NAIL POLISH: IS IT WORTH PAYING MORE?

I often find myself wondering whether paying a little more money for a product is worth it or not. You always get the brands that are expensive, brands that are cheap and cheerful, but also brands that are as to say 'naff'. Obviously, until you try the different brands, you don't really see the full potential of a certain product and without trying, you cannot say which is better. With nail polish you get brands such as OPI (high priced), Sinful Colors (middle priced) and MUA (low priced). I have been testing these different brands for about two months now, to figure out whether it is really worth paying the sometimes extortionate prices for the 'better' brands, or whether you're just as well off with the cheap and cheerful brands.

Summer is definitely the season that takes the biggest tole on my nail polish. Summer walks, adventures and of course hitting the shops in the summer can definitely change the condition of my nail polish in a day. I have collected a few shades of OPI, Sinful Colors and MUA nail polishes to test them out during the summer months.

MUA
As we all know, MUA is the one of the cheapest nail polish brands out there, retailing at only £1 for 6.2ml. Although it is very cheap, I think this is definitely reflected in the amount of product and the quality of the product. Due to there being only 6.2ml of product, it doesn't last very long. The formula also isn't the best; I find it often chips and due to it being a very thin formula, I find that I need to paint on a lot of coats for it to provide a full coverage. I also found that it can easily get pushed back from the tip of the nail by every day jobs, which we all know isn't a good look at all. Especially not when we are relying on good nails for Instagram aesthetics (I know you get me). One last thing that doesn't impress me much about this brand is the small range of colours available; it's very limited.

Now, after complaining for a whole paragraph, believe it or not, there are actually still some things to comment on (and these are good). I quite like the applicator brush; it is decent for such a cheap brand. I think it could improve, but at this price, it did impress me. Applicators are important - everyone has had the dreadful experience of a bad nail polish applicator, right? As well as that, the formula is great for when you are in that dreaded last minute panic (e.g. wearing sandals unplanned) and you need your polish to dry quickly. Being a thin forumla, it dries very fast.

Sinful Colors 

Sinful Colors is one of those 'cheap and cheerful' brands that I adore. Although these types of brands still have faults, they are brilliant for a cheap and every day product. I don't think Sinful Colors are available in UK stores anymore (used to be sold in Boots), but I had to include them in this post as they are definitely one of my favourite brands. I think you can still get them from Amazon and they are still available in America (for my American readers). If I remember right, they retailed at £1.99 per bottle and I think also 3 for £5. I quite often found myself picking up 3 because I could never resist the deal.

One thing that I adored about this brand was the range of colours and styles (they have glittery, eeek). I never had any problems with these chipping or moving on the nail at all. I remember making ombre looks with these polishes as well; they have some beautiful summery colours. They are so well pigmented and you don't need any more than 2 coats for full coverage. Being a 15ml bottle also means that they are super long-lasting. I loved everything about Sinful Colors apart from the applicator, which wasn't always that great. The formula was also a little more 'gloopy' compared to MUA and OPI. Apart from that, it is a brilliant and affordable brand. I was definitely very sad when I discovered I could no longer buy Sinful Colors in the UK.

OPI
OPI is definitely the most expensive brand that I own. I'm not sure whether this is because I refuse to pay any more for nail polish, or whether I am happy enough with the drugstore brands (like Barry M and Sinful Colors). At about £7.99 a bottle, OPI is quite expensive, but some people would say that it is worth this price tag. Providing 15ml of product is definitely a plus side, but I would definitely expect more product at this price. Being a larger bottle, in comparison with MUA, clearly it'll last longer. But, for £1.99 you can get the same amount of product with Sinful Colors. This is when we really question whether it's worth paying more.

One thing that did impress me was OPI's large range of colours and styles (different ranges) of nail polish, which allows for a lot of choice, causing a nightmare when you're trying to choose a shade (we all know that situation). The formula of OPI nail polishes are also very sleek and easy to spread onto the nails. Along with the brush applicator - which is absolutely heavenly - it is so pleasing painting nails with OPI. I love the formula for many reasons - it doesn't chip easily, easy to spread, highly pigmented (only requires 1-2 coats) and as it is quite a shiny formula, is doesn't desperately need a top coat. The only complaint I have about OPI is the fact that it does often move from the tip of my nails quite easily. Other than that, OPI is a brilliant brand (but I would expect it for their price tag).

So, I would definitely say that it does pay to find that bit more money when it comes to buying nail polish. Although, sometimes you can find a brand in the mid range that is just as good as the high priced brands. I will definitely always rely on Barry M (and Sinful Colors) as I have never had a problem with them. But when it comes to the really cheap brands, I do tend to avoid them unless I am only looking for a quick product that I won't use much (e.g. for nail art designs). OPI is a brand that I only tend to buy when treating myself, as I do actually like Sinful Colors and Barry M just as well, and why spend more money if you don't need to?

Do you think it pays to spend a little more on nail polish?