I Tried Amari NY Halal Nail Polish

What is Halal nail polish? The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Halal is a lamb kebob, not beauty products. However, with the rise of brands like Inglot, Tuesday in Love, ORLY and Amari NY making waves in the cosmetics industry, it seems like Halal or breathable nail polish is cornering the market for Muslim women and vegans alike, but my question is...why? What’s so special about it?

As a stay-at-home mom, I like to treat myself to the occasional at-home spa day. When it’s my time to unwind and feel pretty, I like to dip into my Godiva stash and enjoy a good mani-pedi. Most days, I’m happy with a cuticle clean-up and a nice trim, but if nature comes around and my ability to make salat is temporarily put on hold, I don’t mind a bit of color. So, why reach for Halal nail polish?

The beauty of brands like Amari NY is their wudu-friendly stamp of approval. The certification proves the polish is porous and water can pass through the surface, similar to henna. (Read more about it in Vogue Magazine). However, applying it before salat is a personal preference that may or may not fall inside your comfort zone. (Regardless, the decision is ultimately up to you.) In my opinion, Amari NY also offers women a long-awaited choice: either bombard our cells with toxic chemicals OR be kind to our bodies and use a semi-permeable, cruelty-free product that allows both air and water to nourish the nail bed. That being said, I tried Amari NY Halal Nail Polish for one week and the results took me by surprise. My color of choice: Desert Nude. 

For those who are wondering, this is not a “sponsored” review, so all my thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, I’m probably the most skeptical, slow-to-trend, last to jump on the bandwagon-type person in the world. I live in neutrals and avoid being flashy like the plague, so when it came down to selecting one of Amari’s sixteen colors, Desert Nude was just my style.

The color is a subtle mix of dusty rose and milky mauve that has just the right amount of shine. I love how the rounded brush made it easy to apply. I wasn’t worried about missing a spot or getting into the corners, the application was simple and effortless. Second, the formula is rich and creamy, so I really only needed 2 coats. Third, my nails dried way faster than I expected, in about 1-2 minutes per coat, which was a huge win. Now, for the durability test, I did everything I could think of to push my nails to the limits – wash my hands 100s of times, scrub dishes, chop vegetables, rake leaves, play Legos with my kids, type, you name it. After two days, all I needed was a light file around the edges, but there wasn’t a chip in sight. By day four, there was a little wear and tear, but I didn’t mind wiping the slate clean and polishing my nails all over again. Amari NY dries incredibly fast, so my touch-ups were actually enjoyable.

My takeaway:  It’s comforting to know that no animals were harmed in the making of Amari NY nail care products...and that the ingredients are vegan, breathable and semi-permeable. Halal or not, the polish itself is top notch and the color is lovely. For extra strength, I would definitely recommend using the clear top coat, but other than that, Amari NY Halal nail polish is welcome alternative to other harsh chemical-laden brands on the market.