Nail polish goes green

I'm usually a fairly low maintenance gal. But there is just something about red fingernail polish that makes me feel all done up, even when I'm wearing sweat pants. Unfortunately conventional fingernail polish is basically the same stuff they use to paint cars so I've been on a mission to find a green alternative. And just in time for New Years Eve, I'm ready to share my findings with you.

First, a couple of tips:

• Color - The color in the bottle is very different from the color on your nail. I tried to pick a true red from each brand and for the most part they were similar in color once applied. But just look at the difference in color in the bottles!


• Prep & Removal - Buy a green remover as well. All of the brands I recommend for polish have comparable removers. You'll need to prep your nails with it before polishing to get the best results. Besides, if you're going to use a healthier polish, shouldn't you use a healthier remover?


• Application - Two thin coats, that's all you need. No base or top coat needed.

Recommendations: Each of my three recommended brands performed as well if not better than conventional polish. Plus they are non-toxic and free of toulene or formaldehyde. All that and completely odorless!

	Sante - Went on smoothly and evenly with a nice shine. It had good staying power with minimal chipping too. It was a little tougher than the others to remove and stained my nails slightly. Overall, Sante is a great balance of reasonable price and good results. $10 at Natural Solutions
	Honeybee Gardens - Easy to apply with an even, shiny finish. It lasted reasonably well but I did have to touch up more often than the other recommended brands. And it was a little tougher to remove (similar to Sante). Overall, Honeybee Gardens is a good performer and the best priced of the three. $7 at Honeybee Gardens
	Acquarella - GREAT staying power. Probably the best of the bunch. And it removed easily and didn't stain my nails. The only drawback was in the application. It was difficult to get an even finish as it's a fairly thin consistency. Overall, I recommend Acquarella though it's the most expensive. $18 at Acquarella

Don't Bother: These performed so poorly that I'm not even going to link to them.

• No Miss - I bought this for convenience sake since it is the only brand I could find locally (at Whole Foods). But in the end, I didn't even put it on due to the smell. While it may be free of some of the yucky stuff, the smell is still as potent as conventional polish. No Miss = no thanks!
• Safe Nail Polish - Though I followed the directions to the letter, this polish had zero staying-power. It was chipping within the first few hours. I also didn't care for the finished look which was more of a dull sheen than a bright shine. Safe but ineffective.