6 Best Stamping Nail Polishes To Improve Your Stamping
The 6 Best Nail Polishes and Gel Polishes for Stamping are:
- Twinkled T Polishes (A premium brand of health-conscious stamping polish)
- Biutee Stamping Gel Polishes (A high-quality gel polish for stamping)
- Maniology Stamping Polishes (Ideal stamping polish for beginners)
- Born Pretty (Has the cheapest stamping polish combo sets)
- Pueen Polish (Has the best set of metallic colored stamping polish)
- Sally Hansen Insta-Dri (A regular polish that can work for nail stamping)
What Are Stamping Nail Polishes
These are polishes specially made for nail stamping, they tend to be thicker and have more pigment in their formula when compared to regular polishes.
Stamping polishes’ unique formulas allow them to create crisper, clearer, and more durable designs.
Why You Should Use Stamping Polishes
1- Thickness
Stamping polishes are thicker than regular polishes. This extra density allows the polishes to get and stay between the ridges and the grooves of the stamping plates.
So because stamping polishes are thicker they won’t just run off the plates like water but would instead cling to the grooves allowing the stamp to pick it up and get a more accurate imprint of the design.
The added thickness of stamping polish also allows the designs to be more durable and opaque.
2- More Pigmented
Stamping Polishes have a higher amount of the colored dyes and pigments which lets the polish create crisper and clearer designs.
The extra pigments in the polish allow the imprints from the plates to be picked up and transferred to your nails by the nail stamp and still be clear.
You see there is a loss of color when the stamp picks up and transfers the polish, so the more pigment the polish has the more bright the imprints on your nail will be.
If you use regular polishes that tend to have lower levels of pigmentation, this would mean that the imprint or design made won’t be so clear and strong.
3- Longer To Dry
Stamping polishes tend to take a bit longer to dry, this is because you don’t want the polish to dry on the nail stamp before it can be stamped onto your nails.
The imprints created by the nail stamp are super thin and this means that they have a bigger surface area which allows the liquids in the polish to evaporate quicker thus making the polish dry extremely quick.
And most stamping polishes have special formulas to slow down the drying process so as to allow the imprints to be transferred before drying.
4- Saves Money
When you do nail stamping with regular polishes you tend to use more nail polish.
This is because regular polishes are more watery and thus a significant portion of the polish tends to be wiped away from the plate, so to compensate for this you would have to use more polish.
Whilst stamping polishes are thicker and have more pigments so you can use a lot less and still get amazing results.
1- Twinkled T Stamping Polish
Twinkled T is my favorite brand of stamping polishes, they are currently the polishes that I use for most of my nail stamping designs.
They are an awesome brand of premium high-quality vegan stamping polishes.
Twinkled T is a small independent company based in California they are owned and operated by two sisters Liza and Lana Mushamel. Citation.
Pros Of Twinkled T Stamping Polish
1- Makes Really Clear Nail Art
In my opinion, Twinkled T Polishes have one of the best mixtures for nail stamping. Their polishes tend to be super thick and most importantly they have huge amounts of pigmentation allowing them to create really clear and crisp designs.
This high amount of pigments also allows them to be fully opaque from one coat.
2- Easy To Pick Up and Work With
These polishes are super thick which causes them to stay longer in the grooves and ridges of the stamping plates which allows the nail stamp to easily pick the imprint up accurately.
And at the same time Twinkled T Polishes are smooth enough to be easily applied to the plates, I usually just need one scrape for it to spread across.
This ideal texture means that you won’t need any fancy stamping techniques to be accurate.
3- Perfect Drying Time
Additionally Twinkled T Polishes won’t dry or harden too fast so you won’t have to rush whiles stamping but at the same time, they won’t take too long either.
4- Creates Bright and Durable Designs
Twinkled T Polishes are much tougher than cheaper stamping polishes meaning that their imprints tend to last a long time.
Their durability is probably why I use them more than others.
These Polishes can create amazingly long-lasting nail designs because they tend to have a high amount of colored pigments which means your imprints and designs won’t fade easily and thus would last much longer.
What I advocate to increase the longevity of your designs is that you use a good top coat I recommend Maniology No Smudge Top Coat, you can click to see it on Amazon.
