10 Best Metallic Nail Polishes Of 2023

Get a salon-like finish with these long-lasting and glossy metallic nail shades.

By Baishali BhattacharyaBaishali Bhattacharya, Certified Image Consultant, Certified In Makeup Artistry  • 
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.

The best metallic nail polish can give your nails a salon-quality glossy manicure from the comfort of your own home for only a fraction of the cost you would pay elsewhere. Metallic nail polishes come in a variety of vibrant colors, and the best products that can gloss and glam up your nails don’t contain any dangerous chemicals. So, you have to get a metallic polish that provides excellent coverage if you are to successfully pull off the DIY manicure. We have studied and created a list of the top 10 metallic nail polishes on the market right now. Take a look!

Top PicksCheck Price
Best Long-Lasting: Kleancolor Nail PolishPrice on Amazon
Best Cruelty-Free: OPI Nail Lacquer – This Color’s Making WavesPrice on Amazon
Best in Color-Shifting: ILNP Juliette Holographic Nail Polish – Rose GoldPrice on Amazon
Best Fast-Drying: KBShimmer Shade Shifter Multichrome Nail PolishPrice on Amazon
Best Gluten-Free: ILNP MEGA Ultra Holographic Boutique Nail LacquerPrice on Amazon
Best Glossy Finish: Smith & Cult Metallic Nail PolishPrice on Amazon
Best Metallic Finish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Matte Metallics Nail Color – Smokey SilverPrice on Amazon
Best Vegan: ZOYA Nail PolishPrice on Amazon
Best For Streak-Free Application: Essie Glossy Shine Finish Nail Lacquer – Good As GoldPrice on Amazon
Best Chemical-Free Formula: Eternal Metallic Nail Lacquer – Metallic Flashback CollectionPrice on Amazon

10 Best Metallic Nail Polishes Available Right Now

1. Best Long-Lasting: Kleancolor Nail Polish

Kleancolor Nail Polish is the best metallic nail polish. This full-size metallic set consists of metallic 12 nail polishes in bright colors. The colors include a good mix of blues, greens, and pinks. These polishes offer a smooth and long-lasting look to your nails. These chip-resistant nail polishes are easy to remove and travel-friendly. To make an informed decision before buying, you can check out this video.

Pros

  • Long-lasting
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to remove
  • Travel-friendly
  • Chip-resistant
  • Wide range of colors

Cons

  • May stain your nails
Price at the time of publication: $16.99

2. Best Cruelty-Free: OPI Nail Lacquer – This Color’s Making Waves

4.6

OPI Nail Lacquer in the shade This Color’s Making Waves is the best metallic shimmer nail polish. This blue-green lagoon color is long-lasting and chip-resistant and offers exceptional coverage on the nails. OPI Nail Lacquer is available in over 200 shades and provides high-gloss shine up to 7 days. It offers long-lasting wear and does not contain formaldehyde or toluene.

Pros

  • Long-lasting
  • Chip-resistant
  • Offers exceptional coverage
  • Provides high-gloss shine
  • No formaldehyde and toluene

Cons

  • Takes a long time to dry
Trivia
Suzi, the company’s co-founder and VP, is the person who names each OPI nail lacquer. She has named numerous nail paints ‘Suzi’ after herself.
Price at the time of publication: $10.79

3. Best in Color-Shifting: ILNP Juliette Holographic Nail PolishRose Gold

4.6

ILNP Juliette Holographic Rose Gold Nail Polish is a durable metallic nail polish. It is designed to maximize sparkle with a beautiful rose gold finish. This chip-resistant and long-lasting nail polish is made from high-quality ingredients. It is free from harmful chemicals and easy to remove. It offers a glossy and gorgeous rose gold finish. Click here to check out this YouTuber’s unbiased review.

Pros

  • Chip-resistant
  • Long-lasting
  • Easy to remove
  • Smooth and glossy finish
  • Non-toxic
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Mediocre packaging
Price at the time of publication: $10.0

4. Best Fast-Drying: KBShimmer Shade Shifter Multichrome Nail Polish

KBShimmer Shade Shifter Multichrome Nail Polish shifts colors from cyan to blue to red-orange to purple based on light and viewing angle. This polish gives the best results when applied in 3 coats by itself or in 1 coat over black. It has a flat brush for easy application. It does not contain toluene, formaldehyde, or dibutyl phthalate. Here’s a personal review video to help you get a better understanding of the product.

Pros

  • Color-shifting polish
  • Flat brush for easy application
  • Long-lasting
  • Formaldehyde-free

Cons

  • Average quality
Pro Tip
Metallic nail paints are more prone to chipping. Using a base and top coat will make this easy to avoid. It will make your nail polish last longer and appear cleaner.
Price at the time of publication: $13.0

5. Best Gluten-Free: ILNP MEGA Ultra Holographic Boutique Nail Lacquer

4.6
ILNP MEGA - 100% PURE Ultra Holographic Nail Polish Silver Holographic 0.4 Fl Oz (Pack of 1) Image: Ilnp Cosmetics, Inc.

ILNP MEGA Ultra Holographic Boutique Nail Lacquer is a high-quality nail polish. It is completely opaque and does not require a base coat. This holographic nail polish is long-lasting and has a fast-drying formula. It is 100% vegan with intense holographic sparkle.

