I know some people who really love the smell of nail varnish – but personally, I’m not the biggest fan! So when these Little Ondine polishes arrived at the #houseofeldridge with odor-free claims I was intrigued – I couldn’t quite believe they would be 100% resin scent-free.
The polishes are water-based and vegan. They claim to use only three non-toxic ingredients (natural resin, organic colorants, and water). I tried them with my team and we all agreed we couldn’t smell a thing when we painted our nails, so if you were so inclined to paint in public you don’t have to worry about any chemical scent annoying the person next to you ; ) There are over 85 shades available – I’ve photographed Bohemian (a gorgeously bright royal blue) and Starstruck (a bright red-pink) above, as well as a new trio collection they’re launching with fab manicurist Sophy Robson (who I’ve worked with lots of times on editorial shoots and who really knows her stuff) next month. The green chrome shade is stunning and there’s also a shimmering pearl and glittery grey.
Application-wise, you can use the base/topcoat (you can just see the edge of this in my picture above), or go straight in with your shade – I find that the colors have a lovely finish either way. Apply two coats like normal and we found they dried super-fast – our nails were touch dry in five minutes (although, because they are water-based, they suggest waiting an hour before you come into contact with water after painting). Now here’s the good bit… to remove the color, rather than using another smelly product, nail polish remover, they suggest you gently peel it off – which feels pleasingly retro!