This top coat was specially made for stamping polishes, you can keep reading to learn more I discuss them more in-depth later in the article.
5- Works Well With Most Stamping Plates
These polishes will work with most stamping plates, I have tried them with various brands and they work brilliantly. This is because their formula is thick enough to cling between the grooves of most plates.
6- Can Work as a Regular Nail Polish
Twinkled T Stamping Polishes as most stamping polishes can work like plain or regular polishes meaning that they are used as a stand-alone color.
The advantage of stamping polish is that they are usually opaque or solid with one coat but they also have a lot of drawbacks when they are used as a regular polish. I am gonna discuss these drawbacks at the end of the article so keep on reading.
7- Very Health and Safety Focused
All of Twinkled T Polishes are made of vegan, cruelty-free and extremely high-quality ingredients. Citation.
Sadly this is one of the reasons why they tend to be a bit more expensive.
Plus another great thing about Twinkled T Polishes that I love is that they have a very low scent. I hate when my polishes have an overwhelming smell.
8- Sold Individually
Most brands of Stamping Polishes are sold as combo sets which usually includes a bunch of different colors of polishes sold together.
Now Twinkled T Polishes do have a great combo set but they also sell individual polishes. This gives you a lot of flexibility when purchasing your polishes.
I usually just stock up on my favorite colors rather than to buy a combo set which includes a bunch of polishes that know you probably won’t use much.
Cons of Twinkled T Polishes
1- Expensive
Twinkled T Polishes tend to be a bit more costly in comparison to other stamping polishes, this is because they use only high quality, cruelty-free vegan ingredients which tends to be more expensive.
Additionally, they are based in the USA and they are a small independent company of just two women so they don’t have huge economies of scale, like bigger companies.
2- Can Cause Staining
Now because these polishes are super pigmented they tend to stain your bare nails more easily. So my advice is that you use a base coat to help prevent this from happening.
The base coat could be a clear coat or just a regular polish.
3- Sold in Smaller Bottles
Twinkled T polishes come in small 10 ml bottles.
And if you are like me and you do a lot of nail stamping it means that the polishes will finish faster and thus increases the rate at which you are gonna have to reorder.
If you are curious to see how Twinkled T Polishes look you can check out the video below.
Where to Get Twinkled T Polishes
I mostly get my Twinkled T Polishes from Amazon, they usually have them in stock, you can check out the links below..
A Great Combo set with 6 Amazing colors
My advice is that you buy a combo set to try out a bunch of colors and then going forward you can buy each individual color that you like.
2- Biutee Stamping Gel Polish
Biutee Gel Stamping Polishes are high quality and super affordable gel stamping polishes.
Why Would You Use a Gel Stamping Polish Over a Regular Stamping Polish
Now before I get into reviewing Biutee Polish I would like to first discuss Gel Stamping Polish and some of its advantages as a stamping polish.
1- More Durable:
Gel Polishes last much longer than regular polishes they can last up to two solid weeks with no chipping or peeling even when exposed to a lot of wear and tear.
And when I put a lot of effort into doing intricate nail art I tend to want my work to last a long time.
2- More Glossy:
Gel Polishes tend to have a more pronounced sheen to it which will make your nail design stand out more.
3- Only Dries When You Want it To:
You see with a conventional polish as soon as you apply the polish onto the stamping plate it starts to dry so you have to move quickly to pick up and apply the imprint before the polish hardens.
The great thing about gel polishes is that they would only dry when exposed to UV light, this means that you won’t have to rush whilst doing nail stamping this allows you to take your time and be as accurate as possible.
4- Allows You to Easily Correct Your Mistakes
Now because gel polishes only dry when exposed to UV light this gives you the ability to easily wipe away any substandard nail art made from bad stamping and this gives you the chance to repeat until your design is to your liking.
I would advise just wiping it away with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
You see regular polishes dries too fast and if the design made isn’t good you would have to use acetone to remove the imprint which would also remove the solid base polish as well which will be more work and take a while.
The brand of Gel Stamping Polish that I recommend is Biutee Gel Polish.
Strengths of Biutee Stamping Gel Polish
1- Looks Really Good
Biutee Gel Polishes have a ton of pigment which allows them to create really clear, crisp and brilliant designs.
