As you know, I have a severe chemical sensitivity, which means I can’t be around anything that smells. Nail polish is one of those things. I developed my intolerance to the smell of it when I was about 13/14, when my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome symptoms started to get really bad, so the only thing I have been able to do for 16 years is avoid it entirely. That means not being in the same house as anyone using standard nail polish either, as it’s that strong. I found a company called HoneyBee Gardens a few years ago and thought that was great, but the polish would just chip off so quickly and you would only get half a days wear, so it was a waste of time. It didn’t look very realistic either, so I quit wearing it and just stopped looking.
I used to love painting my nails when I was young and I love the look of pretty colours, so I was always a bit gutted thinking that I could never have nice nails again. Since then, Adam and I went looking online and we came across a company called Little Ondine, which is a US based nail polish brand that is entirely odourless (it has zero smell!) and made of natural ingredients. I was a little skeptical so I made sure to check out YouTube videos and even watch the demonstrations on QVC, then read the comments after. Everyone said there’s no smell at all, so I ordered my first kit from QVC (this one – on sale) and waited for it to arrive.
Once I received it, the packaging looked professional, and it looked like normal nail polish, so I was excited. Before opening the lid though, I had my mum open it and sniff it as I was apprehensive in case it did smell, but she said she couldn’t smell a thing. I cautiously sniffed at a distance, moving it closer to me each time, and I can guarantee there is no smell. So if you’re dubious about it like I was, I can reassure you, it’s odourless. I’ve sniffed all of the normal plain colours and they are completely fine, the only one’s I noticed a tiny little scent on were the large glitters, but that I believe is down to the scent of the glitter and it’s minimal. When I say a tiny scent, I mean just a tiny little hint of something plastic – it’s nothing like nail polish, and I have an extremely acute sense of smell.
So, Who Are Little Ondine?
Little Ondine couldn’t bear the thought of covering nails with chemicals. Especially those toxic chemicals painted over our cars which is actually in standard nail polish! I never knew that, so I was shocked! We wouldn’t put that on our skin, so we shouldn’t put it on our nails. So, the brand innovated an all-natural, water-based formula which allows for bold, colourful expressions on your nails, so no one has to sacrifice health for beauty again! How amazing is that? The actual Little Ondine polish itself is made up of water, clean resin, and colourants, so it’s a nice formula completely free of toxins. No formaldehyde, acetates, toluene or alcohol. They source for natures finest minerals to present a natural glamour of bold, brazen and happy colours.
How To Apply Little Ondine Nail Polish
So, how do you apply it? It’s super simple! Just clean your hands/nails with soap and water to remove any oils, then dry them. I then apply a clear base coat (you don’t have to) and then apply two coats of colour. Sometimes I might need three if I’m going for a more solid look. The polish dries in less than a minute, so applying the colours is really fast. I then finish it off with a top coat. If you do spill any on your skin, wipe it off right away while it’s wet, so that it doesn’t peel. Then, once your nails are dry, don’t get your hands or feet (if you painted your toe nails too) wet for an hour. So it is good to do it before bed or when you’re relaxing. The reason you can’t get them wet is because the polish dries harder over the hour, as it’s resin, so if it gets wet, it can make it soft and peel. This is of no trouble to me though as I find it relaxing doing my nails anyway as I always do it while resting, never in a rush as these things take time to make perfect. If you want pictures and more info, you can check their how to use page.
How To Remove Little Ondine
The no smell application isn’t even the best part though, to get the Little Ondine polish off, all you do is peel it! I was excited about this as using nail polish remover itself is disgusting and it smells worse than actual nail polish, so I can’t stand the stuff. With Little Ondine, you just push an edge, then the whole colour on the nail peels off. It takes a second! This also means that the polish is more gel like and doesn’t chip, so it’s a great alternative to gel nails too. The only thing I would suggest is to not leave the colours on too long as I have noticed my nails underneath can peel a little bit when you peel the polish off, but that’s because it’s been stuck to the nail for over a week. It’s also good to leave a break sometimes between applications so you can moisturise and keep your nails healthy, as it is with any nail polish, not just this one.
Why I Love It So Much
Even if you don’t have a chemical sensitivity, I would recommend Little Ondine to you! It’s much better being made from natural sources and having no smell at all, so much healthier! Plus, the ease of removing it is amazing, so I literally have no negatives apart from it can dry out your nails a bit when removing, but that’s only minimal and I mention it as I’m always honest. I’m sure you can tell just how much I am loving it right now as you’re seeing me actually with pretty nails in my outfit shoots now! I don’t want plain nails anymore! They will be a new colour each week and that excites me! I’ve been using Little Ondine for just over a month and my mum has also swapped to it too since it doesn’t smell, and as we live together, odourless nail polish for her too is ideal as she doesn’t have to wait for me to leave the house for a period of time. I’m in love, so a huge thank you is going out to Little Ondine for making such a fantastic product! I wasn’t paid to write this review, it’s genuinely coming from my heart as I’m elated with joy now that I can have pretty nails again!
