Vegan Nail Polish
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This list of vegan and cruelty-free nail polish brands rates how clean they are, from 3-free all the way to 21-free (free of 21 harmful toxins).
Table of Contents
(click the links below to skip to the section you’re looking for)
- Reviews of Vegan Nail Polish Brands I’ve Tried
- A Complete List of Vegan and Cruelty Free Nail Polish Brands
- Brands of Vegan Nail Polish Remover
I really like having cutely painted nails. This goes back to when I used to DJ at college radio stations, and it would make me happy to see my fingernails when I was running the board. Now it translates to seeing my fingers on my keyboard at work or in posts on my website. It just makes life happier.
When I found out that not all nail polish was vegan, I looked online for a comprehensive list. To make things even more complicated, I don’t really like to use a ton of chemicals, so I wanted to know which polishes are the least toxic. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I created this list.
Reviews of Vegan Nail Polish Brands I’ve Tried
If you don’t want to see the entire list and you’re just interested in which ones are the best vegan nail polishes I have tried so far, read this section. I order the following reviews from best to worst.
100% Pure
I tested the colors: green tea ice cream, mint, and seafoam
Brush rating: perfect
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1 for the blue, 2 for the greens
Chipping started: day 2 - 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
786 Cosmetics
I tested the 786 nail colors called Java Halal (black) and Lahore Halal (gray).
Brush rating: good
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1-2
Chipping started: on day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Dream by PS
I tested the color: Silver glitter
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1
Chipping started: on day 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
duri
I tested the color: Love stories
Brush rating: perfect
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2
Chipping started on day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
côte
I tested the colors: No. 10 (pink) and No. 28 (red)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 4-5 for the pink
Chipping started on day 4
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Trust Fund
I tested the colors: Sex Tape (pink), Beverly Thrills (blue glitter), Money Buys Happiness (light pink), Celebrity Crush (yellow)
Brush rating: perfect size on 3 out of 4 bottles
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 7 for yellow; 2 for dark pink
Chipping started: day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Yapa
I tested the color: Vanessa (peach)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2
Chipping started: day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Sally Hansen Pure plant based nail polish
Color I tested: Clear Top Coat
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Mineral Fusion
I tested the color: Meteor Shower (purple glitter)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2-3
Chipping started: n/a (glitter worn over other polish)
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Ciate
I tested the color: Fun Fair (pink)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 3-4
Chipping started: day 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Zoya
I tested the color: Marley (lavender)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2-3
Chipping started on day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
1143 H2O
I tested the color: Mint 2 Be
Brush rating: it was too wide, but the company said that was a defect
Odor rating: almost non-existent!
Coats needed: only 1
Chipping started on day 1
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆
Hard Candy
I tested the color: Sky (light blue)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 4-5
Chipping started: day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆
Sparitual
I tested the color: Peach and Harmony (white)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 5
Total score: ☆ ☆
Piggy Paint
I tested the clear base coat.
Brush rating: too thin
Odor rating: Horrible!
Coats needed: 1
Total score: ☆ ☆
A Complete List of Vegan and Cruelty Free Nail Polish Brands
This alphabetical list includes vegan nail polish that is cruelty-free and also free of at least 3 of the harmful toxins usually found. Each brand lists how many toxins the company excludes from their polish, 3-free being the minimum required to make it onto my list, and 21-free being the least toxic. Back in 2015, 7-free or 11-free was the best you could find. It’s so awesome to see so many new vegan brands and so many that are non-toxic.
The following list doesn’t include brands (like wet n wild or julep) that have some vegan and some non-vegan. I did include REVLON, even though they aren’t cruelty-free since they still have to test when they sell in countries that require animal testing, but I made a note next to their name in the list.
I compiled this list in 2015 and updated it in 2018, and then again in 2023. If you have information that differs from this list, please email me, so that I can make sure my list is as accurate as possible.
