American Apparel • Nail Lacquer • Polishes

Where To Buy?

LindaAnn on 8/5/2012 4:41:00 PM more reviews by LindaAnn

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I must first start by saying that this company has THE most amazing colors ever and the brush is THE best on the market as well giving an effortless application. The shine is incredible too. I had absolutely nothing negative to say abot this polish EXCEPT>>>>>>>>> that it chips very very quickly, like on day 3. I have good nails and wear my polish, unchipped, for a week or more. This polish must have a formula that is not chip resistant and that is the reason I gave it a 3 out of 5 on overall rating. Just really annoying that I have to change the polish so quickly. It stayed beautiful for two days. NOT NEARLY LONG ENOUGH!. Does not compare to the wear of ESSIE polishes. But I must say they do win on the colors and shine and ooh laa laa, that brush. Please American Apparel, tweak your formula. You almost got it right!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

wathenem on 6/17/2012 8:27:00 PM more reviews by wathenem

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

My favorite thing about AA polishes are 1.) the colors, and 2.) the packaging! There are some really unique and pretty colors in their selection, including in their NEON and Glitter lines. Some stores don't carry all the colors, so look at the full selection online! The packaging is really unique and definitely is a plus, and i'm not usually a sucker for packaging. Check them out! Its good to support products made in the usa!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* JasmineJolene on 6/10/2012 6:32:00 PM more reviews by JasmineJolene

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

UPDATE: Wear on these polishes is good, no budging at all on my toes. I did use Passport Blue on my fingernails the other day, was disappointed that it had started chipping the next day. I have bought three more though, African Violet, Mount Royal and Smoke Dazle which is a fabulous holographic dark silver. I applied it on Saturday, and today (Monday) it still looks amazing. I actually can't wait to redo my nails!


I am in the UK, and hadn't actually heard of this polish until I went into the store a few days ago. The clothes are, well, not for me - but the polishes are!

I bought American Denim (light blue), Palm Springs (nude), Passport Blue (navy) and a Meteor Shower (gold glitter). They are £17 for 3 in store, £7 each (£9 each and £23 for 3 online!) and Palm Springs was a bonus at £3.50 as it is being discontinued.

Today I have used American Denim and Meteor Shower on my toes, I will update on wear on a later date but so far I am very pleased! I like the packaging, don't have a problem with the slim brush (although I do prefer a fatter one) and the coverage is awesome. I definitely could have got away with one coat, but I still did two.

I will be going back once payday arrives!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kali205 on 2/18/2012 6:28:00 PM more reviews by kali205

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This polish lasts quite well. I easily got a full week out of it with minimal tip wear, using Seche Vite top coat. I'm not sure what it's dry time would be without Seche. I'm not a fan of the packaging. The brush is long both in stem and bristles, the bristles don't fan well and are skinny. The formula is quite thin. You need to apply carefully as the brush will want to pick up lots of the product which will then want to run down and flood your nails. I call it a two coat application because the first coat goes a bit streaky. I'm sure it would be a one coat application if the brush was better. I'd tolerate it for a unique colour, but wouldn't go out of my way to buy it otherwise.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* leGingbot on 1/17/2012 3:44:00 AM more reviews by leGingbot

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I bought my first three AA polishes in Butter, Dynasty, and Passport Blue (and I have my eye on a couple more).

The Good:
1. Pigmentation. The three I bought each had incredible pigmentation. Seriously. If you are careful, you can get away with one coat.
2. Application. They applied quite smoothly, excluding Butter (but such is the nature of yellows). They also dried relatively glossy.
3. The bottle. I love the shape! They're slim, rectangular, and are great for storage because they take up such little surface area.
4. Colors. There are quite a few pretty ones to choose from, but be warned-don't go by the color swatches on the AA website. (And as a sidenote, Passport Blue is INCREDIBLE. It really changed my mind about blue polish; I was convinced that blue looked terrible on my nails and avoided it like the plague. Who knows why I ordered Passport Blue, but I'm so glad I did-it's so deep and rich and sophisticated. It was my 'gateway' blue-I've gone from a loather of blue polish to a VERY picky blue polish lover! :D)
5. Price. $6. Awesome.

The Bad:
1. The brush. Good lord, I hate the brush. It's long, it's floppy...it makes application such a chore. I hate the AA brushes more than I hate those horrid O.P.I. ProWide brushes. I like the brush head to be short and slim and somewhat firm-I feel like I have better control with those, but the floppiness of the AA brush makes clean-up with acetone essential (for me anyway).

