Photographed by: Arrow Radisch; Set Design: Sarah PossamaiSave this storySave this story
We all have our own version of the dream nail-care routine: It might be monthly gels with a revolving door of designs, or weekly polish changes that keep a chic blue-red looking crisp on short nails, or a regular buff for the most polished of polish-free manicures. But unfortunately, most of us don't have enough real-life waking hours (or bank accounts) to make these dreams come true. What we do have, though, are press-ons that bring hundreds of sparkling chromes and creative prints to our fingertips. And a quick-drying polish that lets us paint on before we run out the door (or, occasionally, jump up from our desks). And a cuticle pen that ensures undone nails never look uncared for.
These 10 Allure Best of Beauty Nail winners make seamless gel manicures, easy polish changes, and chic press-ons a reality for home manicurists of all different skill levels, whether you’ve been painting your nails for as long as you can remember or are a nail newbie (there’s a topcoat for that). Happy painting!
Best of Beauty Awards 2026: Nails
Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's very best nail polishes, press-ons, and polish removers.
See our winners:LargeChevron
- Best Nail Polish
- Best Base Coat
- Best Topcoat
- Best Nail Strengthener
- Best Cuticle-Care Product
- Best Press-On Nails
- Best Nail Polish Remover
Best Nail Polish
Best Quick-Dry Nail Polish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color
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Best Quick-Dry Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color
Amazon
Best of Beauty editorial assistant Arietta Hallock applies Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color.
Arietta Hallock
Why It Won: This supershiny, chip-resistant polish has been making manicures a breeze for more than a decade, and winning Allure Best of Beauty Awards for just as long. Nothing beats Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color when it comes to convenience: The formula dries in just 60 seconds, and the wide, flat brush quickly coats nails in rich color that’s kept us hooked—and our nails looking most excellent—for years. One coat is all you need (no extra base or topcoat required) for a glossy, saturated manicure that holds up to pretty much anything you can throw its way. We’ve put it to the test opening soda cans, scratching labels off jars, and doing so many dishes you’d think we ran a catering business, and our smooth, shiny manicures stayed reliably chip-free for a week. The massive 100-plus range—including pitch-perfect takes on classic reds, pinks, berries, and neutrals, alongside multifaceted chromes, flattering pearls, and colorful neons—means that if you can dream up a nail color, odds are good that you can find it here.
Tester feedback from senior copy manager Dawn Rebecky
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"Just when I think nothing in life is easy, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color comes through, making it a cinch to at least keep my nails looking chic and polished (literally), and at a nice price point. The color range keeps expanding, but the best part—especially if you hate sitting out drying time as much as I do—is you're good to go in under a minute." —Dawn Rebecky, senior copy manager
Best Longwear Nail Polish: Mooncat Pearl Clutcher
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Best Longwear Nail Polish
Mooncat Pearl Clutcher
Mooncat
Why It Won: Is it shimmering marshmallow, holographic lilac pink, chromatic silver, or pastel mermaid-y green? The color-shift of Mooncat Pearl Clutcher—a pearlescent white polish, flecked with hints of green, pink, and purple—is pretty constant, making nails look different from one second to the next, depending on how the light hits them while you’re doing everyday things like gesticulating, texting, or typing. It’s a fun effect, for sure, that makes nails seem almost otherworldly, and because the long-wearing formula can last for a full week, no matter how frequently you wash your hands or rummage around in your purse for your keys, you get a ton of mileage out of it.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
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"I've never been a neutral polish kinda girl, which is why Mooncat caught my eye in a millisecond—the iridescent shades, like, C'MON. I'm always admiring my hands in person, and honestly, phone cameras don't do the shades justice! Circle back in a few months, and I'm sure I'll have amassed enough Mooncat photos to warrant a dedicated folder." —Sarah Han, commerce editor
Best At-Home Gel
Best At-Home Gel: Olive & June Gel Mani System
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Best At-Home Gel Polish
Olive & June Gel Mani System
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Kara McGrath applies the Olive & June Gel Mani System.