2- Right Consistency
Biutee Polishes has a really thick texture that allows it to work well with most stamping plates thus making it easier for the stamper to accurately pick up the imprint which gives you a great design.
Gel stamping polishes tend to be extremely thick much thicker than regular stamping polishes.
And they have to be super thick this is because they only harden when exposed to a UV lamp, so if the gel polish is too thin it might be too runny and thus prone to smudges.
So by being extra thick the design won’t smudge easily giving you time to cure the polish.
3- Sleek Containers
These polishes come in a small jar like containers allowing them to be stored away easily. Most gel stamping polishes won’t come in conventional polish bottles.
This is because their texture is so thick that the brushes used by most polishes won’t work well, instead, you usually got to scoop the gel out of the container and place it on the plate.
Some gel stamping polishes come in small bottles that you got to then squeeze out the polish, think of a hand cream bottle.
4- Very Affordable & Comes Well Packaged
I would say that Biutee Gel Polishes are reasonably priced and what I love about them is that they come in a nicely designed box making it a great gift to a fellow nail stamper.
5- Low Scent & Safe Polish
Biutee Gel Polishes are very safe to use, they are non-toxic and made of natural resin added to that they have a very faint scent.
Drawbacks of Biutee Gel Polishes
1- Requires a UV/ Led Lamp
The main issue with using a gel stamping polish is that you would have to use either a UV or Led Lamp to cure the polish.
The curing time will vary based on your lamp’s wattage but it takes roughly the same time for other gel polishes.
2- Only Sells as a Combo
Biutee Polishes don’t sell individually but only in a combo set comprising of a few different colors.
Where to Get Biutee Gel Polishes
You can get them on Amazon at really good prices, you can click here to see the price of a 6 color combo set.
Bonus Tip
If you are gonna use a gel stamping polish then you are gonna need to invest in a really good no wipe gel top coat to go along with it so as to avoid any smudging.
3- Maniology Stamping Polish
Maniology Polishes are low cost and easy to work with stamping polishes, which allows you at an affordable cost to make amazing nail art.
Their low cost and high quality are what makes them suitable for nail stamping beginners.
These polishes are made by Maniology Inc, who specializes in nail products but with a focus on nail stamping so their entire business is built on making really good nail stamping products.
They have been in the nail stamping business since 2009 but their products were previously sold under the name Bundle Monster also known as BMC.
Maniology Inc is based in Oahu, Hawaii.
Strengths of Maniology Stamping Polish
1- Contains a lot of Pigments
Maniology Polishes have a huge amount of out of colored pigments.
This allows them to create amazingly crisp and clear nail imprints.
But this high pigmentation will also lead to staining if applied onto your bare nails.
2- Great Texture
These polishes are super thick allowing them to fit and stay between the ridges and grooves of the stamping plates which allows your nail stamps to accurately and easily pick up the imprint.
3- Affordable
Maniology Polishes are reasonably priced though they are not the cheapest stamping polishes, in my opinion, they are good quality at a fair price
And what I love about Maniology Polishes is that they usually come in large 13ml bottles so you wont have to constantly be buying polishes
4- Good Customer Service
The company is really responsive to inquiries and issues, I had a problem once with getting two of the same colors in a combo set and they quickly sent a replacement one.
Where to Get Maniology Polishes
You can get their polishes on Amazon I am gonna leave some links down below you can click to see the current prices for various colors.
A Great Combo Set with 6 different colors
(What I bought and tried out)
A Solid Black Stamping Polish
Bonus Nail Stamping Tip
Now I have found that sometimes when you apply your top coat it can cause some degree of smudging which can ruin your designs.
Now I have two simple fixes for this:
1- Ensure the design is dried completely before applying the topcoat, and this might take a bit longer than regular polishes so be patient.
2- And use a non-smudge topcoat, if you take anything from this article is that you need to invest in a good no smudge top coat when doing nail stamping.
My absolutely favorite polish from Maniology is their no smudge top coat, which is a must-have if you are doing nail stamping or any intricate nail art.
They dry super fast and would work with any nail polish.
You can click here to see the current price of Maniology No Smudge top coat.
