6 Great Nail-Care Products

Look polished every day, anywhere. Stash this all-in-one nail-care kit—a 0.6-ounce bottle of polish sits atop a container that holds a small file and presoaked remover pads—in your bag and you can fix chips, smudges, and snags on the go.

To buy: $15, dualitycosmetics.com.

Featured December 2012

Take it off. Take it all off: Each envelope holds one finger mitt infused with lavender-scented polish remover that can strip color or lacquer from all 10 nails. Bonus: The formula contains aloe vera, so the process is fast and skin-friendly, too.

To buy: $12 for six packets, nordstrom.com.

With this starter kit—complete with appliqué strips, an LED light, and a topcoat—anyone can do a salon-style gel manicure at home. Apply a strip to each nail, file to shape, hold under the lamp, and seal with the topcoat for up to two weeks of chip-free tips. Available in three shades.

To buy: $28, target.com.

It’s a bitter beauty irony: If you have nail fungus, you long to cover it with polish. However, that’s ill-advised, because polish can trap the fungus and exacerbate the condition. Enter daniPro Nail Polish, which also treats toenails with undecylenic acid, a topical antifungal. Available in 12 colors.

To buy: $25, danipronailpolish.com.

When is a dull idea a good one? When it involves painting this clear, mattifying lacquer over a nail color—even a sparkly formula—to give it a sophisticated sueded finish. Bonus: Since it’s not as shiny as a regular top coat, it won’t magnify chips. Try applying it over a week-old manicure to make dings less noticeable.

To buy: $9, ulta.com.

Wave good-bye to manicure regret with a boxed quartet of topcoats that alter the finish of polish after it has dried. One makes it matte, one makes it sparkly, one darkens, and one boosts shine.

To buy: $40, lcnboutique.com.

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