A Minimalist Nail Polish Collection (Mostly Non-Toxic/5-Free) | L'amour et la Musique

[@lizm5991]

I totally agree with you!! When do we ever finish a bottle?? You're so, right! I only own 10 and Iam very content with that ☺️

[@ashleybernier-newchannelde2115]

This is the PERFECT collection! I think I just love you more with every video, Mercedes.

[@lamouretlamusique]

The Green Bunny Don't make me BLUSH! Haha. Thanks so much for your super sweet words. xo!

[@Tatiana-os1il]

Your manicures are so clean and professional looking and your color choices almost always resonate with me so I would love an updated nail video from you. I just thought I would throw it out there. I recently stopped going to salons to reallocate that budget to weekly chiropractic care so I started doing at home manicures and I'm realizing it's a lot of trial and error, especially with the more natural brands. Also my technique is just... Well, problematic, haha. A comprehensive nail video of your treatments, technique and updated favorite products would be oh so helpful.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Good idea! I do have my nail care/at home manicures down to a science so I could try and put something together. To be honest - it's mostly just practice! But I do have some helpful tips to share.

[@cprmiranda]

Collection is def smaller than mine! I tend to also not mind when metallic nail polish flakes off. I think because I like antique / distressed metal type finishes it seems less harsh.

[@lamouretlamusique]

+Claudia Miranda Yeah I hadn't thought of that likeness, but makes sense! Distressed metal

[@discopogo314]

I currently only have one nude nail polish by Zoya... I need a sheer pink and a greige/taupe! I think OPI is three free, not five, but I could be wrong. Great video. :)))

[@lamouretlamusique]

nxb314 Yep, you're right - my bad! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@gbamish]

For cuticles, what I usually do is use a lotion or moisturizer that I don't use anymore (in my case, a moisturizing creme by Jason that I regretted buying) and leave it on my fingernails for a couple of minutes before doing my nails. I also soak them in warm water for a few minutes, and the cuticles get super soft (and you don't have to buy a specific product for them!) :)

[@lamouretlamusique]

min&green Great tip, thank you for sharing! xo.

[@Melo1230806575]

I have a small collection myself and I'm definitely going to look into the lilac polish and the pink nude one you mentioned. Before I forget - I love the red bold lip it looks great on you :)

[@lamouretlamusique]

Melo1230806575 Thank you! I hadn't worn this lipstick in ages and remembered how absolutely amazing it is - chemicals and all :) xoxo.

[@NaturallaBeauty]

This is about the same size as my nail polish collection. I really only regularly paint my toes, so it's not an area where I feel the need to accumulate a lot. Two brands I've been liking recently are Pacifica and Mineral Fusion. I love that I can find both in stores near me, as picking polish colors online has been hit or miss for me, plus both are under $10 which keeps my wallet happy too! I have one Sheswai polish and it's pretty, but kind of awful to work with - super fussy and takes hours to dry unless you do the absolute thinnest coats - so it's good to know it's not indicative of the entire line :)

[@lamouretlamusique]

Naturalla Beauty Good to know both Pacifica and Mineral Fusion make good polishes! I haven't tried either, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for them. Yeah I love the Sheswai polish I have! The formula is weird, it's really like watery, but I don't have any of the issues you mentioned here with it. But that makes me a bit wary to try others of theirs now...

[@NaturallaBeauty]

l'amour et la musique Well, it is a yellow I have from Sheswai (I don't remember the name, but I think they only have one) and those are notoriously tricky, regardless of brand, right? I may brave another color at some point!

[@balletlau]

Did you end up getting rid of the colours you don't like? Is there a point in keeping things you don't like? Not criticising, just a thought. I'm trying to be "harsher" with myself in terms of keeping things I don't like/don't LOVE, so I understand keeping stuff...but then it just sits there.

[@wooedbywords]

I really love Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, since I have very dry cuticles, esp in the winter. With regular use, they keep your cuticles well moisturized and soft. HTH!

[@wooedbywords]

p.s. I keep my minimal nailpolish collection in a clear bag in the door of my fridge - it helps keep the consistency longer.

[@lamouretlamusique]

+wooedbywords I've tried that product before! I remember enjoying it. Thanks for your rec, and nail polish tip!