Kara McGrath
Why It Won: Gel manicures are gleaming and gorgeous, but wow, the cost can really add up—and a lot of DIY versions create telltale bubbles on nails. Olive & June Gel Mani System is different, with unique features that earned it an Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award last year, and our most gel-obsessed editors love that it’s the most user-friendly kit around. The gel polishes are a bit thinner than many, so they’re easier to apply, and they even tend to self-level (as one editor puts it) while they cure, so you get the smoothest, most professional-looking results. There are about 100 opaque, sheer, and special-effect shades (like pearlescent and metallic) to choose from, including pinks from sheer to neon, mauves, cherry red, and fun colors (navy, emerald, lavender) based on Olive & June’s best sellers. The kit includes a five-finger LED lamp (a time-saver, since many fit only four), a silicone tool that mercifully helps us paint with our nondominant hand, and an ingenious peel-off base that makes removal faster, easier, and less damaging, whether you use the included remover or mindlessly pick at the polish. You get a lot of innovation and long-lasting, brilliant manicures for $95 to $140 for the system (depending on whether you want one or six shades of your choice).
Tester feedback from contributor Kara McGrath
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"This is the kit that got me back into doing my own gel manicures at home. The set, along with the polishes, are quite affordable. I've built up an impressive selection of shades since acquiring the lamp last year. Everyone knows the worst part of DIY gels is taking them off, so the peel-off base coat is really what sold me on this O&J set. It makes removal super-easy (you are literally *supposed* to peel the polish off) and leaves my nails looking healthier than gels that require an acetone soak. My only gripe is the lamp isn't portable, but I just find an outlet near the television and watch my shows on manicure day." —Kara McGrath, contributor
Best Base Coat
Best Base Coat: OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
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Best Base Coat
OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
Amazon
Why It Won: Maybe you already appreciate base coats (they really help manicures last). Maybe you have one that sits untouched in your kit (you always mean to use it, but you’re in a rush). Or maybe you just don’t get the appeal (it’s one more step, and you have to wait for it to dry???). No matter which camp you fall into, it’s hard not to be swayed by OPI Natural Nail Base Coat’s multitasking formula, which has made it a repeat Allure Best of Beauty Award winner. It goes on so smooth and shiny that any polish you put on top looks that much better. It’s relatively speedy—two swipes give you an even coat, and it doesn’t take long to dry, adding a minute or two to a manicure. That’s a worthwhile trade-off considering how well it makes polish last, and more than that, we’ve found that using a base coat regularly can help make nails resistant to discoloration, peeling, and breaking. Of course, it’s still an extra step, and we sometimes forget to use it, but the more committed editors who’ve stuck with this base coat swear it also helps extend the life of their manis.
Tester feedback from Best of Beauty editorial assistant Arietta Hallock
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"I must confess, I used to skip the base coat step. Painting my own nails takes enough patience and dry time as it is. Yet the OPI Natural Nail Base Coat has converted me. It dries quickly, which allows layering without the wait. And my favorite deep reds and greens don’t stain my nail bed anymore." —Arietta Hallock, Best of Beauty editorial assistant
Best Topcoat
Best Top Coat: Zoya Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat
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Best Top Coat
Zoya Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat
Amazon
Why It Won: Whether you’re really good at painting your own nails or fall more into the “A for effort” zone, Zoya Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat takes at-home manicures up enough notches to make them look downright professional or totally acceptable (respectively). It is so shiny it’s almost reflective—a boon for anyone who approaches at-home manicures with perfectionist zeal—but it’s also easy to apply in a uniform coat, making the polish underneath look more even, too. And because it’s quick-drying and strong, like teeny-tiny armor for your manicure, your hard work won’t smudge right away or chip for days.
