Ella+Mila is a beauty brand focused primarily on nail color and care products. It highlights the exclusion of several chemicals in its nail polishes and offers a limited selection of makeup products and beauty accessories.
The brand’s product range includes a wide selection of nail polish shades in various finishes. It also features base coats, top coats, nail strengtheners, cuticle oils, polish removers, and manicure tools.
This review will examine Ella’s product offerings in detail and assess how the brand compares with similar clean nail care options. It will also evaluate consumer feedback to provide a clearer understanding of its positioning, performance, and potential limitations.
About Ella+Mila
Ella+mila organizes its product range across Nail Polish, Nail Care, Makeup, and Accessories. Its nail polish lineup includes 9th St., Pink S and Beach, Berry Much in Love, Luminous, Dragonfly, and Dorothy’s Stilettos. The range also covers cream, glitter, and holographic finishes, along with color families such as pink, red, purple, green, nude, orange, and yellow.
The Nail Care category includes functional products such as Nail Strengthener, base coat, and Fast-Drying Top Coat. Bundled formats like the 2-Pack Top & Base Duo, French Mani Set, and broader collections such as the Love Collection and Me Collection provide value-based options.
The brand also offers multiple remover types, including Soy Nail Polish Remover, Soy Remover Wipes, Jojoba Nail Polish Remover, Non-Acetone Remover, and 100% Pure Acetone Remover.
According to the official website, Ella+mila includes a makeup segment divided into Lips and Eyes. The lip range features liquid lipsticks in creamy, glossy, and velvet matte finishes, while the eyes category includes palettes such as Ultra Goddess and Flirty Goddess.
Ella+Mila Offerings
Nail Care (The Flagship Line)
Polishes
Ella+mila offers nail paints such as Berry Much in Love, Honeymoon Bliss, Pour the Bubbly, La Vie En Rose, Dulce Amor, and Sugar Fairy. These options include glycol copolymer, which functions as a film-forming polymer. This type of polymer creates a continuous, flexible layer once the solvent evaporates. The film binds to the keratin structure of your nail plate through surface adhesion rather than chemical alteration, which helps the polish remain intact while allowing the nail to retain its natural integrity.
The makers added citric acid to these polishes, which works as a pH-adjusting and stabilizing agent. It helps maintain a controlled pH environment within the formula, which can improve product stability and prevent premature degradation of other components. Maintaining a balanced pH can support the structural stability of keratin that makes up your nails, by minimizing unnecessary swelling or weakening that may occur in highly alkaline conditions.
Removers
As per the official website, Ella + Mila offers soy-based nail polish remover that is formulated to dissolve natural nail polish while combining lipid-based and antioxidant ingredients that interact more gently with the nail surface.
Soy-derived solvents work by breaking down the film-forming polymers in nail polish. These solvents penetrate the polish layer and disrupt the intermolecular bonds holding the hardened film together. This allows it to lift from the keratin surface of your nail without the rapid dehydration commonly associated with stronger solvents like acetone.
The formula includes Vitamins A, C, and E, which function primarily as antioxidants. Vitamin E can support barrier integrity by limiting free radical–induced damage to surface lipids. Meanwhile, vitamin C could support collagen synthesis in living tissue, particularly in the cuticle and proximal nail fold, and also acts as a water-soluble antioxidant that helps neutralize reactive oxygen species.
Lip Products
Lipsticks & Liquid Lipsticks
Lip collection includes multiple shades and finishes such as Blush, Just Right, Touch of Love, Tell Me More, Just Cheeky, Stripped, Vibes, Laced Up, and Agent Provocateur. Across these lipstick and liquid lipstick formats, the formula is described as Vitamin E-enriched, which acts at the skin level, where it integrates into the lipid-rich outer layer of the lips to help reinforce barrier stability.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that localizes within cell membranes. The lips are made of a thinner stratum corneum and fewer sebaceous glands than other facial areas, which makes them potentially more susceptible to moisture loss and environmental stress. Tocopherol helps limit oxidative damage caused by free radicals generated through UV exposure and pollution.
In liquid lipstick shades such as Just Right or You Red my Mind, where film-forming agents are typically used to improve wear time, Vitamin E may help counterbalance potential tightness by supporting surface hydration and reducing transepidermal water loss.
