Is there a certain brand of nail polish that you find seems to last the longest when you use it? I've found so far that all the ones I tried are wearing off within a day or two. I'd specifically like a clear one that will last for at least 5 days really, but I've no idea which brand I should try next. Does anyone have any suggestions for ones that last longer than a couple of days?
Having tried many, many different brands of nail polish over the years and in all price ranges too - Lancome is one that I would highly recommend trying - especially as - although a little on the pricey side - its certainly worth every cent - if wanting your manicure to last for more than a week. As not only have I found that - my polish stays looking good for well over a week - meaning without chipping or the shine fading either - even though I wear plain non frosted colors and my nails take a real hammering with gardening and all the other manual things that I do on a regular basis - but although initially a little more expensive than some - its way more cost effective in the long run - as unlike cheaper nail polish - I get to use the entire contents of the bottle - as it lasts a really long time and especially so - if stored in the fridge.
I think anything over $10 a bottle last longer than the stuff you get at drug stores, but I'm not sure there's a big difference between $10 a bottle and anything more expensive than that. That said, my favorite brands are OPI and China Glaze. I'm not looking for "long lasting" necessarily, but to me, the quality shows up in how well the polish goes on and how it looks when it is dry. For long lasting nails, you should just splurge for gel. Many places in my town will do just paint, without the full manicure, for less than $15 and it lasts up to 3 weeks. You might also try a good base coat. Two that I like: Bonder and Gripper. Can't think of the brand names, but they are sold at Sally on the top shelf of the nail aisle.
The best ones are 'Sally Hansen' 'OPI' and 'Essie' that are available in drug stores. I think you are in the UK, Maybelline, and Rimmel do a good one that is very affordable, or No.7 in Boots. If it's clear you need, there should be no problem, but you need to look at the brush as it's the application that maters.
Essie nail polish lasts a really long time without chipping. I used to just use the cheaper nail polish found at wal-mart or whatever, but then I bought a bottle of Essie nail polish and was amazed with the difference. It was higher quality and you could tell. Plus it really did seem to last forever. I did my nails before going on a two week vacation to Mexico and it only started chipping a few days before I returned to the States.
Although I've never tested polishes side-by-side to see which ones have the longest staying power, I think OPI and Essie are the best nail polishes out there. Both OPI and Essie can be a little pricey (OPI is about $13 at CVS and Essie is about $8), they are definitely worth the money if you're looking for a manicure that won't chip overnight. I recently bought a bright orange OPI polish and I was amazed at how long it stayed on my nails! It lasted for about a week (with one coat of top coat, nothing else!). I've never tried China Glaze, but I've heard they have good reviews, too.
OPI and China Glaze are definitely the best. I am not able to afford those, so it's a rare treat when I buy myself a nice bottle of nail polish. I paint my nails at least once a week and have found that the Sally Hansen top coat really makes my nails shine and stay chip free for at least a week, and I literally type all day long for work. Usually around Saturday morning is when they start to chip, and my nail days are generally on Sundays so it's been a good routine lately.
I find that more than the brand, the type of nail polish is what Stipulates if it lasts more or lasts. Lighter colors are usually the ones that last the least and red and dark browns last more, I have no idea why. Of course, if the chip, they show up easier, but they do last longer. Now The ones that last the longest in my opinion are glittery colors. I have several glittery color nail polishes, and they are the ones that chip the least, and last the most by far. They pretty much come out when I say they come out .
I have to give props to Essie which I just bought recently. I didn't pay retail though and wasn't aware of the cost as mentioned above but I would not have paid that much for nail polish. The best thing that I like about it is the first coat dries very quickly. Which for me is great because I'm always interrupted when doing my nails.
Jamberry has a new product called colour cure. It's a hybrid of gel and lacquer. Takes 99 seconds to cure. No base or top coat. It comes in ten colors.
