Bargain Beauty | Buying Nail Polish for Less
Over the years, I have compiled some tips and tricks for getting the nail polish colors you want, for less. You too, can get your favorite OPI, Essie, China Glaze and more for 50% off the retail price!
Nail polish is my vice you guys, I can talk myself out of buying almost every other beauty product, but when it comes to nail polish….I always give in.
That being said, we all want to keep up with the nail world (that somehow keeps coming out with new colors and textures) but I personally don’t want to have to spend ~$140 per new collection for mainstream brands. If you don’t either, well keep on reading because there are a handful of sites where you can get your polish for less than half the price! And some in-store places too.
These are just two of many sites that offer wholesale prices for nail polish, but these two I have used multiple times, and they are reliable and have shipping prices up on their website. Not all wholesale sites are super reliable, but I will tell you about my experiences with these and why I think they are the best.
Essie Gel Couture polishes are $5.75/bottle, again a 50% savings from the original price of $11.50/bottle.
Other polishes stocked here that I frequently purchase are China Glaze at $3.25/bottle, Color Club at $6/bottle, LeChat at $1.95/bottle, and Orly at $4.25/bottle. Most polishes on this site are 50% off retail price.
To give you an idea of shipping prices, it costs $8-$10 to ship to me in New York, and $8-$9 to ship to my hometown just outside of Chicago.
The other polishes on Head2toebeauty are a little pricier -- but not by much, so you can be the judge of your preferred vendor. Orly is $5.75/bottle, Color Club is $6/bottle, LeChat is $3.25/bottle, Sech is $4.95/bottle, and very old and very small selection of OPI polishes are $3.95.
So you may be asking “But what about brand new OPI collections?” Well, those are a little harder to come by. Occasionally they will pop up on these sites, but the most reliable place I have been able to find them is www.polishpick.com.
CVS, Walgreens/Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and almost every drugstore chain offers a rewards program. Because a lot of what I pick up is a beauty product here and there, all the coupons that get sent to my cards or my emails are money off beauty products -- and I always take advantage of the sales on polishes!
Just this summer I was able to get an Essie polish for $4 with a coupon that I got in store from and associate, which is another tip to note, ask the people who work there if they know of any sales. They are usually really willing to help.
I have been lucky enough to live in Chicago and New York, both of which have quite a few wholesale sellers -- and this saves me on shipping! Usually, their prices are right at the same number as the websites I have listed below, but it saves you time and a little bit of money.
This tip works especially well if the color you’re looking for is a little older, but it can apply to new collections as well. Salons usually buy multiples of colors, and honestly they don’t really care which colors they have on display - those coming in will pick from what is there and it won’t ding them any to lose a polish here or there.
Which of these tips do you think you will implement or use in the future? Do you have any go-to saving tips for buying nail polish? Let me know down below!
How you can buy nail polish for cheap
Today is the second instalment of my Bargain Beauty series, and I’ll be focusing on nail polish, aka the beauty item that got me into this whole mess of blogging.Nail polish is my vice you guys, I can talk myself out of buying almost every other beauty product, but when it comes to nail polish….I always give in.
That being said, we all want to keep up with the nail world (that somehow keeps coming out with new colors and textures) but I personally don’t want to have to spend ~$140 per new collection for mainstream brands. If you don’t either, well keep on reading because there are a handful of sites where you can get your polish for less than half the price! And some in-store places too.
Buying nail polish online at wholesale prices
My two favorite sites are www.transdesign.com and http://head2toebeauty.comThese are just two of many sites that offer wholesale prices for nail polish, but these two I have used multiple times, and they are reliable and have shipping prices up on their website. Not all wholesale sites are super reliable, but I will tell you about my experiences with these and why I think they are the best.
Let’s start with Transdesign
Transdesign is a great site based out of Georgia, and is where I primarily buy my Essie polishes. On Transdesign, Essie polishes are only $4.50 each which is 50% of full price for me here in New York. I know that in some places Essie is less, but full price here is $9/bottle.Essie Gel Couture polishes are $5.75/bottle, again a 50% savings from the original price of $11.50/bottle.
Other polishes stocked here that I frequently purchase are China Glaze at $3.25/bottle, Color Club at $6/bottle, LeChat at $1.95/bottle, and Orly at $4.25/bottle. Most polishes on this site are 50% off retail price.
To give you an idea of shipping prices, it costs $8-$10 to ship to me in New York, and $8-$9 to ship to my hometown just outside of Chicago.
Moving on to Head2toebeauty
Now, I love this site. It is not the easiest to navigate, but the shipping is half the price, which makes it very worth it.. If I am buying polishes from China Glaze (at the same price of $3.25/bottle) and only China Glaze, this is my go-to.The other polishes on Head2toebeauty are a little pricier -- but not by much, so you can be the judge of your preferred vendor. Orly is $5.75/bottle, Color Club is $6/bottle, LeChat is $3.25/bottle, Sech is $4.95/bottle, and very old and very small selection of OPI polishes are $3.95.
So you may be asking “But what about brand new OPI collections?” Well, those are a little harder to come by. Occasionally they will pop up on these sites, but the most reliable place I have been able to find them is www.polishpick.com.
Polish Pick is the one and only for OPI
Polish Pick is amazing for OPI shades, and they usually have a deal if you buy the full collection. Currently if you wanted to buy the full collection you can get all 12 shades for $66 which puts them at $5.50/bottle. If you only want a couple, they are $5.75/bottle.In Person Shopping
Sometimes I want just one or two new colors, and that doesn’t justify paying the shipping from any of these sites. There are a couple ways to get around this, utilizing coupons at stores you already shop at, searching for wholesale stores, and lastly buying from beauty salons.Utilize your in-store coupons
I used to think that you could never get a good deal on nail polishes because beauty products almost never go on sale, but I was wrong! This tip applies a little more for drugstore brands, but there is one tip for those salon brands we all know and love.CVS, Walgreens/Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and almost every drugstore chain offers a rewards program. Because a lot of what I pick up is a beauty product here and there, all the coupons that get sent to my cards or my emails are money off beauty products -- and I always take advantage of the sales on polishes!
Just this summer I was able to get an Essie polish for $4 with a coupon that I got in store from and associate, which is another tip to note, ask the people who work there if they know of any sales. They are usually really willing to help.
Google the nearest wholesale shop
If you happen to live in a big city, or close to one, or you’re just lucky, you can search “wholesale nail polish” into Google (or your preferred search engine) and see if there are any wholesale sellers near you.I have been lucky enough to live in Chicago and New York, both of which have quite a few wholesale sellers -- and this saves me on shipping! Usually, their prices are right at the same number as the websites I have listed below, but it saves you time and a little bit of money.
Ask your local salon
Have a color in mind? Head over to some of your neighborhood salons and perus their racks. If you find a colors you like, just ask someone there if you could buy it from them for a lower price. If you don’t mind that the bottles are not 100% full, you can walk away with some great colors for $3-$5 -- and remember, nail salons have to maintain a very clean working environment, so the polishes are usually really well taken care of. I have never run into an issue when doing this.This tip works especially well if the color you’re looking for is a little older, but it can apply to new collections as well. Salons usually buy multiples of colors, and honestly they don’t really care which colors they have on display - those coming in will pick from what is there and it won’t ding them any to lose a polish here or there.
Final thoughts and wrap up
I always love a good deal, and I hope that this guide has helped you figure out the best way for you to get the polishes you want for less! If you want more Bargain Beauty tips, check out the series here!Which of these tips do you think you will implement or use in the future? Do you have any go-to saving tips for buying nail polish? Let me know down below!
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