4- Born Pretty Stamping Polish
Born Pretty Stamping Polishes are one of the most affordable stamping polishes on the market, they are sold in different combo sets with a wide variety of colors.
And because of their affordability, they are one of the most popular stamping polish.
Born Pretty is a reasonably well-known brand that offers various nail and beauty products, I have tried a lot of their nail products from their Holographic Polishes to their color-changing polishes and, in my opinion, they make decent polishes at very affordable prices.
Pros of Born Pretty Stamping Polish
1- Very Affordable:
Born Pretty Stamping Polishes are usually super cheap.
2- Much Better than Regular Polishes:
These polishes aren’t premium stamping polishes, in my opinion, Twinkled T and Maniology are better.
But Born Pretty Stamping Polishes are much better at creating great stamping nail designs when compared to regular polishes like OPI, or Essie.
3- Offers Both Gel and Regular Stamping Polishes
Born Pretty have both gel stamping polish and regular stamping polish.
Drawbacks of Born Pretty Stamping Polishes
1- Formula Needs to Be Thicker and Be More Pigmented
Born Pretty Polishes in my opinion they need to improve their formula and make it thicker and more pigmented.
Both their regular and gel stamping polishes are a bit too thin.
2- Not sold individually
Born Pretty polishes are usually sold in combo sets and not as individual colors.
3- Sold in very Small Bottles
They come in small 6 ml bottles, which means if you tend to use a lot of the polishes you are gonna have to constantly reorder to keep stocking up.
Where to Get Born Pretty Stamping Polishes
You can get them on Amazon click here to see the price for a 6 color combo set 
of their regular stamping polish.
And if you want to check out Born Pretty gel stamping polish you can click here.
5- Pueen Stamping Polish
Pueen is another great brand of stamping polishes they tend to be very long-lasting and durable polishes.
They are also super health-conscious with most of their polishes being 5 free meaning they don’t have any Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, or Camphor inside their mixture.
What I love most about them is that they have great metallic colors that are extremely well pigmented and very thick. You can click here to see the combo set on Amazon
6- Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish
I have found that Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Line of nail polishes tend to work great for nail stamping even though they weren’t made to be used as a stamping polish.
This is because these polishes contain a high density of pigment which allows them to make your nails fully opaque with one coat of polish.
The only drawback with Insta-Dri Polishes is that they tend to be less thick than an actual stamping polish.
Insta-Dri polishes are widely used and they also dry really fast. You can find them in most pharmacies like CVS and at a lot of retailers like Target, Walmart, etc.
Important Tip
Now I have found that any nail polish that covers your nails fully opaque with just one coat can work somewhat like a good stamping polish.
But, in my opinion, they aren’t thick enough to work as well as nail stamping polishes like Twinkled T or Maniology polishes.
Can You Really use Stamping Polish as a Regular Polish
Yes, you can use a stamping polish as a regular polish meaning that you can use the stamping polish as a stand-alone color not just to create an imprint.
But I don’t advocate that you use stamping polish like this.
Why You Should Avoid Using Stamping Polish As a Regular Polish
You see stamping polishes weren’t meant to be used as regular polishes so they have a few issues when used in that way.
1- Stains your Nails More
Now because of the high amounts of pigments that stamping polishes have they tend to make tougher stains on your nails more easily.
This means that you have to use a lot more acetone to remove the polish which can seriously dry and damage your nails.
And in some cases, even acetone can’t completely take off all the stains and your nails will have a yellowish tinge on it. Citation.
Now if you want to use it as a solid coat like a regular polish I would advise at least use a stain preventing base coat like Sally Hansen’s spray-on base coat you can click here to see the price on Amazon.
2- Not as Durable as Regular Polishes
I have found that stamping polishes aren’t as durable as regular polishes. When stamping polishes are used as a stand-alone color, they are more prone to peeling and chipping.
3- Takes longer to dry
Stamping polishes are purposely designed to take a bit longer to dry and when you are stamping this allows you to take your time but when used like a normal polish it can be a pain.
Other Stamping Related Tips and Guides.
The Best Nail Stampers To Make Stamping Easier
Our Recommended Brands of Stamping Plates and Kits.
Tips on How To Properly Clean Stamping Plates and Nail Stampers