Tester feedback from Best of Beauty editorial assistant Arietta Hallock
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"I’m a big fan of sparkly nails—twinkle toes, if you will—but glittery, textured polishes and amateur hands can lead to textured results. This topcoat smooths over glitter grains and uneven brushstrokes, giving my at-home mani-pedi a glossy salon look." —Arietta Hallock, Best of Beauty editorial assistant
Best Nail Strengthener
Best Nail Strengthener: Essie Break Fix Liquid Nail Patch
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Best Nail Strengthener
Essie Break Fix Liquid Nail Patch
Amazon
Why It Won: Whether your nails have peeled, snagged, or cracked, this like-liquid nail glue fills in the damage so well that your manicures can appear uniform again. Essie Break Fix Liquid Nail Patch goes on as a liquid and dries into a solid bandage, like a clear spackle, that holds for up to five days. It’s a quick fix for small snags, camouflage for chronic cracks, and a savior when you need it, holding nails together under polish with a protective coating that also helps brittle ones act stronger.
Tester feedback from designer Briana Rengifo
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"If you have long, natural nails like I do, keep Essie Break Fix Liquid Nail Patch in your purse. I always have it on hand now for accidental chips. Once applied, your nail stays patched for a couple of days." —Briana Rengifo, designer
Best Cuticle-Care Product
Best Cuticle Care: Heirée The Cuticle Pen
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Best Cuticle Care
Heirée The Cuticle Pen
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Beauty director Sarah Kinonen applies the Heirée The Cuticle Pen.
Sarah Kinonen
Why It Won: The small-batch serum (it’s hand-mixed) inside this golden wand helps treat dry cuticles to instantly hydrate with jojoba, shea nut, coconut, and castor oils. But somehow, there’s no oiliness as it dries down. We never feel like we need to blot the treatment away after sweeping on the Heirée The Cuticle Pen. Our cuticles are left softer, so they’re easier to push back, and our nails look younger and healthier. And you can get a monogrammed pouch for the pen, which is a totally unnecessary add-on, but still a nice luxe touch, as a gift or for yourself.
Tester feedback from beauty director Sarah Kinonen
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"I'll be the first to admit that my cuticles are trash! My hands, too, unfortunately. Because as much time, energy, and money as I put into my face, my hands get…none of it. Ever. And it shows. That's why I have to start small when it comes to revamping my nonexistent hand-care routine. And for me, that means keeping my cuticles hydrated because normally they are a peeling, dried-out mess. It's embarrassing! So I've been carrying around this slim, gold tube in the hopes that whenever I remember, I give my fingers a quick kiss of moisture with its nourishing blend of jojoba, castor and coconut oils, and beeswax. Its angled, soft cushion tip makes it super-easy to apply directly to my cuticles without a mess, and its super-fast dry-down and travel-friendly packaging make it even easier to blend it and…go do literally anything else." —Sarah Kinonen, beauty director
Best Press-On Nails
Best Short Press-Ons: Glamnetic Press-On Nails
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Best Short Press-Ons
Glamnetic Press-On Nails
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Editorial assistant Jennet Jusu wears Glamnetic Press-On Nails.
Jennet Jusu
Why It Won: There is truly something for everyone in this lineup of easy-to-apply falsies, whose short length keeps looks relatively subdued: Glamnetic Press-On Nails come in enough creamy and shimmery colors to rival a nail salon’s polish wall, minimalist designs including French manicures with colorful or metallic tips, as well as more intricate nail art, like animal print, cosmic chromes, polka-dot whales, and blue-and-white cabana-striped tips. So you can go as classic or creative as you like, choose from six different shapes (round, almond, square, squoval, oval, coffin), and find press-ons that seamlessly match each of your natural nails (a box contains 30 individual nails in a variety of different widths). Applying them with the included glue is straightforward (we didn’t mutter or swear once!), and you can rest assured that not a single press-on will pop off that night. The adhesive lasts, holding your manicure in place for up to two weeks, according to our testers.
