Piggy Paint Water-Based Nail Polish Color Review (Let’s Flamingle)

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a list of cruelty-free, vegan, water-based nail polishes. Ever since I’ve been super curious to know how water-based nail polish differs from traditional solvent-based nail polishes and so I got my hands on one of the most popular kid-friendly water-based nail polish brands, Piggy Paint.

For the past 10 years, Piggy Paint’s mission has been to create non-toxic, premium products. Products that are worry-free and completely safe for kids – our kids and your kids. With an ethical, eco-minded vision, our company strives to offer the safest polish on the planet. Piggy Paint is non-toxic, virtually odorless, and free of ALL harsh chemicals. Our water based nail polish dries to a hard finish that doesn’t wash or peel off – and comes in a rainbow of fun colors! Cruelty-free, Vegan, and Made in the USA!

Piggy Paint

For this week’s Vegan Mani Monday, I wanted to share my initial review and experience with trying out a water-based nail polish for the first time.

Piggy Paint water-based nail polishes are marketed as kid-friendly because of their toxic-free and gentle formula. I grabbed this fun coral pink color called Let’s Flamingle.

Let’s Flamingle – Piggy Paint

Color: Let’s Flamingle is described as a matte, bright pink coral water-based nail polish color.

Price: US$7.99 or CAD$11.99

Formula: The color is surprisingly opaque, which wasn’t what I expected from a water-based nail color. I honestly thought they were going to apply like water color! The directions say to apply 2-3 thin coats. I have on 3 coats. It applies quite evenly but it dries streaky where you can see brush strokes and lines only once it’s dried.

This color definitely needs at least 3 coats to minimize the appearance of brush strokes which are apparent and noticeable when you look very closely and in person. The brush strokes aren’t picking up on the camera.

Piggy Paint suggests for maximum chip resistance, blow dry polished nails for 1 minute on warm heat/low blower setting. I tried blow drying in between each coat on one hand and found the brush strokes to be less noticeable compared to my other hand where I air dried for 60 seconds in between coats.

I was also surprised to learn the time it takes water-based nail polish to dry was relatively the same as traditional nail polish.

Wear Test: Unfortunately, Piggy Paint’s Let’s Flamingle only lasted 1 day before chipping on my nails. They do recommend applying the nail polish before bed so it can cure and harden completely overnight.

Comments: Overall, I am impressed and was pleasantly surprised with the application, color, dry time, and final look of Piggy Paint’s water-based nail polish. I think it’s a good alternative for kids to use instead of solvent-based nail polish and if you don’t mind the extra steps of blow drying your nails and requiring at least 3 coats of polishes.

The only downside was that it didn’t last that long, even with a water-based top coat (review of top coat coming soon).

I think kids are more into the experience of doing their nails like in a salon than how long the color lasts before chipping anyways. So I would definitely recommend making an afternoon activity of doing your nails with your kiddies using Piggy Paint’s water-based nail polishes!

Piggy Paint claims their polishes are low odor or virtually odorless and I admit they do not have that chemical smell that traditional nail polish has but I found Piggy Paint to smell more like arts and crafts paint.

All of Piggy Paint nail polishes are water-based, cruelty-free, non-toxic, made in the USA.

Ingredients: Water, acrylates copolymer, neem oil.

May contain the following colorants (depending on shade): Red 34 Lake, ultramarines, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, mica, red 28, yellow 10, violet 2, zinc sulfide/copper, copper flake, orange 5, and red 22.

Where to buy? I bought mine at Well.ca, you can also get Piggy Paint on Amazon (US) and Amazon (CA).

PR or Purchased? I purchased this nail polish at Well.ca