A chalk drawing on a dark slate board showing a row of nail polish bottles in varied shapes, with soft white and pastel chalk strokes against the deep charcoal background.

swatches & reviews from the stash

indie and mainstream polish, side by side

Nail Polish Brands

Browse manicure posts and swatches organised by nail polish brand, from Australian indie makers like Femme Fatale and Emily de Molly to mainstream favourites like OPI and China Glaze. Each brand page gathers Kitt's photos, colour notes, and layering experiments in one place.

Whether you're hunting for a holographic stunner or a reliable creme for stamping, the brand labels make it easy to explore the full range featured on the blog between 2011 and early 2016.

Featured Brands

A chalk drawing on a dark slate board of a single nail polish bottle with shimmer particles radiating outward in soft white and pale pink chalk.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics

Australian indie brand known for holographic and shimmer polishes. Shades featured include Mana Ruby — a strawberry red-pink jelly with iridescent blue and matte red hexes — and Winter Hyacinth.

Explore Femme Fatale
A chalk drawing on a dark slate board of two nail polish bottles side by side, one with a holographic rainbow effect rendered in soft chalk smudges.

Emily de Molly

Another Australian indie favourite, Emily de Molly delivers striking holographic polishes. Moment Of Impact is one standout shade that appeared in several manicures on the blog.

Explore Emily de Molly
A chalk drawing on a dark slate board of a classic OPI bottle shape with bold green chalk accents and delicate leaf motifs.

OPI

The New Orleans collection (reviewed in March 2016) brought some of the most exciting OPI shades to the blog, with rich, drop-dead-gorgeous colours that even won over a pink-averse blogger.

Explore OPI
A chalk drawing on a dark slate board of a nail polish bottle with a metallic cap, surrounded by swirling chalk patterns suggesting stamping designs.

China Glaze

Featuring shades like Emerald Sparkle, China Glaze appears across swatch posts and stamping combinations. A reliable mainstream brand with standout glitter and shimmer finishes.

Explore China Glaze

All Brands on The Cat's Claws

  • Femme Fatale Cosmetics
  • Emily de Molly
  • OPI
  • China Glaze
  • Essence
  • Covergirl
  • Layla
  • Max Factor
  • Deborah Lippmann
  • Chi Chi
  • Cirque
  • Crows Toes
  • Essie
  • A England
  • Girly Bits
  • Gosh
  • Australis
  • Avon
  • Gelicious Hybrid Gel
  • Pretty Serious
  • Colors by Llarowe
  • Missha

Each brand label page on the blog gathers every post tagged with that brand, so you can follow Kitt's evolving techniques — from early swatches to elaborate stamping and layering combinations. Seche Vite top coat was a regular staple across most manicures, and MoYou London stamping plates often joined the mix alongside polishes from Covergirl, Cult Nails, and Kleancolor.

Use the Stamping page to see nail art designs by technique, or browse the Archive to explore posts chronologically from 2011 through 2016.

Browsing by brand is one of the easiest ways to revisit a favourite polish or discover a new obsession hiding in the stash. The blog's brand pages gather swatches, colour notes, and layering experiments under each label, so whether you are hunting for a holographic stunner, a delicate sheer for the office, or a reliable creme for stamping, everything lives in one tidy spot. The collection spans indie makers and mainstream household names alike, reflecting years of careful testing and honest wear reports from the early 2010s into 2016. It is a lovely way to compare formulas, finish types, and colour families side by side, and to spot the shades that kept reappearing on Kitt's nails season after season.