Tester feedback from editorial assistant Jennet Jusu
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“As a person who has no regrets swearing off traditional manicures at salons for the last four years, Glamnetic press-ons have made that decision something I could never regret. Their Oyster Pearl style comes in a variety of shapes and lengths, and after some trial and error, I settled on the Medium Coffin. Each set comes with a prep kit to make application super easy and under 10 minutes. If you're a first-timer, I wouldn't be too hesitant, because the packaging has instructions directly on the back to follow. There are 30 nails to do more than one set, so I like to replace as I go and sometimes max out the press-ons for a full month. With a promise of up to two-weeks wear that doesn't break the bank and garners tons of compliments, I'm always sold.” —Jennet Jusu, editorial assistant
Best Long Press-Ons: Kiss Press-On Nails
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Best Long Press-Ons
Kiss Press-On Nails
Amazon
Why It Won: We’ve always said that Kiss has some of the most natural-looking Press-On Nails (and that holds true at any price range, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that these are no more than $16 for a set), and now, the brand has added more widths to each box for even more believable falsies. The longest length has a pop-star-cool vibe with pink and purple chrome tips and gold-leaf designs so chic, you’d think you had a nail artist on retainer.
Tester feedback from senior shopping director Shanna Shipin
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"After developing an allergy to gel nail polish later in life, press-ons have become my hands’ saving grace. They help me feel polished and truly complete any vibe I’m going for. This particular nail set is such a great value—not only are the press-on nails incredibly durable, but the kit includes enough nails for two (or three!) wears. A revelation! It’s a game-changer, especially if you’re tough on your nails. I personally love medium almond-shaped nails, but my taste for the art or color runs the gamut, and luckily Kiss delivers. You can pick from cat’s eye velvet, jeweled, simple French tip, and 3D designs." —Shanna Shipin, senior shopping director
Best Nail Polish Remover
Best Nail Polish Remover: Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover
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Best Nail Polish Remover
Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover
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Commerce editor Sarah Han removes her manicure with the Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover.
Sarah Han
Why It Won: The clever pump bottle takes the possibility of nail polish remover spills out of the manicure equation, but the real reason Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover has won multiple Allure Best of Beauty Awards is its gentle, nondrying formula, which is spiked with hydrating glycerin and totally devoid of any harsh chemical smell. The lilac liquid leaves nails looking superclean (even if you started with chunky glitter polish), feeling conditioned, and ready for the next manicure.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
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"I love the push-down pump applicator and prefer it over other removers for ease of use! And one bottle lasts forever. The formula swiftly removes my polish and leaves my nails looking hydrated and healthy." —Sarah Han, commerce editor
Written by Elizabeth Siegel
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Allure test nail products for Best of Beauty? Our editors test polishes, nail tools, cuticle treatments, and press-ons over several weeks to assess durability, pigment, application ease, and finish. We wear shades through real-life scenarios, including typing, dishwashing, working out, and traveling, to evaluate chip resistance, drying time, and overall wear.
Are Best of Beauty nail polish winners long-lasting and chip-resistant?
Yes, durability is a key testing factor. The winning nail polishes, topcoats, and press-ons are selected for their ability to resist chips, peeling, and fading through everyday wear. You’ll find quick-dry and long-wear formulas that hold up for days without touch-ups.
Do the winning nail products work for beginners or at-home manicures?
Absolutely. Many of the winners are easy to use, quick to apply, and beginner-friendly, including press-on kits, fast-drying polishes and topcoats, and nourishing base layers. Whether you're a DIY nail pro or just starting out, there are options made for at-home success.
What types of nail products are included in the Best of Beauty awards?
The category includes traditional nail polishes, gel-like lacquers, base and topcoats, nail strengtheners, tools, press-ons, and cuticle care.
Are there any “free-from” polish options among the winners?
Yes, several winning brands offer “free-from” formulas without formaldehyde, toluene, or other harsh chemicals. Many polishes are now vegan, cruelty-free, and made with plant-based ingredients, while still offering bold color and long-lasting shine.
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