How To Tell If That Nail Polish Bottle Was Opened Or Used
Nail polish bottles from a thrift store on pink background
Updated 2024.08.16
Nail polish bottles don’t often come with seals and at the shelves of some stores, you will occasionally find paint stripes on the price tag, indicating a previous customer was testing the color before they bought it.
Not every polish you buy “new on the shelf” is unopened.
Sometimes you will find a haul of pre-owned nail polishes online on Facebook Marketplace and Mercari, and in-store from thrift shops.
Not every polish in these hauls has been opened, some are brand new.
How do you tell if your new nail polish is really new, unused?
Polish bottle with dried polish on the bottleneck
To tell if a nail polish bottle has been opened, look for signs of use like:
Dried lacquer on the top lip of the bottleneck under the cap
Lacquer that has dried on the top lip of the bottleneck can indicate that the brush was wiped on this rim to remove excess paint from the brush on the neck at least once. This is a step you take when preparing to paint.
Lacquer around the inside bottleneck under the cap
Dried lacquer on the inside bottleneck under the bottle cap can be a sign that the wiped lacquer, from wiping the brush on the neck between coats, has dripped down the sides of the bottle lip onto the neck.
Demarcation lines
Lines on the wall of the paint bottle that show empty space where there was paint will be present if more than a few manicures are done, though, this isn’t a stand alone sign, see below.
Polish bottle with lacquer smudge on the lid
In some instances, you may think your bottle has been opened or used, but really it hasn't:
There is polish dried on the outside of a bottle
Dried polish on the bottle can mean that the bottle may not be used, instead another bottle may have broken near it or in the same box.
The label or cap is scuffed up
Scuffed glass or lid labeling can be an indicator of warehouse and shipping wear, however it doesn’t necessarily mean your polish is opened or pre-used.
Lacquer fluid isn’t filled all the way up
If you have demarcation lines or empty bottle space where polish should be, this may not necessarily mean it was used on this point alone.
The bottle could have spilled or leaked into a box or bag during transport, especially true, if you see lacquer dried in a fluid stream pattern on the outside of the bottle.
Some polish brands also don’t fill bottles all the way to prevent the bottles from exploding during shipping.
In conclusion, if your polish is FREE of all of the signs above, it has most likely not been opened or used, and it is completely new.
If your polish has a few of the signs above, take into consideration all the factors before determining use, since some polishes that appear pre-opened are really just showing shipping wear or accidental spillage.
Polishes with a few of the signs above may still be new, they’re just not 100% perfect.
Does a nail polish bottle have to be 100% perfect for you to enjoy it?
You may decide your bottle needs to be as new as possible and that’s fine.
You also may decide, if a bottle has a little bit of bang and dent wear, yet there’s enough perfectly fluid lacquer to get a solid, admirable manicure and pedicure from it, that it’s good as gold.
That’s up to you and a completely personal preference. You will have to decide for yourself where you stand on that matter.
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