Pros

  • High-quality
  • Long-lasting
  • Intense holographic sparkle
  • Fast-drying formula
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to remove

Cons

  • Not chip-resistant
Trivia
The world’s most expensive bottle of nail paint costs more than $250,000. It includes more than 250 carats of black diamonds.
Price at the time of publication: $10.0

6. Best Glossy Finish: Smith & Cult Metallic Nail Polish

Smith & Cult Metallic Nail Polish is an advanced metallic 8-free nail polish. It delivers vibrant and chip-resistant color to your nails. Its ultra-adherent base coat prepares the nail surface and maximizes the lifespan of your manicure/pedicure. It is formulated without dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, and triphenyl phosphate.

Pros

  • Smooth finish
  • Long-lasting
  • High-shine and glossy finish
  • Chip-resistant
  • Vegan
  • 8-free chemical formula
  • Gluten-free

Cons

  • Thick and streaky formula
Price at the time of publication: $18.0

7. Best Metallic Finish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Matte Metallics Nail Color – Smokey Silver

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Matte Metallics Nail Color in the shade Smokey Silver has a gorgeous silver metallic finish. Its 3-in-1 formula with a built-in base and top coat offers shiny, extended wear in a single coat. It dries in 60 seconds. The bottles have color-matched caps for easy shade navigation. This full-coverage formula delivers an extra day of wear- and chip-resistance.

Pros

  • Chip-resistant
  • Dries in 60 seconds
  • Easy to remove
  • Long-lasting

Cons

  • Clumpy formula
  • Scratches easily
Price at the time of publication: $5.25

8. Best Vegan: ZOYA Nail Polish

4.4

ZOYA Nail Polish is a royal metachromatic metallic nail lacquer. It is vegan and formulated with a Big 10-free breathable formula. This metallic nail polish does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, or lead. It dries quickly and is chip-resistant. It is available in a wide range of blues, purples, pinks, and reds.

Pros

  • Non-toxic
  • Quick-dry formula
  • Chip-resistant
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • Streaky formula
Price at the time of publication: $10.0

9. Best For Streak-Free Application: Essie Glossy Shine Finish Nail Lacquer – Good As Gold

4.5

Essie Glossy Shine Finish Nail Polish in the shade Good As Gold has a gold metallic finish. It provides flawless coverage with excellent durability. It comes with an easy-to-glide brush that fits every nail size for streak-free application. Its salon-quality formula gives a long-lasting glossy finish to your nails.

Pros

  • Salon-quality formula
  • Easy-to-glide brush
  • Flawless coverage
  • Glossy finish
  • Long-lasting
  • No formaldehyde and toluene

Cons

None

Price at the time of publication: $9.99

10. Best Chemical-Free Formula: Eternal Metallic Nail Lacquer – Metallic Flashback Collection

Eternal Metallic Nail Lacquer offers a nail-friendly shiny finish. This long-lasting and quick-dry lacquer is available in a set of 4 bright metallic colors. These nail paints provide high coverage and fix the colors with a glossy finish. You can apply them on natural, acrylic, or gel nails. They are free of toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, MEHQ / HQ, MIT, parabens, animal-derived ingredients, and gluten.

Pros

  • High quality
  • Quick-dry formula
  • Long-lasting
  • High-gloss finish
  • Vegan
  • 12-free formula

Cons

  • Very thin formula
  • Average quality
Price at the time of publication: $17.99

Unlike traditional nail polishes, metallic nail polishes give your nails a salon-finished look. These metallic polishes are available in vibrant colors that complement your skin tone and provide excellent coverage. Most of the products on our list are free from toxic chemicals. They can be used to highlight your nails in any DIY nail arts. They are long-lasting, chip-resistant, and are easy to apply and remove. However, you may need to apply a second coat of the nail polish based on the intensity of the color.

Why Trust Stylecraze

Baishali Bhattacharya is a certified image consultant who strives to provide her readers with products that help them look and feel their best. Here, she talks about the best metallic nail paints that leave you with salon-grade gloss without exposing you to any harmful or dangerous chemicals. Her review process involved independent research and aggregating user reviews on various online forums and websites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is glitter in nail polish metallic?

Not always. The glitter in nail polishes is usually made from a plastic called polyester. However, nail polishes can contain metal in their composition.

Can you wear metallic nail polish in an MRI?

Yes. It is best to remove your nail polish before you go into the MRI machine. Nail polishes, regardless of whether it’s metallic or not, can contain trace amounts of metals.

Are metallic nail polishes as safe as regular ones if it chips off and is accidentally ingested?

Ingesting nail polish, metallic or not, is not healthy. Nail polishes usually contain a lot of chemicals and when ingested you are inviting a lot of chemicals into your body. However, if you ingest just a minimal quantity it is unlikely to cause any noticeable harm.

How do you remove metallic nail polish?

Soak a cotton ball with nail polish remover. Press it on one nail and hold it for 30-40 seconds and then gently wipe away the nail polish. Repeat it for all nails.

How can you make regular nail polish look metallic?

There are two ways you can make regular nail polish look metallic. You can use metallic nail powder to buff your nails with an eyeshadow applicator after applying regular nail polish. This will transform the finish from glittery to metallic. Apply a top coat to seal it. Another method is to use metallic acrylic powder with a solution of acrylic powder. For this method, paint your nails, dab the metallic powder, apply the solution and apply a top coat.

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