Ask a girl what her pet peeves are and one is sure to find in the mix of answers unkempt nails. Call it high maintenance, but getting our nails done gives us an added layer of character, elevates our style and reflects our evolving moods. The finished masterpiece always feels rewarding. 

With a bevy of nail colours and polish to choose from, there’s something for everyone. For the extra gal who loves full glam, take Lizzo’s recent Met Gala’s dramatic metallic corkscrew nails as inspiration. Or, go with the classic French for the minimalist! Keeping our nails in tip-top fashion can mean many things for different people—whether that’s being able to choose among an array of versatile colours or having access to safe formulas and chip-resistant lacquer, we drill into six brands that have nailed it! 

AILA COSMETICS

Photo: AILA

Vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free brand AILA commits to nail health above all else. Founded by a busy mum and podiatrist, AILA formulates lacquer and other nail essentials, like a garlic-infused primer, using ingredients that won’t dry and damage nails while maintaining beauty and function. It offers a variety of velvety-looking nail colours featuring quirky names, like “No Panty Wednesday,” “Narcissist” and “Make Him Wait a Day.”

EMILY HEATHE

Photo: Emilie Heath

Revamping our nail game is luxury clean beauty brand Emilie Heathe. Asian American founder Emily H. Rudman once used watercolours as a creative outlet and now uses nail polish to paint a picture of strength and beauty, helping her embrace her dual roots. The formulas are free of ten harmful chemicals and enriched with Asian-inspired ingredients like sea buckthorn oil and bamboo extract. And, to top it all off, the avant-garde nail polish bottles are made from 50% post-consumer recycled glass and innovative magnetic Japanese bottles.

ESSIE

Photo: essie

While there are a growing number of nail polish brands, it’s safe to say that one, in particular, is the “OG”—essie. Founded in 1981 and with over 1,000 different nail polish shades, essie is prized for its award-winning options that beauty connoisseurs, celebrities and even royalty flock to to give nails the attention they deserve. Its nail polishes and nail care products are salon-grade quality delivering faultless nails that give life to every imaginable personality there is.

J.HANNAH

Photo: J.Hannah

Fostering an open community and finding beauty from unexpected channels, jewellery brand J.Hannah offers a line of consciously-crafted nail polishes that complement the elegance of our hands. The nail polishes are cruelty-and-toxic-free and known for their earthy and muted tones that nicely juxtapose the bright hues we often see. J.Hannah donates 100% of profits from desert-inspired Dune to human rights organisations.

JINSOON

Photo: JINsoon

Most of us have probably seen backstage footage of models getting runway ready at the speed of light. Leave it to nail brand JINsoon to tell you. Korean founder Jin Soon Choi is a sought-after nail artist for the runway who’s able to turn fashion-forward trends and her love for abstract expressionism into nail art. Her astounding reputation soon led her to create JINsoon, featuring premium and safe nail polishes formulated with high-tech polymers and resins for long-lasting and glossy results.