Orly, the Brand That Gave Us the French Manicure

Jeff Pink opened Jeff Pink Beauty Supply in 1975, selling to beauty professionals and to Hollywood studios, and Orly grew out of that shop. In his interview with Modern Salon, he says the idea of the French manicure came to him around then, because movie and television directors wanted one versatile nail style that worked with a star's entire onset wardrobe. A white tip and a sheer polish did it, and he says the celebrities loved it. A later brand account says that once the look reached the Paris runways, he named it the French Manicure. Years differ between sources, so I am sticking with his own 1975.

That is the story I think of whenever I see orly on a bottle. It is a professional brand first, built on polish that works on camera and on real hands. More recently it added Breathable, which the brand says uses Advanced Oxygen Technology so air and hydration reach the nail, and which launched with 19 shades and no need for a base or top coat.

Today people wear it a few ways. A French tip in pale pink and white. A single saturated shade, like a bright red or a neon. A sheer, shiny one-coat color on bare nails. Or a clear, glossy finish with a strengthening layer underneath.

The first grid is ORLY itself, from Breathable to the lacquer, base and top coats. The second grid is the strengtheners, oils and creams I would pair with it. My tip: if you paint at home, wrap the free edge of the nail with every coat.

Orly's Breathable Treatment + Color formula is the easy place to begin. It is meant to be color and treatment in one, with no separate base or top coat, and I like it for people who want a quick manicure. Taffy To Be Here is the playful pick, and The Floor is Lava is the bolder one. Breathable Treatment + Shine is the same idea in one-step form, where you apply two coats of color to clean, bare nails and let them dry. Its rating is the lowest of the group at 3.0, so I would try a shade before committing.

The classic Nail Lacquer is the Pro formula, with a highly pigmented finish and two-coat coverage. Beautifully Bizarre and Ephemeral give you two different moods from the same bottle, and this is the one to buy if you like the traditional three-step routine.

For that routine, the Bonder Rubberized Basecoat grips lacquer to the nail surface for lasting adhesion, and it is the best-reviewed base coat here. The Polishield Topcoat is quick-drying, high shine and chip resistant, and it has UV filters to help stop nail color from fading. That is the one for pastels and whites. Top 2 Bottom is a base coat and top coat in one bottle, which is the easy travel choice.

What I would skip: Top 2 Bottom if you have ridged or peeling nails. A dedicated base like the Bonder will give you a smoother start.

CND SolarOil is the cuticle oil many pros reach for, a blend of light oils and vitamin E designed to condition skin and nails. I keep one in a bag. For weak nails, CND RescueRXx is a daily keratin treatment with jojoba and almond oils, and CND Nail Strengthener RXx is a clear strengthening layer you wear before color. The CND Cuticle Eraser is a gentle exfoliator for rough cuticles before a manicure.

Londontown has two ways to build a smoother base. Get Strong Nail Hardener takes two coats and forms a shield-like layer, and Original Kur Fortifying Ridge Filler is a primer that conceals bumps and unevenness. If your nails have visible vertical ridges, the filler is the one I would choose first, because color shows every ridge.

Manucurist Active Smooth is a polish strengthener and ridge filler in a barely-there shade, which the brand calls a CC polish with a natural finish. It suits people who want their nails to look like their own, only smoother.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream has grape polyphenols and organic fair trade shea butter, and it is the one for dry hands between manicures. Rub it into the cuticle at night and leave it alone.

What I would skip: the cuticle eraser right before a manicure if your skin is already irritated. Do it a day earlier, then oil.

I think orly works best when you pick the routine you will really follow. If that is one quick coat, go Breathable. If you like the ritual, take the lacquer with Bonder underneath and Polishield on top. Then use the strengtheners and oils to look after the nail itself, since polish only looks good on a healthy surface. Start with one bottle, one oil and one honest week of paying attention, then decide whether the rest of the shelf earns a place in your routine. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Clear Nails and the Quiet Return of the Naked Manicure and Press-On Manicure Notes.