How to remove nail polish without nail polish remover!
Yesterday I was swatching Chanel’s new nail polishes (posting them soon) when Mr. Husband calls and says we have to go for a formal dinner. And then I realise there is not a single drop of nail polish remover in the house.
So, nails covered in 4 different colours that needed to come off ASAP, it was time to risk this really strange tip I had once heard backstage at Paris Fashion Week: spritz some perfume on a cotton ball and use it to wipe away the nail polish. And know what, it took a couple of minutes of wiping but the nail polish came off completely!
That’s because perfumes contain ethyl acetate—which is also a key ingredient in most nail polish removers.
I used Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gioia though you can pick and choose from whatever takes your fancy!
Wouldn’t recommend this as a daily regimen though. Not only is perfume more drying than most good nail polish removers but the latter also cost a lot less!
What’s your secret remove-nail polish-in-a-pinch tip?
Anubha Charan is a powerhouse in the luxury beauty industry, with over 15 years of expertise shaping the global beauty narrative. As the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, she worked with the magazine's French headquarters to craft cutting-edge beauty content for international audiences.
Anubha's bylines have appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious publications, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest. She is also the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a Simon & Schuster book on French beauty rituals.
Vodka, and it is really good! 🙂
Ooooh… I did not know this. Will def be trying it soon, considering that I am always forgetting to stock up on nail polish remover. Vodka, on the other hand, I always have on hand 😉 Thanks for the tip!
Does it really? It’s so expensive though =(
I found out a couple years ago that using nail polish can actually remove nail polish as well. I didn’t believe it and I actually tried it and it worked. You just apply the other nail polish on top of your already polished nails and wipe it off. It works in a pinch, believe it or not.
I tried this yesterday… had no nail polish remover, no perfume and no vodka. Took a bit of rubbing but it got off the nail polish. Thank you for the tip 🙂
I used to do that when I was a kid…i used my dad colognes to remove nail polish & also ink marks on my hand
Wouldn’t have made your father too happy, I am assuming 😉
Interesting. In a pinch I’ve applied a thick coat of a slow-drying polish, waited a few seconds and then wipe the old polish off. Sometimes it takes a couple tries, but it works out OK.
Have a job interview tomorrow at Barnes Hospitals and bright colored fingers are drowned upon in the nursing life, but I have no polish remover. Will be trying out the perfume in a few seconds. Will keep you ladies posted!
#wish me luck
Ohh nice and thanks for sharing it. I really had no Idea about this trick so thanks again for sharing it with us
Yes, that’s right perfumes can be used to remove nail polish from the nails but it is less concentrated than the nail polish removers.