Meet Mayvee, the local nail polish brand that’s bringing joy back to the home mani

Mayvee is bringing personality to your next manicure. 

Few self-care rituals are as satisfying as a good manicure. Given how often we use our hands throughout the day, a fresh set serves as a small but tangible reminder that we’ve taken a moment for ourselves. Then there’s the little thrill of getting an unsolicited compliment on your nails, an unexpected mood-booster that never gets old. Either way, it’s a simple pleasure that can brighten your day.

But as any manicure loyalist will know, maintaining a salon-fresh set can quickly add up. Even a simple gel manicure can cost upwards of $70 in Australia, making salon appointments feel more like an occasional treat than a monthly ritual. It’s all the more incentive to master the at-home mani.

We like nosy people. Don’t be shy, head to our Beauty section for more. 

Mayvee is the Australian-owned nail polish brand bringing more colour and personality to your beauty routine. Founded on the idea that nail polish can be a simple source of joy, it offers a collection of wearable shades designed to suit every mood and occasion, with a little playfulness thrown in for good measure.

In a bid to nurse my natural nails back to health, I gave up my monthly gel manicure appointments about six months ago. As expected, they needed some serious TLC, and I suffered through many broken, splitting nails in the months that followed. But since getting them back to a good place (read: longer than my fingertips), I’d been on the hunt for a good at-home nail polish to make my DIY mission more fun. 

Quality is central to Mayvee’s approach, with its products developed in collaboration with specialist manufacturers in Australia and France. The entire range is also vegan and cruelty-free, making it a considered addition to my beauty shelf.

I’ll admit, I’m no professional at doing my own nails. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that I’m decidedly average, with the results on my right hand often looking considerably less polished than those on my left. But using Mayvee has given me a little more confidence in my DIY abilities.

Because a good manicure begins well before the first coat of colour, Mayvee’s collection includes First Class Energy, a gold-infused cuticle oil that brings a moisturising, shimmery touch to your nail care. I start by massaging the oil into my nails before gently tending to my cuticles. Next comes a layer of Protecting My Peace, which creates a smooth base for the colour to follow.

Whether you gravitate towards timeless neutrals or prefer to experiment, Mayvee’s range spans 20 shades to suit your mood, each with whimsical names that make choosing your next colour part of the fun. For fans of barely-there pinks, there’s Pilates Then Prosecco. In the mood for a classic red? No Regrets delivers. And for something a little more out there, Blame The Moon brings the sparkly fun with its holographic silver finish.

I’ve always been partial to a natural pink mani, so Pilates Then Prosecco is an obvious favourite. One of the sheerer shades in the collection, it can be built up over a few coats for a more opaque finish. Applying colour is usually where things start to go awry for me, but Mayvee’s wide paddle brushes and smooth formulas make it surprisingly easy to achieve an even application.

After two coats, I’m happy with the results. I tidy up any stray polish around the edges and leave my nails to dry – historically, this is the stage I’m most likely to ruin an otherwise decent manicure by accidentally brushing my hands against something. But to my delight, Mayvee’s polishes are genuinely fast-drying, which makes the wait considerably less nerve-racking and tedious. Once the colour is set, I lock it all in with a final coat Protecting My Peace, which provides that extra layer of protection and a little shine to boot. 

For anyone looking to spend less time at the salon without sacrificing the pleasure of a fresh set, Mayvee makes a compelling case for the at-home mani. Between its wearable shade range and its smooth, quick-drying formula, it makes doing your own nails feel like fun self-care rather than a chore. And if it earns you some compliments along the way? All the better.

To shop Mayvee, head here.