PSA: Ella + Mila Nail Polish Is Seven-Free & It Actually Lasts
Like many of us, I do my best to be a conscious consumer. I buy non-toxic cleaning products, try to reduce single-use plastic in my home, eat organic and use clean beauty products. But even with all my effort to live a greener lifestyle, it recently occurred to me that my manicures were still chock-full of chemicals.
Now, I love a gel mani as much as the next gal, but the fact that I had no idea what was in the gel polish I was blindly painting my nails in every two weeks troubled me. So, I started trying out different clean polishes.
I (unwisely) began my journey by buying four Kure Bazaar polishes, which are up to 90 percent natural. I liked the percentage of natural ingredients but when Kure consistently lasted two days, I knew I needed a better option. On to Zoya I went. The brand’s polishes are great, free of ten common toxins) and are often carried at nail salons, but I didn’t get a long wear out of them either. Subsequently, when I finally got gifted a set of Ella + Mila polishes, I didn’t have high hopes. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.
Ella + Mila polishes are seven free, meaning they’re made without the three common chemicals found in nail polishes, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, and also without four dangerous chemicals known as formaldehyde resin, camphor, TPHP and xylene. They’re also American-made, vegan, animal-cruelty free and PETA certified. But the best part? My manicure actually lasted a full week, which never happens to me with normal polish.
I tried out a smoky blue shade called Yacht Clubbing ($12) and was surprised at how shiny the polish stayed amidst my dishwashing sessions, aggressive typing and glove-free gardening. Thinking it might be a fluke, I took the Island Hopping ($12) shade out for a whirl the next week, and I’m happy to report I’m five days in and am still looking good.
Now, the wear isn’t as long as a gel manicure, but it feels good to know my fingers are formaldehyde resin-free.