Eye Makeup
Eyeshadow Palettes
As per the official website, Eyeshade Palettes range features Ultra Goddess and Flirty Goddess palettes, which combine matte and shimmer shadows with coordinated blush and highlighter shades. Ultra Goddess includes Not Basic, Fire, Sultry, Slay, Bold, Edgy, Sweet Peach, and Glow Up. Meanwhile, Flirty Goddess features Bare, Tease, Seduction, Lust, Envy, Set the Mood, Just Right, and Glisten.
Tools
Ella+mila offers tools such as the Clipper, Edgy Dotter, File + Buffer, Filer, and a cuticle nipper to support basic nail maintenance and detailing. The Clipper features a curved blade designed to follow the natural contour of the nail plate, which can help you trim more evenly when you press the lever with steady pressure. The Edgy Dotter is a dual-ended nail art tool with a dotting tip for controlled polish placement and a brush that can be dipped in remover to refine edges along the cuticle line.
The File + Buffer and Filer are intended to shape and smooth the nail surface as filing reduces rough edges created during trimming, while buffering lightly abrades the top layer of keratin to create a more uniform texture. The tools also feature a cuticle nipper, which is designed to remove excess cuticle buildup gently.
Body Care
Body Scrubs
The body scrub is formulated to gently exfoliate the skin while supporting moisture retention. The exfoliating component in this product works by physically loosening and removing accumulated dead skin cells from the stratum corneum. You can allow newer surface cells to reflect light more evenly, which can improve perceived smoothness and texture by reducing this buildup.
The formula includes jojoba seed oil, which allows it to integrate easily into the skin’s lipid barrier and reduce transepidermal water loss. The makers also added castor oil in this scrub, which is rich in ricinoleic acid that might help seal in moisture.
Body Scrub also has coconut oil, which contains lauric acid, which contributes to barrier support and surface conditioning. Sunflower seed oil in this product is high in linoleic acid, which might help maintain the integrity of the skin barrier.
The oil blend in this body scrub might help replenish surface lipids that can be stripped away by daily washing, friction, and environmental factors. After exfoliation removes dry flakes, these oils form a lightweight occlusive layer that slows moisture evaporation and leaves the skin feeling smoother and more supple.
Ella+Mila Advantages
Female-Founded Brand Identity
ella+mila was founded in 2014 by Narineh Bedrossian, who has served as Chief Executive Officer since inception. Professional profiles identify her as a founder alongside other early team members like Ara Bedrossian, indicating sustained leadership continuity.
The brand states that its origin stemmed from Bedrossian’s search for nail polish safe for her twins, Ella and Mila, a narrative it links to stricter ingredient standards and formulation transparency. This background is presented as influencing the company’s 17-free formula, vegan positioning, and ingredient-focused messaging, embedding founder intent into the brand’s structural identity rather than treating it as a later marketing shift.
A founder-led origin tied to ingredient concerns signals consistency in how the brand approaches formulation standards over time. If ingredient transparency or reduced chemical exposure is a priority, the company’s origin story clarifies why those elements remain central to its messaging. Sustained leadership and a clearly stated founding purpose make it easier to evaluate whether the brand’s standards align with your expectations around nail product ingredients and labeling.
Recognized Lifestyle Beauty Brand
Ella+Mila highlights media recognition on its official website by listing features in established beauty and lifestyle publications. In 2021, Refinery29 published a review of ella+mila’s vegan nail polish. The article discussed the brand’s formula, fast-drying performance, and suitability for everyday wear within the clean beauty category. Beauty Launchpad also covered the brand, placing it within the clean beauty movement and noting its wide shade range and eco-focused positioning. These independent features show how third parties describe the brand’s formulas and color options. Ella+mila connects its products to broader clean beauty discussions and current lifestyle trends. The mentions indicate that outside publications have reviewed and evaluated the brand’s offerings. This kind of third-party recognition can provide an added layer of information beyond the company’s own claims. Reading how independent sources describe the products may help you better assess performance, shade variety, and overall positioning before deciding whether the brand fits your needs.
