People Are Saving On Manicures With This 'Your Nails, But Better' Polish

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It’s possible that you’ve seen the Active range of polishes by the French nail brand Manucurist on platforms like Instagram or TikTok , where coveted summer trends like mermaid nails and glazed donut manicures dominate the #fyp. Even our own staff has fallen victim to its powers.

After succumbing to the influence of social media, BuzzFeed editorial VP Peggy Wang stated that, since purchasing a few months ago, “I’ve only gone a day without having [Manucurist] on my nails because I liked how my nails looked so much more with it on.”

After Wang’s strong words of endorsement, I became thoroughly intrigued and reached out to the brand to try the goods out for myself. Spoiler alert: I can definitely confirm the appeal.

The full Active line features five polishes, each one aimed at providing a specific look to nails. I’ll break it down: There are two Glow polishes, which are essentially ultra-sheer, yet buildable nail tints in punchy berry hues. Then there is a brightening polish for adding a luminous and light-reflecting sheen, and the CC polish, a coat that essentially functions like a nail concealer, camouflaging things like white marks or nail bed imperfections. Finally, there’s the Shine, a shimmery champagne-toned polish that adds a touch of glimmering highlight to nails and makes an excellent top coat that actually stays shiny and never goes matte, unlike the gel polishes I get at the salon.

“I don’t need to apply a ridge filler and it covers up the texture of my nails sufficiently,” said Wang, who uses one coat of Active Bright with two coats of the Active Shine .

We found a second fan in our office, HuffPost breaking news reporter Lydia O’Connor. “I usually do two coats of the Active Glow in blueberry for a sheer but juicy berry hue, then add a layer of Active Shine for a little shimmer,” O’Connor said. “It’s the perfect amount of color and sparkle to feel like you’ve gotten a manicure without the hassle of trying to paint your nails perfectly with a regular opaque polish.”

I too really appreciate how infinite the layering options are and how easy it is to achieve a completely customizable look. You can even pop a layer of the CC polish on the bottom, then follow up with a couple of dewy coats of the Glow polish for something that’s a little less sheer, yet very clean-looking.

And like O’Connor and Wang suggested, the simultaneous subtlety and efficacy of this range is a large part of its success since it makes both the wear and the application process incredibly low-maintenance and “impossible to mess up,” according to O’Connor.

“It’s so light and subtle that I don’t have to be super careful about application. It takes me like 10 minutes to do three coats,” Wang said. “I have been keeping my polish on for about one and half to two weeks and it hasn’t chipped, but it wouldn’t be very visible even if it did.”

Additionally, each of the 80% plant-based formulas contain ingredients meant to improve nail health like nourishing sweet almond oil, fruit extracts to help restore peeling and brittle nails, castor oil and other hydrators and strengtheners. The texture, which goes on watery, dries down to feel imperceptible on the nail bed, which is a welcome departure from traditional lacquers or gels that can feel slightly suffocating.

You can see more promising statements down below, but if you’ve already been convinced to forgo the nail salon for good, shop the Manucurist Active range for yourself from the links above.

Promising Manucurist reviews:

“I love these polishes!!! They last so well, no peeling, and they are easy to remove. I’m already seeing noticeable improvement in my nails (they’re stronger now). Thanks!” — Terri

“I have only tried the raspberry glow and glitter so far, but I’d say I’m pretty experienced in painting my nails with different types. This is the only nail polish that has stayed shiny after showers and lotions. I used to paint with jelly nail polish with shiny top coats but those start to get dull after I shower a couple of times and put hand lotion on. These have stayed shiny maybe because of the texture of it, and I’m hoping they’ll continue to stay this way. They feel different and lighter than the nail polish with top coat over it. I may have finally found my ‘nails but better’ easy one step application! Highly recommend!” — Andrea

“I have seen this brand for years but only recently came across it when looking for a specific polish. Decided to try this kit and have to say I am not disappointed. It felt like it took a while to arrive, having been shipped from France to UK but the set is so beautifully packaged and such a delight to use. I quite like mixing and my favourite look is the blueberry active with shine on top. Lasting really well to though can’t comment on the health benefits yet.” — Elena M.

“I can’t get over the difference of my nails !” — Imogen G.