[@ModernGreenGoddess]

Love your collection. Opi infinite shine polish is 5 free so I replaced my fave 3 free opi polishes with those as they have the same colors. Top coat and nail polish, NOTHING compares to londontown. They are 9 free. I use their reg top coat and nail hardener as a base for all my polishes. Outstanding. Also we have the same fave colors lol. I also adore lauren b polish.

[@annieo4915]

This is huge compared to mine! haha I currently only have three, though I'd love to expand my collection. I'm also curious what you use for a polish remover.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Nourished Beauty Well it's definitely more than 3! I guess I'm just used to seeing other beauty blogger polish collections and they are insanity. Like bags of polishes. It gives me mild anxiety to see! I use the Zoya polish remover and I'm happy with it, though not sure how natural it is...

[@adine1951]

Definitely small collection!! 😊😊😊 very classic, very you!! But that green polish does not belong!! Toss it! I fixed the Aila polish by dumping 1/3 of it and adding Jenna Hipp's pink lady finger. It made the Aila go from atrocious to fab!! 😜😜😜 it turned into a bright and opaque coral more orangy than pink. Very summer appropriate!! Most of my nail polishes are Formula X, OPI, and Illamasqua. I have several brands, but I'm switch to cleaner brands because nails are so porous i can't stand the thought of formaldehyde or tuolene absorbing through my nail bed 😱😱😱. Love the way you look!!! When is that Audrey Hepburn tutorial coming up? 😉

[@lamouretlamusique]

Adine Haha how did I know you'd say it was small! Coming from the woman who has a beauty CLOSET! And which green polish?! The blackened emerald or the teal? I'm going to give Aila to Ru, it actually seems like it would suit her perfectly as is though mad respect for your alchemy. PS I sanitized some containers yesterday per your method with alcohol/vinegar/boiling! I was proud. I'm glad that most nail polish brands these days are 5-free it seems. And thank youuuuu! I guess the hair up is what really draws the Audrey comparison huh?

[@adine1951]

+l'amour et la musique yes, that blackish emerald one!! We both know you don't like it 😉 Only own what you love!! Wouldn't that be the biggest step towards minimalism? 😜 I'm glad you sanitized your pretty containers so that they can be repurposed 😊

[@bobbidarr251]

You apply it, push back cuticles, and wash it off. I think it does a great job!

[@lamouretlamusique]

Bobbi Darr Awesome, thanks :)

[@kellinicole86]

ugh I am totally one of those people that got obsessed with "collecting" nail polish (in my defense I did paint my nails like every 3 days for at least a year) but now it's all sitting in a box in my closet going unused. This has def. given me the urge to purge *haha* - something I really need to do with all my makeup/beauty stuff (and I NEED to stop buying stuff). And I def. did the fake nail thing in high school, but I only did it once because I ended up ripping my contact lens with them on : / Also, the color I had on my nails at ANFGB was OPI Pamplona Purple : )

[@lamouretlamusique]

kellinicole86 Every 3 days?! How did you have the TIME?! I guess doing my nails kind of a process for me, even once a week it's kinda hard to find the time. But clearly I manage :) Purging feels gooooooood, do it!

[@MarshaABranch]

I kept mine in an ED Box also :o). I'm pretty classic in my choices as well. Never did acrylics. No accent nail. No nail art. Mostly classic cream colors. But I do depart slightly in that sometimes I wear a Zoya pixie dust, or OPI's "My Favorite Ornament". I think that would be gorgeous on you. Zoya has one identical to it in their pixie dust collection called "Tomoko". I also think "Godiva" (another Zoya Pixie dust) would be nice on you. If you toss your OPI white polish, Godiva might be good replacement for it. Google it and click images to see what it looks like. Also, the pixie dusts last forever and you don't even need a topcoat. Also check out the Zoya "Caitlin", Zoya "Perrie", and from the Zoya Au Naturel collection, you may like "Brigitte", "Ren", "Odette" and "Normani" (similar to OPI's You Don't Know Jacques). Finally, if you are interested in a coral, Zoya has a lovely cream/jelly colour called "Maya". Your collection is lovely by the way. I enjoyed watching.

