Tried & Tested: Best Nail Polishes Under INR 400, Recommended By The LBB Crew

I got the Nykaa Gel Shine in the shade Sangria in Spain, which looks as fun as it sounds. The colour deposit was rich and bright, and was the perfect kind of red — which is not so red that it blinds you. As pleased as I was with the colour and the shiny new nails I had, this happiness, unfortunately, didn't last so long. Even after two coats, the nail paint didn't take even a full 24-hours to start chipping away. In all honesty, I washed my hair and did dishes, so there was a fair bit of water exposure, but the nail paint promises to be a salon-style gel one! By day two, multiple nails had the tops chipped up, and by day three it was painful to look at. As someone who anxiously scratches nail paint off her nails the second it starts letting go, it was so tough to control the urge, but day three won, I lost, and made the uglies uglier.

Unfortunately, for someone who isn't too graceful, this nail polish isn't the right pick, since it starts chipping fairly quickly, and a reapplication would be needed by the fourth day, at maximum.

Tester: Manya Ahuja

Price: INR 325 (On Nykaa though, get it on discount for about INR 260, most days)

Verdict: The Nykaa Gel Shine is not the best pick for those looking for long-lasting nail paint, since it doesn't take very long to start chipping.

I got the Colobar Vegan Nail Lacquer in the colour 'Do Me Darling'. I love this shade because it's the perfect blend of nude and mauve which looks lovely on all skin tones. The liquid is thick but not at all heavy and fairly easy to apply. The wand is wide which I really like; two strokes and you're done. What I liked most about this one is that, it is buildable but doesn't look layered if you apply even three coats. It claims to have a 'plumping effect' similar to gel nails which I think they've definitely nailed. With a two coat application I saw my first chip after 5 days, which included washing utensils, typing, cleaning, and washing my hands every now and then. 

Tester: Diana 

Price: INR 175 for 8 ml 

Verdict: Colorbar's Vegan Nail lacquer is quite long-lasting, it is resistant to stains, soap, and the likes, and gets a thumbs up from me!

I got the Chambor 101 nail lacquer which a lovely bright red. The liquid is thick but not clumpy and it was fairly easy to apply. I didn't need a second coat because it was quite a thick layer. It took a good 8-10 minutes to dry, but with a quick dip in cold water, it was set. For about five days, there was absolutely no problem. I cooked, cleaned, drove, typed, exercised...my nails looked as good as new. On the sixth day, I used sanitiser, and naturally, the alcohol content rubbed it off, almost immediately. Though that's expected. A quick top coat on a few nails fixed the problem, and I was ready for another few days. Up until day 10, I didn't have to redo anything on the other nails. 

Tester: Aakanksha 

Price: INR 325 (but it's almost always on a bit of a discount on Nykaa!)

Verdict: Chambor's lacquer doesn't chip easily at all. It is quite resistant to oils, water, soap and food (biryani, roti, dal and subzi, FYI!). Since it lasts long, it's worth the price too. 

What Could Be Better: The brush/wand is a little straggly for the thickness of the liquid. 

I got the Kay Beauty Nail Nourish Glitter Pastel Nail Enamel Polish in the shade Starry Fuchsia. I'm not a big fan of this shade as I feel it didn't compliment my skin tone, but otherwise, it's light pink mixed with gold glitter — excellent to go with festive or wedding wear. It claims to be quick-drying; however, it took a while before it dried, so if you're impatient like me, you'll have a tough time with this one. Even though most nail polishes chip on the same day on my hand, I was surprised that this one stayed for two days before it started wearing off. The formula also claims to have nourishing properties, which I didn't notice in particular, but I'm sure it's all good considering they're paraben and cruelty-free. 

Tester: Muskan

Price: INR 249 for 10ml

Verdict: The Kay Beauty Nail Enamel has its pros and cons, but overall it is long-lasting, and I would probably repurchase it in a shade I like.

I got the Creme Brulee Nykaa Enamel Polish, and it doesn't chip for at least five days. If I'm a bit extra enthusiastic when typing then it chips in four days. The quality is also good, and it doesn't spoil my nails. Sometimes nail polish causes the top layer to look dull, but luckily this Nykaa one retains the sheen. 

Tester: Neeti - LBB Designer 

Price: INR 179 (but again, this is almost always on discount)

Verdict: For the price, it is fantastic. In fact, I pick it over some other more pricey polishes too. 

What Could Be Better: Not really this specific product, but to make this one better, I recommend adding a top coat of transparent gel polish. It's a great protective layer and for even foodies like me, the masala and haldi doesn't stick on!

I got the Black Cherries, and this shade is a really pretty, dark wine hue. The first coat applies somewhat reddish purple but is still very opaque, and the second coat is a beautiful, rich scarlet-brown shade. This polish’s name tells no lies; it truly dries in 60 seconds! I’ve had it for months now and it hasn’t dried up within the bottle one bit, either. 

Tester: Isha Chawla

Verdict: This nail polish is always super lost lasting and eye-catching. All you have to do is pop a top coat on it, and it’ll easily last you up to two weeks. However, I noticed that it loses its lustre after 2-3 days. Keep adding more coats over time to maintain its finish.

What Could Be Better: This polish would be near perfect if only it was gel. I find the consistency to be quite thin, but if it were a gel polish, its colour would be so much thicker and delicious. As a consequence of the formula being so pigmented, it does stain the skin. So, cleanups after you accidentally flood your cuticle are quite difficult. If this polish was a breeze to clean off the skin, it’d tick all the boxes. 

LBB Tip: This specific shade is unfortunately out of stock. Shop others here.