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How Do I Choose the Best Nail Polish Holder?

By Bethany Keene
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,686
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Depending on the amount of nail polish you own, a nail polish holder may be a helpful purchase to keep things organized. A wall mounted or free standing rack, similar to a spice rack, is generally the largest option for people who own a great deal of different types of nail polish. A carrying case is another type, and is generally a good choice for kids or teens who may want to take it with them to a friend's house. Of course, storing nail polish in a drawer is easy and free, rather than purchasing a special nail polish holder.

It is possible to purchase a designated nail polish holder online or at most beauty supply stores. To order larger options, such as those used in salons, it will generally be necessary to order online. These are a good choice, however, because they allow you to see at a glance all the different colors available without having to dig through a drawer or a basket full of different bottles of nail polish. These can often be mounted on the wall, such as in a closet or bedroom. Smaller freestanding options are a good choice for the top of a dresser or bathroom counter.

A nail polish holder may also be available in a carousel style, generally with a few different levels that will allow you to spin it to see the different colors available. These may take up less room than rack-style holders, and can also be a bit more decorative. If you do not wish to purchase a designated nail polish holder, simply browsing spice racks at most home stores or discount stores will reveal some acceptable options, and these will probably be cheaper as well!

If you do not need to have the nail polish on display all the time, a cosmetics case offers a good alternative. These generally feature individual slots to keep things organized, and they also help to keep cosmetics and nail polishes out of sight. It is still easy to see the different colors available without needing to keep them out on a dresser or countertop. For children or teens who may want to tote their makeup and nail polish around with them, such as when visiting with friends, these can also be a fun gift. Cosmetics cases are available in many different sizes and color combinations, and are typically made of sturdy plastic and feature a carrying handle.

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Discussion Comments
By sunshined — On Nov 16, 2011

I think my daughters buy a new color of nail polish almost every time they go to the store. Needless to say, there is no shortage of nail polish around our house.

They also like to take their nail polish to friends houses and do their nails together. I ended up buying each of them a tote they could use for this.

This doesn't hold all of their polish, but they can put in a few of their favorite colors. This also gives them room to include polish remover, cotton balls, emery boards and other supplies they might want to take along with them.

The only thing I don't like about fabric totes is that if nail polish gets spilled, you never get it out. I guess this is better than it spilling on your clothes or carpet, but it didn't take long for the totes to look well used!

By honeybees — On Nov 15, 2011

After years of keeping all my nail supplies in a plastic tub, I bought a holder specifically for all of my nail polish.

I was so tired of digging through the tub every time I was looking for a certain color of polish.

There were also too many times when a lid didn't get put on tight enough and then polish would spill out and get over everything else in the tub. By the time I discovered it, all the polish would be dry and it would be a real mess.

I bought a round holder that works like a Lazy Susan. This spins around so I can easily see which colors I have and keeps them upright all the time.

I often wondered why I waited so long to get something like this. If I want to move it to another part of the house to do my nails, it is also easy to pick up and transport.

By shell4life — On Nov 14, 2011

@seag47 – I had a bag like you described. It was convenient, and it did keep the polish off of everything else, but a bottle did leak a bit in the bag itself, and I couldn't get the polish off of the material. I could smell the strong chemical odor, and I hated to put it back in my suitcase with all of my other stuff.

My husband came up with a solution for me. He attached a strip of plastic material to the inside of the bag, and he fashioned several loops out of it. The base of each loop was glued to the interior.

These loops created a secure storage system for my polish. I haven't had any more problems with spills.

By orangey03 — On Nov 13, 2011

I don't own a whole lot of nail polish, but I do occasionally carry it with me when I travel. If my polish chips or if I'm gone long enough that my nails grow out past the polish line, then I need to redo them.

Since I don't have enough to fill a storage rack or carrying case, I use a large, empty matchstick box. The bottom slides out like a drawer, and I put my four bottles of polish inside. I slide it back into the lid, which hugs both the top and bottom of the box.

The box lets me safely store the polish. I don't have to dig through my suitcase to find it, and I know it won't leak onto other things.

By seag47 — On Nov 13, 2011

Even people who don't know me all that well know that I use a lot of nail polish. I show up to work with new and interesting nail designs each week, so my coworker knew just what to get me for Christmas.

She bought me a zipper bag full of nail polish. The bag is lime green and flexible. It feels like some sort of rubber.

The zipper goes halfway around the bag, which has a handle on top. I use this bag when I need to carry nail polish with me on long trips. If some polish should spill, I don't have to worry about it getting on my clothes in my suitcase, because this bag seals securely.

By kylee07drg — On Nov 12, 2011

I once stored my nail polish in a drawer in my bedroom. I also stored my cuticle oil, cotton pads, nail polish remover, and toe separators in the same drawer.

The problem was that I always did my nails in the living room, and every time I would go to my room to grab my supplies, I would wind up forgetting something. Eventually, I just took the drawer out of the dresser and stored it in the living room.

This looked pretty tacky, so I decided to get something else to keep my nail supplies in. I found a clear plastic container that is wide and short, and it has two short handles.

All my nail polish and accessories fit into this container, and I can lift it up and carry it to the table easily. I will never have to make trips back and forth to grab supplies again.

By Mae82 — On Nov 11, 2011

@Sara007 - If you're looking for a professional OPI nail polish traveling bag I would suggest asking if one of the stores near you can order the OPI Black Manicure Case. It has a really stylish black leather look to it and can hold 35 nail polish bottles.

Generally, you can also order it online from stores that sell OPI nail polish. Just be warned that the case is quite expensive and will probably run you close to $200.

What I like about the case is that it makes it easy to see everything from my clear nail polish to my more elaborate colors at just a glance. No more digging through a door to find what I want.

By Sara007 — On Nov 10, 2011

Does anyone know where you can buy an OPI nail polish holder?

I have a huge collection of OPI nail polish and would really like to get myself a branded carrying case of some kind. I often go to my friends homes and give manicures to them for fun, so being able to more easily carry everything around would be handy.

So far I have found a few nail polish carrying cases, but they are just plain and I don't think they really do my extensive collection of polish justice. If you know anything about lacquer nail polish, you know that OPI is one of the most respected brand among professionals.

By manykitties2 — On Nov 10, 2011

There is no reason to go buy an expensive nail polish rack as you can easily find a small shelf or storage container that will do the job. I ended up going to a dollar store and buying a small desktop organizer. It ended up being the perfect size for a nail polish organizer because of of the little compartments in it.

I think a good thing to check for before you buy a fingernail polish holder is to take stock of what you have and estimate how much space you'll need. I didn't have as much as I originally thought, so there was no sense in buying some elaborate storage system.

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