N.Y.C. Polish: Cheap and Colourful

If there's one thing I like, it's cheap, decent nail polish.

It's easy to go for a cheapie brand and get disappointed with the quality of what you bought. Like shopping for dinner plates in a dollar store, if your 99 cent nail polish metaphorically explodes the first time you try to microwave it, who can you blame but yourself? So it's only logical that, upon finding a good quality yet cheap-as-dirt brand, you stock up. Right?

Well, that's what I did. Finals week came up pretty recently for me. The study sessions were intense. I think I memorized the intricate pattern of the library carpeting during my stay. My go-to seat had a me-sized butt imprint that may still be there when I return in the Fall. Highlighters and colourful pens were scattered across countless desks as I tried desperately to cram a semester's worth of information into my poor defeated brain, which I could only imagine as an old, obese hamster moving feebly, paw by paw, on a never-ending hamster wheel of existential pointlessness.

This ended up being cuter than I thought it would

Still, no worries! Eventually, my finals passed, and I decided to reward myself. But how? Ah. Of course. I would head to CVS and buy 7 bottles of New York Color nail polish.
Let me tell you something, dear reader. I am not an impulse buyer. I calculate, and waver, and cheap out of a lot of  purchases. Sometimes I buy two-dollar bottles of shampoo. Because come on, my hair doesn't actually need Pantene or Herbal Essences to nourish it, does it? (Note to self: When you bleach the hell out of it to dye it purple then back to your original hair colour, yes, you do.) It's just these damn N.Y.C. polishes. They kill me! They stab my wallet with sharpened brush bristles! You think I'd learn to resist. And yet my money falls prisoner to their hypnotic formulas every time.

My current N.Y.C. collection, artfully arranged on my slightly dusty windowsill.

This is why:

1. It's cheap, okay? Their Long Wearing line is $0.99 a piece, and their Quick Dry polishes are $1.99. Definitely a steal.

2. Generally, their formulas are smooth and easy to apply. Not to mention they dry pretty quickly, usually with a glossy shine.

3. There's a lot of options in terms of colour. They have dumb, New-York-related names, but there's a lot of them. And they are preeeety.

 4. They have crellys, creams, glitter toppers, topcoats, you name it. This brand is great if you're looking for some nice basics.

 5. They're 3-free (along with no formaldehyde resin). Yay, health! Prevent exposure to harmful chemicals! Yeah!

Despite all these great things, the brand is definitely not flawless. As it tends to be, it's more of a colour-by-colour case, but here are some things I've noticed.

Tips for wearing this polish:

1. Don't assume a colour is a solid cream. If the word 'creme' isn't in the name, leave a little space in your heart so you can accept that the vibrant colour you are picking up may be more of a crelly consistency instead. Don't worry, it won't be that bad. A few coats should get it as solid as you need.

2. Staining happens. Test out darker polishes on a toenail or something. Wear a base coat. Goodness knows we should all be wearing base coats anyway. (Note: I don't wear base coat.) Or, put down a thin layer of a base white or nude to prevent a bright blue from making your nails a similar shade.

3. Their 'Extra Shiny Top Coat' lives up to its name. Except when you consider that it's part of the 'Long Wearing' polish line. This stuff shines like a freshly waxed marble and cracks like a really poorly made marble, too (I am terrible at similes). Not too much of a problem if you're like me and you do your nails two or three times a week (and you really like the shine), but for those looking for long wear this is not the product for you.

Where do you buy this polish? My go-to is CVS. Amazon looks like it has some stocked up, but the prices I've seen are higher than they need to be (not to mention shipping).

And no, I'm not affiliated with this brand in any way. I just really like it! Well, there it is! I hope it helps. Now I'm going to go buy some more polish...

Paint away!

-Alice

Questions? Comments? Want to share your N.Y.C. polish experiences? Have a terrible joke you just have to tell? Go for it! Share below.