| Brand | Toxicity |
|---|---|
| 100% pure | 20 free |
| 1143 H2O | 7 free |
| 786 Cosmetics | 11 free |
| A beautiful life (ABL) | |
| A-dorn | 5 free |
| Acquarella | 7 free |
| Adorable | 14 free |
| Aila | 10 free |
| All Heart | 7 free |
| American Apparel | 3 free |
| Authority cosmetics | 5 free |
| AZA | 10 free |
| Bad Bitch Polish (BBP) | 3 free |
| Beauty without cruelty (BWC) | 3 free |
| Bella Pierre | 3 free |
| Benecos | 5 free |
| Berenice Beauty | 5 free |
| Bion cosmetics | 5 free |
| Black Dahlia Lacquer | 5 free |
| Booty Babe | 3 free |
| Butter London | 10 free |
| China glaze (eco glaze line only) | 14 free |
| Ciate | 3 free |
| Cienna Rose | 12 free |
| Cirque Colors Creme Nail Polish | 10 free |
| Color club | 4 free |
| Color me Earth | 4 free |
| côte | 10 free |
| Cult | 5 free |
| Dazzle dry | 11 free |
| Deborah Lippmann | 10 free |
| Dream by PS | 7 free |
| Dr’s Remedy | 5 free |
| duri | 7 free |
| E.L.F. | 3 free |
| Ella & Mila | 7 free |
| Entity Clean | 24 free |
| Essie | 8 free |
| Eternal | 21 free |
| Exurbe cosmetics | 5 free |
| Floss gloss | 3 free |
| Foxology by Artic Fox | 15 free |
| Gabriel | 10 free |
| Ginger + Liz | 5 free |
| Girls Like You (glu) | 10 free |
| Gloss & Co | 5 free |
| GLOSSLAB | 6 free |
| GLOSSWORKS | 9 free |
| Habit cosmetics | 5 free |
| Hard Candy | 3 free |
| heroine.nyc | 9 free |
| Holo Taco | 5 free |
| Honeybee Gardens WaterColors | 3 free |
| ILNP | 5 free |
| I Scream Nails | 5 free |
| James Robert John (JRJ) | 5 free |
| JINsoon | 21 free |
| Jolie Vegan | 11 free |
| Joshik | 5 free |
| Karma Hues | 8 free |
| Keeki | 3 free |
| Kester Black | 5 free |
| Kia-Charlotta | 14 free |
| Kitty got claws | 5 free |
| KL Polish | 12 free |
| Kure Bazaar | 5 free |
| L.A. Colors | 3 free |
| Lauren B Beauty | 5 free |
| LAW Beauty Essentials | 5 free |
| Leesha’s Lacquer | 5 free |
| Lillian Eve | 5 free |
| Lime Crime | 3 free |
| Lisa lacquer | 4 free |
| LiveOliv | 5 free |
| Londontown Lakur | 16 free |
| Lustre | 5 free |
| LVX | 10 free |
| Madam Glam | 5 free |
| Manic panic | 3 free |
| Mersi | 11 free |
| Milani | 3 free |
| Mineral fusion | 5 free |
| Mischa | 10 free |
| Mischo Beauty | 10 free |
| MO Nails 12 Free Gel Nail Polish | 12 free |
| Models own | 3 free |
| Mooncat | 10 free |
| Moonstone | 5 free |
| Moov | 7 free |
| Nails.INC | 21 free |
| Nailtopia Bio-Sourced Chip Free Nail Lacquer | 10 free |
| Nailtural | 16 free |
| NCLA | 7 free |
| Night Owl Lacquer | 5 free |
| No miss | 5 free |
| Northern Nail Polish | 7 free |
| Nubar | 3 free |
| Obsessive-compulsive cosmetics (OCC) | 5 free |
| Olive & June | 15 free |
| OPI (nature strong line only) | 9 free |
| Organic glam (OG) | 3 free |
| Orly | 3 free |
| OUL’ISI | 21 free |
| Ownest Miss Cheering | 3 free |
| OZN | 7 free |
| p2 cosmetics | 3 free |
| Pacifica | 7 free |
| Paint | 5 free |
| pear nova | 10 free |
| PiCture pOlish | 5 free |
| Piggy paint | 17 free |
| Play ♥ Laugh (play love laugh) | 5 free |
| Pluchke Adorable | 14 free |
| Pretty serious | 3 free |
| Prissy cosmetics | 5 free |
| Priti NYC | 5 free |
| Pure euphoria | 5 free |
| Rainbow honey | 3 free |
| REVLON Ultra HD Snap (not cruelty-free) | 17 free |
| Sally Hansen (Pure line only) | 16 free |
| Scotch naturals | 7 free |
| Sheer Lust | 5 free |
| Sheswai | 3 free |
| SHINE | 10 free |
| Sienna Byron Bay | 12 free |
| Smith & Cult | 8 free |
| SOPHi | 6 free |
| Soulstice spa | 3 free |
| Sparitual | 5 free |
| Sparitual | 10 free |
| Superchic Lacquer | 5 free |
| Ten Over Ten | 8 free |
| Trust fund | 5 free |
| Vivre Cosmetics | 10 free |
| wHet | 3 free |
| wikkid polish | 5 free |
| Willow Byron Bay | 5 free |
| Wrenn | 5 free |
| Yapa | 10 free |
| Zahara | 5 free |
| ZAPORA | 5 free |
| Zoya | 10 free |
If you’re looking for a polish that has no odor whatsoever, I recommend 1143 H2O. It’s the only vegan nail polish I’ve ever tried that has no odor.
Brands of Vegan Nail Polish Remover
Some of the brands above also make vegan and cruelty free nail polish remover. I’ll list some brands that do below.
- A beautiful life (ABL)
- ella+mia
- Gabriel
- Karma Naturals - they also make a nail strengthener
- Mineral Fusion
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