[@lamouretlamusique]

***** I'll check out your polish recs, thank you chica! The name Godiva alone for a polish sounds decadently amazing. So many wonderful sounding ones to investigate now

[@MarshaABranch]

l'amour et la musique You're welcome. I hope you like some of them. Godiva is a kind of ivory textured polish. Although it has a modern twist, I find it to be very classy and sophisticated. If you check Google images some of the photos may have a yellowish cast (depending on the lighting) but it's an ivory that leans more white. Hope that makes sense lol.

[@TheOrganiclady]

You look very pretty with your hair pulled up. "A retired woman's track suit in Boca"...too funny! I wish I could give you some recommendations on nail polish but I rarely have time to do them or sit and have them done and I have more polish bottles than I can ever possibly use. I can't bear to look in that basket and the ridiculous waste of money on my part. Like my Oribe products, it's just another thing I should feel guilty about. LOL!! Thanks for sharing. xo's

[@lamouretlamusique]

TheOrganiclady Aw thanks SO much! I wear my hair up a lot in day to day life but it's usually down for videos. So maybe I'll put it up more in videos! No need to feel guilty - maybe you can spread the love with some products you don't use to family/friends? When I get overwhelmed with product that's what I do and instantly feel better

[@brenna6106]

You have so much nail polish! I have binge moments of collecting all kinds of excess stuff, but for some reason nail polish has never been something I've purchased lots of. I usually have one nail polish around, maybe two. I play violin which means my finger nails are always being clipped to the nail bed. Color on my finger nails drives me nuts because it chips no matter what I do! I enjoy going over with a sheer top coat sometimes for some shine, but I still haven't found a great "clean" option. OPI's "Got the Blues for Red" has been my favorite for my toe nails for years. 7 years probably. Talk about not "branching out." I was going to try to replace it with something a little cleaner like Zoya or Scotch Naturals (are these even cleaner options??) but I can't find a red that is rich enough.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Brenna Bast Haha, I guess it's all relative! To many people this is small, especially for a "beauty blogger." But yeah I think we all have things that we don't really "get" why people would want to accumulate. The woman who used to do my pedicures had Got the Blues For Red and I used to get it on my toes all the time, love! Really similar to Quarter-of-a-Cent Cherry. Tbh I've heard nothing but negative things about Scotch Naturals so I'd personally steer you towards another clean brand - there are so many now it seems!

[@brenna6106]

True story. My books? Facial oils? Hair products? I have an embarrassing number. Just not nail polish. To each his own. I do love looking at and trying varieties of nail polish. They just don't seem to make it to my vanity. You are right in saying that this is a pretty small collection comparatively to most women (especially beauty bloggers). It's part of what I love about your channel though, you indulge and try new things without CONSUMING ALL THE THINGS!!! It's refreshing, really.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Brenna Bast THANK YOU! Lol CONSUMING ALL THE THINGS. I know exactly what you mean. Really appreciate your nice words about L'amour et la Musique

[@mcp0y3]

yes a must have in any girls collection is is opi Lincoln park after dark. it's the best most campy be at formula polish ever. some say essie's wicked but that formula takes 4coats for opacity. and compared to yours my collection is huge. I have more polish on my night stand for my in season polises lol. I do paint my nails every 2 to 3 days but have never used up a whole bottle and rarely ever repeat colors in a year

[@lamouretlamusique]

+Michelle Castillo Yeah I think relative to how beauty product obsessed I am, this is quite a small collection! Actually JUST finished up my bottle of Lincoln Park After Dark if you can believe it! Well, it's just unusable now, but it's probably...6+ years old? :)

[@mcp0y3]

Yeah a bottle will last a while with good care. Good job at finishing it! I buy a bottle even if it's for one mani because it still beats the price tag of 25 plus for a bi weekly mani or acrylic fill. Ugh acrylics what a horrible stage in my life! Haha

[@EightySixxPenelope]

Lovely, moderate selection! It boggles my mind why anyone would want to have an extensive collection, it seems so wasteful! I only have five polishes - 3 reds, 1 pink and 1 bronze and Zoya is my favourite brand. Their polish remover is fantastic too btw. Revlon Vixen (and Cherries in the Snow) was my fave years ago!

