As a mom of an active preschooler, I love to pamper myself, but find myself quite short on time. I would love to get manicures and pedicures frequently, but for most of us, it is just not feasible. I need a nail polish to keep my toes pretty for sandal season that will go on quick, stay on long and look great at the same time. So how does Revlon's Nail Enamel rate? It is absolutely the best among the lower end cosmetic lines!

Price & Availability: The beauty of a Revlon product is that it is readily available at nearly any drug store and the price is pretty reasonable as well. Believe it or not, I can even find some colors in my local (larger) grocery stores and certainly at Walmart or K-mart. The bottles run about $4.00 for 1/2 fluid ounce of polish.

Color choices: Of all the lower end cosmetic lines, Revlon has, by far, the best color choices. The colors are varied and so are the types of colors. For instance, I have Creme colors, Frosted colors, Chrome colors, Metallic colors and plain colors. My favorites are the Creme and the Plain, but I do occasionally choose a metallic for my "wild days." My two favorites in my collection are Misty Lilac, that actually doesn't have a drop of purple in it (looks more like a creamy apricot) and the Deep Bronze. The latter looks fantastic in the summer with a nice tan.

Texture: Some cheaper brands of polish I've used require the addition of nail polish thinner to avoid clumping. Revlon goes on as smooth as silk for a much longer time. In fact, it's rare that I ever have to add a thinner. When applying Revlon nail enamel you get an even stroke on toes that makes for a more uniform color which has a more professional look.

Fragrance: Not many people I know of enjoy sniffing any nail polish, but this one doesn't smell that terrible! It is not as overpowering as some of the brands on the market today. Perhaps that is because it is formaldehyde and toluene free?

Coverage: If you read the directions on the back of any Revlon Nail Enamel bottle, it will tell you to shake gently, and apply two coats. That is the bare minimum, my friend. I would never trust my polish to stay on and look good with just one coat. In fact, I'd recommend either applying 3 coats of polish or 2 coats of polish with a top coat. You can never be too careful.

Drying time: I would consider the amount of time it takes for Revlon nail enamel to dry to be average. I've had polish to dry quicker, but that polish was generally thinner and did not supply the same quality of coverage as Revlon nail enamel. I let 20 minutes elapse between coats and find that it generally takes an hour to an hour and a half for the whole process, first coat to completely dried nail polish, to be complete.

Wearability and Length of Wear: I find that if I am careful, the polish job (on my toenails) will last 2 or even 3 weeks, at times. It starts looking a bit shabby after about 2 weeks, though. I have had polish that barely lasted a week, so I would rate Revlon's durability above average. If you use a topcoat, you can most definitely increase the time you wear your polish. We recently went to a waterpark and I just knew my toenail polish would be chipped at the end of the day, but it came through the day beautifully! Not bad, since I've already had it on close to two weeks!

I sampled some higher end nail polish when I receive them in those free promotional gifts that you get during the year at different times. I can say that while those are sometimes better, they can't compete with Revlon's price. That is to say, they aren't worth paying nearly double for how much better they are! I would rather have a variety of colors in my make-up cabinet, than one bottle of the good stuff. If you are a stickler for one color, then you may find it more economical, in the long run, to buy a bottle from your department store. Myself, unless it's free, I'm sticking with Revlon.


Recommended: Yes