Ella+Mila Limitation
Shade Range Limitation
Ella+Mila does not significantly expand into professional-level specialty finishes. You won’t find magnetic cat-eye effects, chrome powders, thermal color-changing formulas, heavy neon pigments, or complex multidimensional toppers that are common in salon-driven nail lines. Its innovation stays centered on classic creams, subtle shimmer, and light glitter instead of trend-focused textures. This narrower creative range can limit your styling options. If you prefer bold, editorial, or festival-style nails, you may need to mix products from other brands. That can affect shade coordination, disrupt your routine, and complicate ingredient consistency if you prefer keeping your nail collection within one clean or ethical standard.
Ella+Mila Alternatives
Essie
Essie and Ella+Mila both operate in the nail category, but their portfolio structure, formulation positioning, and overall scope differ in measurable ways. As per their official website, Essie maintains a concentrated focus on nail polish and nail care. The brand offers over 1,000 nail polish shades across distinct formula categories, including enamel, Expressie quick dry, and longwear gel-like systems such as Gel by Essie. Its nail care range is segmented into strengthening formulas, base coats and primers, top coats and finishers, and cuticle care. The website structure includes nail inspiration pages, seasonal edits like winter-ready care, gel removal guidance, French manicure tutorials, and a Nail Care Routine Finder. The brand also highlights its vegan formulas and integrates shade and nail care quizzes to support product selection.
On the other hand, Ella+Mila presents a broader product ecosystem. In addition to nail polish, it offers nail care, makeup for lips and eyes, body scrub, moisturizing cream, cosmetic bags, and curated gift sets. Its nail polish variety covers multiple collections such as 9th St., Love Collection, Me Collection, and themed duos, including Party in a Bottle + Sweet Tart. A central differentiator is its 17-Free formulation claim, which is positioned as a defining feature of the brand. The brand’s nail care lineup includes First Aid Kiss Nail Strengthener, Top & Base Duo sets, and multiple remover formats.
In terms of structure and engagement, Essie emphasizes performance segmentation, formula differentiation, and trend-based color storytelling. Its digital presence highlights editorial-style inspiration, professional-looking finishes, and salon-oriented guidance. Meanwhile, Ella+Mila combines tutorials, themed collections, loyalty incentives through You·R Beauty·Full Rewards, and gift-oriented bundles such as Mommy&Me® sets, reflecting a lifestyle-oriented expansion beyond standalone polish.
Essie concentrates on shade breadth, formula categories, and wear-based performance claims within a nail-focused framework. Ella+Mila differentiates through its 17-Free positioning, expanded beauty categories, diversified remover options, and bundled value offerings.
Olive and June
Olive & June focuses on complete, coordinated manicure systems designed to replicate a salon-style experience at home. Its lineup includes The Pedi System, Sheer & Neutral Gel System, Obsessed Gel Mani System, and Flash Glitter System. These kits typically combine curated gel or lacquer shades with base and top coats, nail care tools, remover products, and, in gel formats, an LED lamp. In comparison, Ella+mila structures its catalog by individual product categories such as Nail Polish, Nail Care, Makeup, Accessories, and value sets like the Love Collection (B), 2-Pack Nail Care Set, and French Mani Set, emphasizing mix-and-match flexibility rather than full curing systems.
The Polish formats further highlight this contrast. Olive & June offers multiple performance-driven formats and Gel Polish options. The brand supports its gel range with maintenance products like the Gel Restock Set, Salon-Speed Soak-Off Kit, and Peel Off Base Coat. Meanwhile, Ella+mila, however, emphasizes traditional lacquer, offering nail color across glitter, pink, red, purple, green, nude, and orange/yellow options.
Press-on nails represent another clear difference. Olive & June provides both Glue Press-Ons and Tab Press-Ons in shapes such as Short Round, Medium Almond, Extra Short Round, and Squoval. Designs include Cherry Super Sparkle, Party Glitter French, Plaza Shimmer, Pink Sands Chrome, Classic French, and Vintage. These are supported by systems like The Instant Mani System and The Super Stick System, along with accessory products such as the Super Stick Tab Pack. On the other hand, Ella+mila does not prominently feature press-on systems.
In terms of category breadth, Olive & June remains primarily nail-focused, extending into Nail Art Stickers, as well as care options like Advanced Nail Strengthener, Nail Hardener, Cuticle Oil, and Nourishing Remover Pot. Meanwhile, Ella+mila expands beyond nails into makeup and body care, offering Liquid Lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, lip moisturizers, and Body Scrub.