Overall:
Despite all the good things about these polishes, I am giving them a 3 because of the craptastic brush. I'm tempted to try and cut them shorter myself-we'll see. If they improved on the brush these would be a 5, hands down.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

swimmingpretty on 1/1/2012 8:14:00 PM more reviews by swimmingpretty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Kinky   Eyes: Brown    

These are quite good nail polishes I have three Hunter, California Trooper and Rose Bowl the colours are outstanding but there are some things to bear in mind first:
1. These seem to perform very differently with a base coat so if you're one of those people who prefer to skip a base coat every now and again, you're headed for chip city
2. Some shades can be extremely streaky to apply - Rose Bowl is worst for this and no matter how much I shake it (side to side) still applies streaky. This may just be a hit and miss - Hunter and CT are fine with 2 coats.
3. Thin brush some people love this but I'm not one of those people so that's something to bear in mind.

Overall the attraction to the AA nail polishes are the colours they are simply beautiful creme shades with a gloss finish. I wouldn't buy another simply because I have way to many nail polishes for someone who isn't a manicurist!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* girrl65 on 7/9/2011 11:19:00 AM more reviews by girrl65

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I really love AA polishes! They are creamy (not matte....they have a shine. Matte is flat), long wearing, and do not require many coats to become opaque. The only disadvantage for me is that they are not readily available. I have to order online from AA or swap. Rarely am I near a store. But other than that, these are great, great polishes and I want one of each color!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* dollbird on 6/28/2011 2:49:00 AM more reviews by dollbird

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

Top quality nail polish! Colours are saturated and matte, my favourite being Office. I would rather get bored of my nail colour sooner than them chipping on me, and not vice versa. This trooper outperforms, dare I say, OPI. I just hope they would add more shades.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

klo0801 on 5/22/2011 1:51:00 PM more reviews by klo0801

Age: Unknown   Skin: Dry, Warm   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

I bought both Peacock and California Trooper. I swatched them both and ended up doing a mani using both and I couldn't be happier with them. California Trooper is not as easily applied as Peacock, but still no complaints what so ever. These colors are amazing and the formula is great too! I will definitely be buying more polish from AA

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

godpsent on 5/22/2011 8:45:00 AM more reviews by godpsent

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Dark   Hair: Black, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

Definitely a fav nail lacquer to me. Dries fast, looks good with one coat, skinny brush, great colors, cheap! Easy to apply, just as easy as OPI and lasts long.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

crambeary on 3/31/2011 2:17:00 AM more reviews by crambeary

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Love the packaging, love the thin brush, love the colors, love the finish.

I think these polishes represent the AA brand well: simple, trendy colors that will wear with many outfits.

I'm personally a creme fan when it comes to nails and like their semi-matte finish. I would recommend a base and a top coat, just like all other polishes. I do find that some of the colors are pretty opaque with one coat but the formula is slightly thin so i always do 2 coats.

The only downside I've found is that some of the bright colors can stain your nails a bit.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

TalonsNotTentacles on 1/5/2011 12:36:00 AM more reviews by TalonsNotTentacles

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I bought the white, black and a pink on a whim when I saw the shop had a 3 for 15$ deal at the cashier. I was so giddy since their formula is free of certain undesirable chemicals until I tried to actually use them. I found all 3 colors to be particularly streaky, runny and generally unpleasant to use. I would advise anyone who is used to a quick drying, non-streaky, no fuss product to avoid this line entirely. I bought 15$ worth of fail, hence my claim that it was expensive. It was very disappointing.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ashlayton on 12/4/2010 9:25:00 AM more reviews by ashlayton

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Blue    

I bought one American Apparel nail lacquer back many moons ago when they were first coming out. I bought Hassid, because it was reviewed by the Daily Nail as the best black nail polish she had used. If you like black nail polish, YOU NEED HASSID. It is a one coat black nail polish. Perfect for achieving (obviously) black nails, nail art, or black konad. I have since purchased 9 other nail polishes from them, including another bottle of Hassid because I've never used up nail polish so quickly. (I'm no where near done, but just in case) So far the best polishes I've tried from the 9 are Rose Bowl an English tea rose color and Malibu Green, a tealish greenish color. BOTH of these are also one coat nail polishes. I love that these polishes are only cremes, because to be honest sometimes I just want a creme polish. Actually a lot. I think glitters are played out and too immature sometimes. And I hate frosts.

Long story short, I love these nail polishes. If you like creme nail colors that are trendy and really user friendly, these are for you.

