Beauty Aisle: Scotch Naturals Nail Polish
My relationships with non-toxic nail polishes have mostly been short-term love affairs, where the manicure lasted longer than the polish itself.
So I was pleasantly surprised when I brushed Scotch Natural’s Caleigh (“smokey blue creme”) onto my nails last week. And now I’m in love.
Not only is Scotch Naturals free of the “Big 3″ toxic nail polish ingredients (formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene), it also avoids the FD&C colorants—think Yellow 5 and Red 6—that many 3-free polishes still use.
When I grabbed the bottle, the water-based polish seemed to be separating in swirls of darker and lighter blues, but it went on in one solid bright color. It was as smooth as Essie, but slightly thicker like a paint, and I only needed one coat.
My at-home manicure lasted a full-week before chips appeared around the edges. A commitment!
To top it off, Scotch’s colors are happy, bright, and chic—great for playful toes peeking out of summer sandals. —Lisa Elaine Held
Scotch Naturals, $14.99, www.scotchnaturals.com and at several NYC salons and stores.
I’ve found that some of their colors have better staying power than others, but overall, LOVE.
A couple of tips:
Seriously, buff jojoba into your nails before you apply this. I’ve skipped this step a few times and it makes it chip so much faster when I don’t do it.
Apply right before bed, after your shower, after you wash your hands for the last time, etc. Let it harden overnight for a really good finish–otherwise it’ll peel off in hot water (washing your hair, hands, etc.).
[...] solvent-based, meaning it's made with fewer chemicals than even most non-toxic polishes. And still it manages to stay put and comes in really rad colors. Scotch Naturals in Queen of Scots, $15, spiritbeautylounge.com [...]