Finish:O.P.I Nail Lacquer

The O. P. I Nail Lacquer with pinkish, peachy nude, and neutral shades look like sweet candy and match with any outfit, makeup, or occasion. The brand offers 21 different nude tones that are flattering, subtle, and sophisticated. The nail polish gel coats your nails with a glossy finish that lasts for up to seven days.

Pros

  • Easy to apply
  • Convenient to remove
  • Glossy finish

Cons

  • Too watery

protip_icon Pro Tip
Before applying the nail paint, use a base coat that protects your nail from getting stained and makes the color look saturated and opaque.

Why It’s Worth Buying: A whopping 21,703 reviews on Amazon make it obvious that users genuinely love this product.
Price at the time of publication: $10.79


9. Best Budget-Friendly:essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color

This nail polish from essie Expressie provides a gorgeous glossy finish with just one coat. The inner brush that comes with the bottle is specially designed in an angled way that allows you to apply the nail polish with both hands, whether it is your dominant or non-dominant hand. The quick-drying nail polish offers options in more than 40 vibrant colors.

Pros

  • Easy to apply
  • No animal-derived ingredients
  • Innovatively designed brush
  • Reasonably priced

Cons

  • Chips fast
Why It’s Worth Buying: It has received 8,432 reviews on Amazon and is a popular choice among shoppers.
Price at the time of publication: $9.0

10. Best Non-Toxic:ILNP Boutique Nail Lacquer

4.5

ILNP is a new nail polish brand that leaves your nails with a glossy, shimmery finish. The gel-like formula coats your nails with a cashmere nude pink nail polish with flakies. It features an alluring assortment of nail polish with holographic pigments of micro flakes that sparkle beneath the sun. The color looks soft and neutral while at the same time delicately balancing the touch of holographic sparkle. It shimmers under the sunlight, making your hands look bright and beautiful. Every coat of nail polish lasts quite long, preventing chips.

Pros

  • 5-free
  • Easy removal
  • Long-lasting
  • Non-toxic
  • Phthalate-free
  • Sulfate-free
  • Artificial color-free
  • 100% vegan
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Very sheer
Why It’s Worth Buying: The product has received 8,379 positive Amazon reviews from its users, stating its numerous benefits.
Price at the time of publication: $10.0

11. Best Handmade:Nail Hoot Trick And Treat Halloween Indie Nail Polish

3.9
Nail Hoot Trick And Treat Halloween Indie Nail Polish Image: Nail Hoot

The Nail Hoot Trick And Treat Halloween Indie Nail Polish has a cream-based jelly-like texture. This confetti nail polish contains varying chunky glitter particles that look amazing on the nails. The textured polish features a purple shifty texture and a pinch of scattered holo, making it ideal for Halloween. It is a handmade formula that is free of five common irritants.

Pros

  • Quick drying formula
  • Formaldehyde-free
  • Toluene-free
  • Camphor-free
  • DBP-free
  • Formaldehyde resin-free
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Chips easily
Price at the time of publication: $12.99

The best indie nail polishes allow you to create a new and unique look, as they are available in uncommon and glittery shades. These formulas are manufactured in small batches by independent brands to ensure quality. From holographic designs to solid colors with pearl finishes, indie nail polishes have a lot to offer. The Cirque Colors Holographic Nail Polish adds a multidimensional look to elevate your nail game. The sundays Non-Toxic Nail Polish provides an opaque and long-lasting finish, and the ILNP Boutique Nail Lacquer is known for its innovative formula that uses holographic pigments to add shine. The products mentioned in our list are enriched with nourishing ingredients that not only add pop to your nails but also keep them healthy. They are chemical-free, long-lasting, and chip-resistant. However, you should steer clear of nail polishes that are not streak-free.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

Baishali Bhattacharya is a certified image consultant and expert in makeup artistry. Her zeal and love for makeup always push her to try different makeup products out there. She tested various nail polishes, researched in detail about their formulations, and combed through several reviews given by users to curate this list of indie nail polishes. These nail polishes come in many quirky and unique shades that add that extra oomph to your nails.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use Indie nail polish?

• Apply a base coat on the nails. Try to stick to a color that is similar to your glitter.
• Let the base coat dry.
• Dab the glitter polish on every part of the nails.
• Let the first glitter layer dry for 10 minutes.
• Swipe a second layer of glitter polish. Let it dry completely.
• Apply a transparent top coat to your nails and let it dry.

How long does Indie Nail Polish last?

Indie nail polishes last for one to two weeks without chipping.

Are all Indie nail polishes non-toxic?

Yes. Indie nail polishes are usually free from toxins. Some brands are free from three kinds of toxic chemicals, whereas some are free from five toxins.

Is Indie nail polish good for beginners?

Yes. Indie nail polishes are easy to apply and suitable for beginners.

Is Indie nail polish good for acrylic nails?

Yes. Indie nail polishes are suitable for acrylic nails. They stay on the acrylic nails for a long time.

Recommended Articles


Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.

Latest Articles