Nail varnish generally consists of three main components: polymer molecules form the film that’s deposited on your nails, dyes provide the colour, and everything is dissolved in solvents that quickly evaporate after the varnish is applied.
Polymers - Nitrocellulose is the polymer molecule that forms the lacquer left on nails.
Dyes - Chromium oxide (green),iron hexacyanoferrate(Prussian blue), titanium dioxide (white) and much more complex chemicals known as ‘lake pigments’ act as dyes and pigments providing the varnish with its colour.
Solvent - Butyl or ethyl acetate are typically used as the solvents, replacing acetone which was once popular in nail varnish.
Glitter - If your varnish has a bit of glitter or shimmer then it might include mica or aluminium powder.
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.