Fellow bloggers, can we talk about how roundup posts always seem so fun, so easy (you’ve got a million ideas for reccs swirling in your head before you approach the keyboard), and like a really cool way to share something new with readers? Five hours later… Ugh. Such a tedious task! Here, I was really on the hunt for a few lesser-known brands—sure, I want anyone who doesn’t know about tenoverten and NCLA to discover their awesomeness—but there’s nothing like coming across something you’ve never seen before. Especially in the world of green beauty, where vegan, nontoxic, and cruelty free nail polish is a popular topic.
15 nontoxic cruelty free nail polish brands
The cool thing about a lot of smaller brands is the incredible range of color they provide. It’s one area of conscious living that’s decidedly not minimalist… And we at-home manicurists rejoice. Now, for our top finds…
Seven Seas
Brooke Scott, the founder and nail polish maker behind Seven Seas, created her own 21-free formula, meaning that this is some of the safest nail polish available. It is nontoxic, cruelty-free, vegan nail polish in recyclable packaging and made locally in the PNW. The above photo was taken of my nails wearing Guava, a pink hue we sell in our own boutique.
Habit
This is one of my very favorite nail polish brands. They are well priced at $12 and generally have shades on sale too. They dry more quickly than other brands I’ve tried which is a big deal for me (as I have no patience). Habit is all about “plant-powered beauty” that works for you, not against. Founded by Aja Frierson in 2013, Habit was one of the first vegan nail polish brands offering a ton of color (they now have 60+ shades), plant-derived ingredients, and sustainable packaging. I also love their multi-use highlighters!
Côte Beauty
Another 10-free brand that promises not to use Formaldehyde, Toluene, Benzophenone and other toxic chemicals, Côte Beauty offers 50 lacquers ranging from white to pink to gold and everything in between. I especially like their collection of pinks (which is a neutral when it comes to nail polish, in my opinion). Côte also has a line of lip glosses and vegan body care made in the US. They do use some plastic packaging in their hand soaps etc., which is 50% PCR.
Tenoverten
I’ll forever love tenoverten‘s clean aesthetic and commitment to safe, nontoxic salons. They offer salon-quality polish, which ranges from pretty neutrals to some seriously fun shimmer! The best part is you can create a custom trio at a discount off the single bottle prices, which are really fun to give as gifts.
Mischo Beauty
Founded by licensed cosmetologist, esthetician, and makeup artist Kitiya King, clean beauty brand Mischo Beauty offers ten-free nontoxic nail polish as well as clean makeup like lipstick, blush, and other beauty musts. Learn more about this award-winning brand and their sustainability commitments here.
Kure Bazaar
Model-founded Kure Bazaar combines natural formula with French fashion.
Palate Polish
I purchased my first bottle of clean nail polish brand Palate Polish at Betsy & Iya in Portland. Did you know that all of their hues are inspired by food, like Turmeric above (captured by The Dainty Squid)?!?! Too good.
LVX
Scrolling through LVX lacquers is like a dream for nail polish lovers. Perfectly color coordinated! They also offer plant-based remover pads and cruelty free nail treatments.
Elle + Mila
You might know elle+mila from their cute elephant logo, they’ve grown from a cruelty free nail polish brand to offer makeup, skincare, and accessories too. Their catalog of colors is so impressive (truly–it’s 22 pages long) and everything is made in the USA. They even have gorgeous holographic colors like zephyr, dragonfly, oasis, and violet skies featured in the photo above by @aanchysnails. This brand is free of Acetone, Animal-Derived Ingredients, Bisphenol-A, Camphor, and others potentially toxic or non-vegan ingredients.
Priti NYC
14. PRITI NYC polishes are organic, cruelty free, vegan, nontoxic, and available in over 100 shades. They’re known as a pioneer in eco luxury nail lacquer and are a fashion week favorite.
bkind
Another conscious beauty brand with nail polish free of all common toxins, BKIND is available in our shop! Based in Quebec, they offer a large catalog of eco-friendly skincare and beauty goods. Pictured is Sapa Valley, a gorgeous chartreuse found here.
vegan, nontoxic, and sustainable too?
I know that in the grand scheme of things, we don’t need to be adorning our nails with all this shimmer and spice. But for those of us that use fashion and beauty as a creative outlet, I think it’s important that we have good, solid go-tos when we do indulge. I’m always looking at a beauty or skincare brand’s about page and FAQs to ensure they live up to my values of not only being conscious about what I put on my body but the impact it has on the environment around us. No brand is perfect, but I hope these are an inspiring start. Plus, cruelty-free and sustainable beauty always make great gifts for those slightly less environmentally conscious pals who may need a little nudge 😉
Who else should we add to this guide?
your two cents