PS- For me to give such a good review of these, is something special because I have over 200 nail polishes and I am incredibly picky when it comes to the ones I give out great reviews for.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ayngemac on 10/27/2010 12:19:00 AM more reviews by ayngemac

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I've avoided this brand for a long time because of the reports from the nail board. Porno ads? CEO perv? What's up with that? But I was walking by their store and saw these through the window and went in to check them out. First, I have to admit that I kind of like the bottle, despite the reports that they are cheap and break. You can fit more polish in a drawer if the bottles are square. There is a decent range of shades, but THEY ARE ALL CREME. No shimmers? No glitters? Not even a frost? B O R I N G ... but the polish itself applies smoothly and dries relatively quickly. I only needed one coat as well.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

smokygrey on 8/19/2010 3:22:00 PM more reviews by smokygrey

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have recently purchased Office and I'm in love with the color! It's slightly pale minty/ jadey green with just enough of neutral undertones to make it absolutely delicious. However the application absolutely sucks. It's streaky and gloopy, it takes at least 3 coats and a killer top coat to get it right. I'm not planning to repurchase but.... I have to admit, most of their colors are to die for!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

amberexic on 8/11/2010 7:27:00 PM more reviews by amberexic

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I enjoy these nail lacquers! American Apparel is my favorite store, so I might be sliiiighty biased, but on with the review.

I bought 3 for the 3/$15 deal in store.
I picked up:
Mouse: a beige sort of grey, reminds me a bit of OPI's You Don't Know Jacques (a HG color for me)
Malibu Green: a blue-green/ teal sort of color that is more green than blue
Dynasty: a sort of muted magenta-purple

I've tried these with and without a base/topcoat.. without they are super chippy. If I don't use at least a base or a top with these I can get maybe 2 days of wear per application. With a base/topcoat these last about as long as OPI for me. The colors are super gorgeous, 2 coats makes for a streakfree application, which I have come to expect from 95% of all nailpolishes.

The packaging is super cute(I am a sucker for packaging) and I quite like the brush. I have small/short nail beds and I prefer a skinny brush... wide brushes always deposit more color on my cuticles :/

I too experienced a bit of staining from Malibu Green, but I think this could be avoided with a good base coat.

I wish they would come out with a pepper grey or triblend sort of color!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Allee2012 on 7/30/2010 3:52:00 PM more reviews by Allee2012

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love these nail polishes so much! I got Office on a whim a long time ago because I loved the sea foam green look it had, but it's really more of a pretty light blue. But I still love it! & I just went back to AA and got Berry and Mouse! I wish Berry wasn't so dark, but it'll be a good winter color and Mouse is such a great grey color! & the bottles are really good because I dropped two bottles on my tile floor and they didn't crack or anything! I'm probably going to end up buying all of the colors, but the light pink one because I think it's too close to OPI's Pandamonium Pink; which I already have. :) I can't get enough of these!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* blacklondon on 7/22/2010 4:25:00 PM more reviews by blacklondon

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I had been dying to try out these polishes for a long time. They were 3 for $18 and in the store you can mix and match which colours you would like in the set of 3, which I don't think you are able to do online. The formula is alright, though after the first coat comes out a little streaky; but after a second coat it looks perfect.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dorna on 6/10/2010 11:03:00 PM more reviews by dorna

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought three colors: Coney Island (a light pink/white color), Malibu Green (blue-green), and Dynasty (a neutral purple).
Pros:
-the colors went on very opaque. For the malibu green I only needed one coat!
-very chic, cute bottle.
-Very trendy, unique color selection.
Cons: The Malibu Green was my favorite because it had virtually no streaks and went on super-opaque with only one coat, but when I tried to take it off it stained my nail and cuticles green. I was disappointed, but this won't deter me from using it again because it's such a great color!
-Coney Island went on quite streaky
-Something about these brushes is odd-I think they're too long, and they take on way too much polish so I feel like it's like spilling all over my nails.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nikkip25 on 5/30/2010 2:35:00 PM more reviews by nikkip25

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I am loving the AA nail polishes they're carrying! I have it in Palm Springs which is a warm peachy color. So cute with a tan! For the price of 6 bucks, you can't really beat that! The brush is a little smaller than your regular brush, but I don't have a problem with it because it distributes color easily. The consistency is amazing! Creamy and delivers an opaque color easily in two coats! No streaks! I always use a primer before I apply nail polish so that prolly helped a little bit! They have a great variety of colors too!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No