[@lamouretlamusique]

Penelope Solange So funny you mention that because as I was editing this I was thinking well I don't understand large nail polish collections but large lipstick collections seems totally justified. Crying. So we're on the same wavelength! I use the Zoya polish remover as well and really like it! Any idea how natural or clean it is, compared to others? REVLON MEMORIES.

[@bobbidarr251]

Thank you for another great video, Mercedes! You look gorgeous, as always! My favorite cuticle remover is Sparitual's Cuti-Clean Cuticle and Stain Remover. Rates a 1 on the Skin Deep site. I'm on my second bottle. I buy it at Ulta.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Bobbi Darr You're so welcome, really glad you liked it and THANK you for the nice compliment! And for the cuticle rec - I'm looking for something that I can use to soften cuticles without having to soak my fingers...does this product do that? xoxo!

[@nichellexoxo]

I totally recommend pacifica polishes. They claim to be 7 free and the have really great formulas and a decent color range

[@lamouretlamusique]

nichellexoxo Yes I've heard other raves about Pacifica polishes - I'll have to give them a go!

[@cameronrussell2208]

What kind of nail polish remover do you use/recommend? A more natural recommendation would be great! Thanks.

[@lamouretlamusique]

Cameron R I'm on my second bottle of the Zoya remover and it works perfectly, with all my polishes. I'm not really sure how "natural" it is but I always thought Zoya was a more natural brand. I've also heard the Mineral Fusion polish remover is good

[@nadiou13]

you are so right.... we never use up a nail polish bottle! I feel so bad right now... i need to stop buying nail polishes... D:

[@lamouretlamusique]

+Nadi Z. Haha don't feel bad! There are worse vices to have :)

[@nadiou13]

i guess... :p but I will throw some away! I must have around.. 80? It's a lot.

[@skymontey7599]

why is there no ingredients labeled on essie bottles? is it non toxic? plz reply

[@Floridawaters]

sky montey it's 3 free no formaheylde toluene or

[@boujee_vintage389]

you're so beautiful, i loved this video😘

[@lamouretlamusique]

aw thank you!

[@holistikqueen]

Hi Mercedes, Hope you are doing well. Thanks for another great video. You look fabulous as always! In regards to longevity, which of the nail polishes has lasted the longest in your opinion? For your cuticles, check out Deborah Lipman cuticle set available at Sephora. I have to say you got me hooked on Petit Vour. I love the box and look forward to it every month. Do you subscribe to Goodebox? I highly recommend it. I recently received, for example, lovefresh deodorant in lavender, and I think you may like. :-) I recently purchased bite beauty lipsticks, based on your recommendation and Zuzu luxe liquid liner and they are both great! I am intrigued by Infiore skincare that you mentioned in your recent video. :-)

[@lamouretlamusique]

Victoria Tsiparsky Hi there - why thank you, for the nice compliment! I'd say my Kure Bazar polish lasts the longest but I think it's because it's a metallic. Otherwise the Lauren B. Beauty has impressed me the most, in terms of longevity. So glad you love Petit Vour! I used to have a Goodebox subscription and I wasn't a fan - just didn't jive with the brands they were featuring at the time, but maybe they've stepped it. Heard of Lovefresh! In Fiore is

[@jaimealbano1]

No nudes in your collection?! I was on the search for one that matches my skin tone for a while but buying online leads to a lot of fails. I'm a RGB fan! Have you tried any from that line? I need to get back to painting my nails. It's become super low on the priority list lately. Sigh.

[@lamouretlamusique]

JaimeA I know right?! I wanted Nails Inc. Porchester Square for ages though. So, that would be a good one. Also, I may have just purchased a Smith + Cult polish...in a neutral! MERCEDES SHOPS FORTHCOMING. I haven't tried RGB but good to know you like them.

[@ruchan422]

I'd love to take the Aila polish off your hands. :p I'm surprised too you don't wear nudes? I love nude shades especially in my fingers and usually for ties I go red or some fun color. Check out Habit cosmetics nail polish!

[@lamouretlamusique]

Ru Chan It's yours :) Setting it aside for our next meet up date, which btw should happen soonish?

[@Tatiana-os1il]

Hahah "it's just gross; it looks like a retired womyn's track suit in boca"