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Beginner’s Guide to Indie Nail Polish

ByCordelia

Beginner's Guide to Indie Nail Polish - Phyrra.net

Beginner’s Guide to Indie Nail Polish

There are so many indie brands on the market it can be hard to figure out where to start. So today I’ve got my beginner’s guide to indie nail polish to get you started. If you’re looking for nail polish to get you noticed, indie is the way to go. I get so many compliments on these complex, stunning shades.

All brands are cruelty free and some are vegan. This post contains a mix of press samples and products purchased by me.

CrowsToes Nidavellir
CrowsToes Nidavellir

1. CrowsToes Nidavellir
This is a teal to magenta color shifter with a purple base and strong teal blue shift. I love this color so much.

  • Other great CrowsToes nail polish picks – Vanaheim, Jotunheim (yes, Norse mythology! Hopefully some day there will be an Iron Druid collection)
Literary Lacquers Mirror of Galadriel
Literary Lacquers Mirror of Galadriel

2. Literary Lacquers Mirror of Galadriel
Silver linear mega glitter holo inspired by Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

  • Other awesome LL polish picks – Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Camille Sepharial D’Artigo from the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn
Femme Fatale Art of Witchcraft
Femme Fatale Art of Witchcraft

3. Femme Fatale Art of Witchcraft
This a teal blue jelly with red shimmer, teal blue and maroon microglitters that is really mesmerizing on the nails. Inspired by Snow White. (If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend checking out Indexing 1 and 2 by Seanan McGuire, which has an interesting twist on Snow White and faerie tales in general).

  • Other awesome FFC polish picks – Under the Waters, Weed in her Heart
Girly Bits Defying Gravity Mani
Girly Bits Defying Gravity

4. Girly Bits Defying Gravity
Bright purple with scattered holo shimmer and teal blue shift. This was created in honor of my 7 year blogging anniversary.

  • Other awesome Girly Bits polish picks – Get Weaponized (I can’t see this without hearing Raise Your Weapon by deadmau5), Selfie Bomb
KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad
KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad on top

5. KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad
Deep charcoal linear holo. How I don’t have a picture of me wearing this is beyond me, because I’ve worn it a ton. (Of course it reminds me of Game of Thrones. Though I really need a Daeny nail polish!)

  • Other awesome KBShimmer nail polish picks – She’s Beyond Kelp! (I’ve worn this so many times, can’t believe I don’t have a good photo of it but you can see it in my videos), You Go Ghoul!

Glitter Daze Essence of a Unicorn Swatches

6. GlitterDaze Essence of a Unicorn  (vegan brand)
This one shifts through every shade of the rainbow with emphasis on pink, purple and blue. Shown on its own, on top of purple, and on top of black.

  • Other awesome GlitterDaze nail polish picks – Moonlit Mermaid, Interstellar Dragon. They also make my all time favorite top coat, Super Smooth Top Coat.
ILNP Peace
ILNP Peace

7. ILNP Peace
This will magically shift through vivid hues of blue, purple, fuchsia, pink, and even a subtle coppery gold.

  • Other great ILNP nail polish picks – Black Orchid, Abundance
NCLA Teal the End
NCLA Teal the End

8. NCLA Teal the End  (vegan brand)
Gorgeous deep, yet bright teal blue scattered holographic nail polish.

  • Other great NCLA nail polish picks – Drop of Teal, Out of This World. They also have nail wraps.
Rainbow Honey The Kraken
Rainbow Honey The Kraken

9. Rainbow Honey the Kraken (vegan brand)
This is a a marine jelly with a blue and green glow filled with glitters, shimmer, and the sea monster’s own holographic Crashing Boom Bang!

  • Other great Rainbow Honey nail polish picks – All My Stars, Sapphire Weapon (Yep, a Final Fantasy reference). They also make my favorite base coat called All  Your Base. Plus, they have a subscription box, the Mystery Bag, that I belonged to for just over a year and only recently stopped.

There are many, many indie nail polish brands out there. However, these 9 brands have multi-chromes, flakies, holos, scattered holos, cremes, jellies, crellies (creme-jelly hybrids), and glitter bombs, so there’s sure to be something to appeal to everyone.

What indie nail polish brands are in your top 5?

Cordelia Frost is the creative force behind Phyrra, a treasure trove for cruelty-free indie and goth makeup enthusiasts. She's the author of the game-changing 'Hooded Eyes Makeup Manual' a must-read for hooded eyes makeup.

Cordelia's world is a kaleidoscope of alternative beauty, gothic fashion, and life-enhancing tips, making every visit to Phyrra a journey into a more colorful and inspired self.

39 Comments

  1. STILL relevant and a great list! Thank you!

    What is that topper you’re wearing over the fuchsia shade in the INLP Peace photo? That’s an amazing look! Love it!

    I’m sure you already know about Chirality, but what else would you add to an update?

  6. I’ve never tried any indie nail polish but I’ve always wanted to! I’m definitely going to try and buy some of the holographic ones!

  10. KBS Shimmer looks amazing! I really had no idea these indies existed, thanks for the intro!

  14. Some of my faves. I’ll still check out a new Indie now and again, but I keep coming back to KBShimmer and Girly Bits, and some of the others, too.

  17. All of these polishes are gorgeous. If I did my nails more from home, I’d be all over these brands.

    1. In the past, I’ve done clear gel nails and then painted polish on top of it. Not sure if that’s an option for you to test out?

      1. It is, I just usually don’t bother. Sometimes, if I remember, I take in my own polish for the manicurist to apply.

  19. Oh and I’d like to suggest Digital Nails on Etsy, she has some really wild shades.

  25. I adore KB Simmer. Beautiful polishes and never a bad formula. I want to pick up some Literary Lacquer polishes, some day. For reasons. 😀

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