Cruelty Free Breathable Nail Polish from 786 Cosmetics

786 Cosmetics: Cruelty Free and Breathable Nail Polish Review and Swatches

There’s a cruelty free and vegan nail polish brand I want to put on your radar – 786 Cosmetics. 786 is a Halal and 11-free polish brand that is inspired by cities around the world.

My nails have been SO damaged and dry lately, and I’ve noticed that the longer I wear polish, the worse it gets. I’ve given up on gels because they just make my nails worse (and the removal can be brutal). I was excited to try 786 Cosmetics nail polish, because they promised the formula was healthy and “breathable.” Sounds good to me!

786 Cosmetics nail polish is 11-free. That means their formula is free of: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, DBP, xylene, TPHP, Methylisothiazolinone, MEHQ/HQ and parabens. 786 Cosmetics nail products are breathable, meaning that water and oxygen can pass through to your nail, therefore preventing any damage that may be caused by a traditional nail polish. 786 Cosmetics nail polish has also been tested and certified as Halal and Water Permeable (Wudu-Friendly) by the Kalamazoo Islamic Center (KIC).

I found that the formula was a bit different from what I’m used to. I needed three coats for maximum coverage. All of the swatches here are shown with three coats, plus a clear top coat.

This gorgeous, fire engine, tomato-red polish is called Marrakech. It’s definitely going into heavy rotation as one of my favorites. It gave nice coverage over my nail ridges with three coats. This is a great one for summer – or really any time!

The vibrant city of Marrakech, Morocco inspired this fiery red. Nicknamed the “rose city” or the “red city,” Marrakech’s building and ramparts are made of an orange-red clay and chalk that coats the city in a red hue at sunset.

My absolute favorite out of the polishes I tried is Istanbul. It’s a dark burgundy red – super sexy and vampy! I instantly fell in love. Some might call this a fall shade, but I wear this color year round.

Istanbul is inspired by the vibrant reds of the Turkish city. The beautiful red walls of the Hagia Sofia, the low red lighting of the basilica cistern, and of course the reds of spices and souvenirs in the spice market and grand bazaar.

Dakar is a beautiful pinky-peach nude shade. I really like this one and I find it to be super wearable. I did notice that the lighter shades didn’t cover my nail ridges as well as the darker, bolder shades.

This pretty light pink nail polish is inspired by Dakar, Senegal and it’s pink Lake Retba, also fondly called “Lac Rose” or “Lake Rose”. The lake gets its pink hue from an algae that produces a red pigment, and is at its most vivid during the dry seasons. It’s currently under consideration as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

I’m really bad at applying pastel nail polishes, and I’ve never thought they looked good on me. This opaque, white nail polish called Abu Dhabi may not be my personal taste, but I know some of you can rock it!

This creamy white is inspired by the stunning Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is considered the largest example of marble mosaic in the world. One of the world’s largest mosques, its features 82 domes, 24 carat gold chandeliers, 1,000 columns, and the largest hand-knotted carpet.

This gorgeous blue/teal polish is called Chefchaouen. I had to look that one up – apparently it’s a city in Morocco. I learned something new today! I tend to stay away from blues, but I really like this one. It’s a nice summer vacation color.

This blue-green color was inspired by the intricate colors found on the tile art throughout the “Blue pearl” of Morocco, Chefchaouen. This beautiful and mountainous city is famous for its painted blue buildings, a tradition that has lasted over 500 years.

All in all, I’m pleased with these vegan, cruelty free nail colors from 786 Cosmetics. As I mentioned, I used three coats plus a clear top coat. The wear time was about a week before I saw some chips (and I’m VERY hard on my nails – always using them as tools). My favorites were the red (Marrakech) and burgundy (Istanbul) and I’ll be putting them into heavy rotation! 786 also has a really pretty green that I want to try next called Karachi!

Want to try 786 Cosmetics nail polish? Use my code: BUNNY15 for 15% off a purchase of a $30 minimum (cannot be used with other discounts).