Nail polish (nail varnish) is a lacquer applied to toenails and fingernails for appearance, but also as nail protection. Polishing without adding chemical layers is called nail buffing.
Nail polish has been traditionally worn by women, but sometimes popular with men. Traditional colors for nail polish were red, pink and brown, and it can now be found in virtually any color. French manicures traditionally mimic the color of natural nails, using a clear, beige or soft pink polish on most of the nail with a white finish at the tips.
Some types of polish are advertised to cause nail growth, make nails stronger, prevent nails from breaking, cracking and splitting and stop nail biting. Nail polish may be applied as one of several components in a manicure.
