We are slightly addicted to these gaming-themed nail polishes (and they make amazing gifts)

Products inspired by pop culture and video games are nothing new, with thousands of listings on Etsy and probably millions on sites like Amazon, Temu, and Wish.com. But these don’t even touch on the fantastic world of indie beauty, where makeup and adornments are also inspired by video games (not to mention direct collaborations)! As we enter the holiday season, let’s dive into the wild world of game-inspired nail polishes.

Like indie video games, indie nail polish is a genre phenomenon that has grown with technology. These days, brand lists like this one by xoxoJen are absolutely extensive! The lacquers are crafted by independent brands and individual creators, usually in small batches, and can have some wild, gloriously complex finishes that you won’t generally find in large brands. They tend towards more adventurous combinations than the big beauty companies. Next to the standard scarlet red or blush creme, you can find stunning shimmers, heart-stopping holographic glitters, and mind-blowing magnetic pigments.

Gifting an indie varnish opens up an (admittedly addictive) entirely new world for the gaming beauty buff in your life. These enamels can be found in various ways — monthly collaborative themed events like Polish Pickup or Hella Handmade Creations, quarterly themed boxes like Polished Gamers, and ongoing brand offerings like Red Eyed Lacquer’s Super Mario themed collection or Maniology’s “Game Over” series of nail stamping plates. The polishes included above are from two Polish Pickup collections — April 2024’s Video Games and November 2024’s Nostalgic Toys — and span the gamut of inspirations (listed from left to right):

• Rogue Lacquer — Dreamlight, a jelly with glass and micro-glass flakes inspired by “that inner child that may be dormant at times but is never alone and never forgotten.“
• Dreamland Lacquer — Whimseydrake, a thermal inspired by the creator’s “blue Whimseydrake mount in WoW.”
• Red Eyed Lacquer — Magic Minos, a jelly with ultrachrome with three different kinds of flakes inspired by Tetris.
• Polished for Days — Star Fragments, inspired by Animal Crossing New Horizon.
• Whatcha Indie Polish — Virtual Pet, inspired by Tamogotchi pets.
• Lucky 13 Lacquer — This Game Blows, a jelly with holo sparkles and a magnetic pigment inspired by “the urban myth of blowing into Nintendo game cartridges to clear out dust.”
• Rogue Lacquer — Lite Brite, a blend of multicolor and black metallic flakes inspired by the Lite Brite toy.
• Paint It Pretty Polish — Dancing Cats, a jelly with shimmer and flakies inspired by the dancing cats from Sea of Thieves.
• Cadillacquer — The Killing Moon, a thermal with flakies inspired by Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
• Dam Nail Polish — NO! Not Rainbow Road!, a jelly with holographic glitters and multichrome pigment inspired by the (truly evil) Rainbow Road map from Mario Kart.
• Envy Lacquer — Dance Dance, a jelly with three different kinds of flakes inspired by “the cover art of the video game Burnout Revenge.”

The holidays are a fantastic time to check out indie brands. “Small Business Saturday” was founded in 2010 by American Express (now cosponsored by the Small Business Administration) to promote independent entrepreneurs during the annual Black Friday weekend lineup. Polish Pickup maintains a list of indie brand Black Friday sales that you can leverage for your shopping needs, while their December “Maker’s Choice” theme opens up for preorders starting Black Friday! So, instead of shelling out for another Sephora gift card this year, why not try an indie nail polish brand?