Pricing orientation also reflects their strategic differences. Olive & June emphasizes bundled value with systems often marketed with higher stated retail values (for example, $198 Value gel kits priced at $140), encouraging larger upfront purchases for a complete routine. Individual Polish pricing remains accessible between $9 and $12. Ella+mila maintains mid-range individual pricing around $10.50 to $14 for polishes and lip products, with periodic sales reducing makeup items from $29 to $9.99.
Olive & June is focused on structured, salon-style manicure and pedicure routines supported by gel lamps, coordinated kits, press-on ecosystems, and integrated nail art. Meanwhile, Ella+mila features varied remover technologies, nail strengthening formulas, and an expanded makeup and body variety.
Pros
- The brand offers vegan products across categories.
- The brand claims that its products are made in the USA.
- Offers a variety of remover types (acetone & soy-based).
Cons
- Some users mentioned finding the brand’s offering pricier.
- A few users reported dryness with cuticle oil even after regular use in independent reviews.
How Did We Evaluate?
Brand Credibility
Ella + Mila offers a broad shade range of nail polishes, along with base coats, top coats, nail treatments, removers, and manicure tools. The brand currently holds an F rating on the BBB platform. The available profile reflects a small number of filed complaints, with prior concerns referencing product performance issues, including same-day chipping, as well as dissatisfaction related to refund limitations. From a reputational standpoint, the profile signals weak responsiveness within the framework, impacting perceived accountability.
Ella + Mila appears to operate as a smaller, digitally oriented brand with a defined formulation identity and relatively low publicly recorded complaint frequency. However, the weak responsiveness may be a consideration if you prioritize formal customer service engagement and documented dispute resolution processes when evaluating brand credibility.
Real User Experiences
To evaluate Ella+Mila, we examined verified Amazon customer feedback across its core offerings, focusing on performance consistency, formulation experience, durability, ease of use, and value perception.The brand’s Nail Polishes hold a 4.4 rating based on 900+ reviews, which provided insight into real-world application and wear. Many users claimed the polishes dry quickly and last several days without significant chipping, particularly when paired with a top coat. Many appreciated the modern shade range and smooth finish, while numerous customers highlighted the vegan and cruelty-free positioning as a meaningful advantage. At the same time, some claimed certain shades applied streaky or felt thick and goopy, and a few mentioned stiff brush bristles that made even application more challenging.
On the other hand, the Nail Polish Remover maintains a 4.4 rating based on 7,000+ reviews. Many claimed the oil-based, non-acetone formula removes polish effectively without the harsh odor associated with traditional removers. Some customers reported that their nails and cuticles felt softer after use, with users appreciating the conditioning, less-drying finish. However, a few claimed it requires more time and repeated swipes to remove polish fully, especially multiple coats, and noted that the oily residue can delay immediate reapplication.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The brand highlights top coats, collections, and tools, with no pro login, license requirement, or restricted salon-only section indicated.
The brand offers dotting tools for creating dots and flower designs, along with prep tools like files and clippers. It also features ultra-fine brushes for drawing thin lines, gradients, and detailed nail art.
The brand does not provide virtual try-on features, quizzes, or interactive shade finders. The site shows color swatches and descriptions, but selection relies on visual browsing alone.
Conclusion
Ella+Mila centers its identity on a 17-free formulation standard and vegan claims. However, free-from positioning does not eliminate the possibility of irritation, as alternative film formers, pigments, and preservatives used in nail coatings can still trigger sensitivity in some people.
The brand does not significantly extend into salon-style gel systems, advanced technologies, or highly experimental textures. If you are seeking highly differentiated performance claims or bold specialty finishes, you may find the overall range comparatively traditional.
When considering Ella and its offerings, make sure to apply polish in well-ventilated areas, which helps reduce solvent inhalation during evaporation. Repeated remover use can temporarily dehydrate the nail plate by disrupting surface lipids, while soy-based removers may require longer contact and friction.
Ella+Mila maintains a focused approach centered on ingredient-conscious messaging and a streamlined product system, while its innovation and finish range remain within conventional lacquer formats.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.