Olive & June’s 7-Free Nail Polishes Are A Must For Any At-Home Manicurist

From seasonal colors to tools you won't know how you lived without — Olive & June will transform the way you do your nails at home.

TBH, giving yourself an at-home manicure is so challenging. You usually end up messing up your dominant hand and are left with a subpar mani that leaves you wishing you hadn’t even bothered to try and do it on your own.

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^ me scared to paint my nails knowing they'll look like trash and get messed up/chipped in a matter of hours.

But what if I told you there was a better way? Yep, that's right. Olive & June is your answer to DIY manicures.

Olive & June is a natural, long-lasting, fast-drying nail polish. Or in other words, the unicorn of nail polish.

Abby Kass / BuzzFeed

I first learned about Olive & June while listening to the founder, Sarah Gibson Tuttle, talk on one of my favorite podcasts Second Life. I loved hearing about how she started a nail salon after spending 10 years working in finance and how she spent months doing at-home manicures, working to perfect it. I knew I had to get my ~hands~ on the nail polish to try it for myself.

I loved that the nail polish is vegan, cruelty-free, and seven-free (i.e. no dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, TPHP, or xylene). And the colors are AH-mazing. There's a color for just about every mood you're in. Plus, they encourage you to have fun with your nails and really do whatever you want — including ombré or rainbows nails.

The nail polish itself is great. You really only need two coats to get good coverage and it dries fast. When I did my nails recently, my nails were dry in less than an hour, which is a miracle because, in the past with other polish, it would be more than two hours later, and I'd bump my nails and get so frustrated that I messed them up. And the polish lasts for a good while. I use my hands a lot, and I usually see the first chip a week to a week and a half in, which is outstanding in my book.

Also, I seriously love the fact that most of the nail polishes are named after the initials of real women — with some even just being fans of the brand.

You can get the nail polish individually ($8 each), but if you really want a full experience, I suggest getting a box ($42-$80). It comes with nail polish plus all the tools you need for the perfect at-home mani.

Abby Kass / BuzzFeed

Each box comes with a Poppy, top coat, cuticle serum with cactus flower, clean-up brush, polish remover pot, nail clippers, file, and a buffer bar (above left). It is a bit more expensive, but IMO, it's worth it because you seriously have all the tools right there to do your nails. Plus, when you're done, they all fit right back into the box, so you can store them easily and know exactly where they are next time you're ready to paint.

The tools are also super easy to use. My favorites are the Poppy and the cuticle serum, which you simply twist and cover your cuticles in, leaving them feeling moisturized and looking great.

I'm a big fan of The Poppy — a universal bottle handle that gives a comfortable grip and more control to paint your dominant hand.

Abby Kass / BuzzFeed

It fits on most nail polish bottles, but for the Olive & June bottles, all you have to do is pull off the over-cap and put the Poppy on before untwisting it.

Then you can easily paint all your fingers and in the end, it won't look like a 5-year-old took a marker and scribbled all over your nails.

Abby Kass / BuzzFeed

I'm right-handed, so I used to struggle so much to paint those fingers. In the past, my left hand would look amazing but the right would be on the hot mess express. But then I discovered the Poppy, which made things SO much easier. And though it's really great to help paint your dominant hand, it seriously just makes painting your nails in general so much easier. Those nails above took me less than five minutes to do two coats and a top coat. And yeah, that's exactly how they looked after they were done.

Plus, if you have the kit, you can use the clean-up brush and nail polish remover to get rid of any misplaced polish, because we can't all be perfect.

You can get the Poppy for $16.

My colleague Heather Braga is also a huge fan of the brand and can often be found recreating fun manicures she finds on their Instagram (and then posting them on her own, obviously).

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

Here's her personal review:

"Olive and June's summer lineup was a collab with Zeba (who you should definitely follow on Instagram). I was inspired by this rainbow mani found on Olive and June's Insta and loved it because I didn't have to try and choose between all the stunning colors they were offering. Their fall collection is *also* fantastic so I recreated a similar look for the new season — obsessed.

The polish stays on for over a week and when you purchase the full kit you'll also find yourself equipped with tools to pull off a flawless mani. My favorite tool is the little brush, designed to help you clean up your cuticles after inevitably getting polish all over 'em. Treat yourself, you won't be disappointed."

You can get the "Nailfie Ready Fall Collection" for $56, the "Into You" summer set for $64, or "The Everything Box" for $88.

Olive & June also makes nail stickers so you can upgrade your at-home mani's look with ease.

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed, Olive & June

Heather also has and loves these stickers. She said:

"I recently snagged these nail stickers, and it was such a fun way to add a little *somethin'-somethin'* to my manicure. I love doing my own nails but also enjoy the added flair of getting a fancy, artsy mani. These stickers check that box without breaking the bank — perfect for anyone who loves getting creative with their nails."

You can snag the "Loveliest Day" set for $7.50 or check out all the sticker options here.

And (!!!) every season, Olive & June comes out with a new collection of polish that fits the mood. This new fall set has me all ready for sweater weather.

Abby Kass / BuzzFeed

The fall collection includes a mossy green, cream, apricot, warm terracotta, cinnamon brown, and dark rosy color.

You can get the set plus a top coat for $56.

You can check out all 44 colors, boxes, accessories, and more here.

So, what are you waiting for? Load up on some Olive & June polishes and kickstart your journey into becoming a professional at-home manicurist ;).

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