The True Cost of Your Nail Polish

Nail polishes often come in various sizes though the standard size appears to be 0.5 fl oz (Opi, China  Glaze, Essie, etc). When Julep averages at $14 for 0.27 fl oz and MAC $16 for 0.34 fl oz, do you know which brand is more expensive? We are going now going to pretend that every nail polish brand comes in the exact same bottle with the exact same size (1 fl oz or 29.5 ml).

Here is the list by price (image):

  FINDINGS

  • Did you know that Julep at $14 (0.27 fl oz) is actually more expensive than MAC at $16 (at 0.34 fl oz)?
    • China Glaze, Opi, Zoya, and Essie all cost the same. The same with Estée Lauder & Givenchy.
  • Butter London might be cheaper in sticker price compare to illamasqua but overall illamasqua is cheaper cause the bottle provides more nail polish
  • Overall low end brands will cost you around $10 per 1 fl oz, mid range $30, high end mid range $50 and high end brands $70
  • High end brands are tiny! They are typically only around .30 fl oz. Oddly, mid-range brands offer the most nail polish at around .50 fl oz (low end brands typically are around .40)
  • If you’re going “high brand”, Tom Ford offers the most nail polish.
  • Forever 21 and H&M may be each other’s competion, but not in nail polish prices! Forever 21 is significantly cheaper than the H&M branded nailpolish
  • Wet N Wild is overall the cheapest brand, by Terry is the most expensive (significantly more expensive than the 2nd most expensive brand Yves Saint Laurent)
  • If you’re all about who provides the MOST nail polish, Orly does at .6 fl oz. Lancome & Le Metier (Both considered high end) offer the least in terms of actual nail polish fluid.

  For those who may find the image tiny

Brand Price (Average $US) Size (Fl oz) True Cost per Fl Oz
Wet n Wild $1.99 0.45 $4.42
ELF $2.00 0.34 $5.88
Forever 21(Love & Beauty) $2.80 0.47 $5.95
NYX $2.99 0.5 $5.98
NYC Color $1.99 0.33 $6.03
Rimmel London $2.99 0.4 $7.47
Revlon $4.99 0.5 $9.98
Cover Girl $5.00 0.5 $10.00
Claire’s $5.00 0.5 $10.00
ULTA $4.00 0.33 $12.12
Sally Hasen $3.99 0.31 $12.87
Maybelline $2.99 0.23 $13.00
Orly $8.50 0.6 $14.16
H&M $4.99 0.33 $15.12
L’Oreal $5.99 0.39 $15.35
China Glaze $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Essie $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Opi $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Zoya $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics OCC $10.00 0.5 $20.00
POP Beauty $10.00 0.5 $20.00
Sparitual $10.00 0.5 $20.00
the Balm $10.00 0.5 $20.00
nails inc $9.50 0.33 $28.78
NCLA $15.00 0.5 $30.00
Deborah Lippmann $16.00 0.5 $32.00
Rococo $16.50 0.5 $33.00
Ciate $15.00 0.45 $33.33
illamasqua $17.00 0.5 $34.00
Butter London $15.00 0.4 $37.50
Inglot $14.00 0.37 $37.83
Nars $19.00 0.5 $38.00
Clinique $12.50 0.3 $41.66
Lynnderella $22.50 0.5 $45.00
MAC $16.00 0.34 $47.05
bobbi brown $18.00 0.37 $48.60
Laura Mercier $18.00 0.35 $51.42
Julep $14.00 0.27 $51.85
JINsoon $18.00 0.33 $54.54
Anna Sui $15.00 0.27 $55.55
Dolce & Gabbana $24.00 0.37 $64.80
Estée Lauder $20.00 0.3 $66.66
Givenchy $20.00 0.3 $66.66
Chanel $27.00 0.4 $67.50
Guerlain $23.00 0.33 $69.69
Le Metier $10.00 0.14 $71.42
Lancome $15.00 0.21 $71.42
Dior $24.00 0.33 $72.72
Tom Ford $30.00 0.41 $73.17
Yves Saint Laurent $25.00 0.34 $73.52
By Terry $30.00 0.33 $90.90

Like how many cookies you get in a box, its important to know how much nail polish you get in a bottle. Because size bottle determines how many manicures, now you know your nail polish true cost.

And for kicks and giggles, here are the brands in order of size rather than cost:
Brand Price (Average $US) Size (Fl oz) True Cost per Fl Oz
Le Metier $10.00 0.14 $71.42
Lancome $15.00 0.21 $71.42
Maybelline $2.99 0.23 $13.00
Julep $14.00 0.27 $51.85
Anna Sui $15.00 0.27 $55.55
Clinique $12.50 0.3 $41.66
Estée Lauder $20.00 0.3 $66.66
Givenchy $20.00 0.3 $66.66
Sally Hasen $3.99 0.31 $12.87
NYC Color $1.99 0.33 $6.03
ULTA $4.00 0.33 $12.12
H&M $4.99 0.33 $15.12
nails inc $9.50 0.33 $28.78
JINsoon $18.00 0.33 $54.54
Guerlain $23.00 0.33 $69.69
Dior $24.00 0.33 $72.72
By Terry $30.00 0.33 $90.90
ELF $2.00 0.34 $5.88
MAC $16.00 0.34 $47.05
Yves Saint Laurent $25.00 0.34 $73.52
Laura Mercier $18.00 0.35 $51.42
Inglot $14.00 0.37 $37.83
bobbi brown $18.00 0.37 $48.60
Dolce & Gabbana $24.00 0.37 $64.80
L’Oreal $5.99 0.39 $15.35
Rimmel London $2.99 0.4 $7.47
Butter London $15.00 0.4 $37.50
Chanel $27.00 0.4 $67.50
Tom Ford $30.00 0.41 $73.17
Wet n Wild $1.99 0.45 $4.42
Ciate $15.00 0.45 $33.33
Forever 21(Love & Beauty) $2.80 0.47 $5.95
NYX $2.99 0.5 $5.98
Revlon $4.99 0.5 $9.98
Cover Girl $5.00 0.5 $10.00
Claire’s $5.00 0.5 $10.00
China Glaze $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Essie $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Opi $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Zoya $8.00 0.5 $16.00
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics OCC $10.00 0.5 $20.00
POP Beauty $10.00 0.5 $20.00
Sparitual $10.00 0.5 $20.00
the Balm $10.00 0.5 $20.00
NCLA $15.00 0.5 $30.00
Deborah Lippmann $16.00 0.5 $32.00
Rococo $16.50 0.5 $33.00
illamasqua $17.00 0.5 $34.00
Nars $19.00 0.5 $38.00
Lynnderella $22.50 0.5 $45.00
Orly $8.50 0.6 $14.16
xoxo,
 Emmy

More about Emmy