Melanie Rud is a Chicago-based writer with 10 years of experience covering beauty. It's all right here. Though there are limited shade options, the green is one of my favorites to wear right now!". Easiest Gel Nail Polish to Remove: Eternal Gel Nail Polish Kit. Boujee Glitter Gel Polish Set, 6-Piece Set Check Price Sparkle Time Pick these gel nail polishes if you want to make a statement with the combination of glitter and vibrant colors. Also available in many color options and finishes, even matte. This step will remove excess resin build-upthat is a product of the curing process. The polishes are either glossy or glittery and you can choose between glossy or matte top coats. But, its not just any light you need UV or LED. Definitely going to be a longtime favorite!". Rave Review: "I like this Essie Gel Couture polish a lot! If its a gel, apply acetone with the cotton balls or pads and cover them with the foil or clips. I have used it with a reddish brown base color and a sky bluethe results were both very pretty and different from one another. We're talking about these UV-less gel nail polishes. The texture is a bit watery which was concerning first but when you apply two coats it will be fine. While the ones on this list are all ones that do not need a lamp, many others do. Essentially, this creates a chemical reaction that loosens polish and allows the product to be removed with a cuticle pusher. Lets take a look at the basics you need to know before you buy. Most nail experts and beauticians agree that gel nail polishisno more damaging to nails than traditional polish. Lamps that emit UV lights were the first used to cure gel nail polish; however, the technology has evolved. Two coats of this long-lasting polish are all you needno top coat or base coat required. It dries with air exposure and can dry faster when you blow on it or hold it up to a fan. To get it off at home, youll need to buff it with a nail file to break the shell and then soak it with acetone. It doesn't damage or dehydrate your nails, according to the manufacturer, but instead enriches them with minerals and vitamins to make them stronger. The latter are more expensive but will cure polish (essentially dry it) faster, she points out. Jump to Review. You also dont want to cure them much too long, or you could cause skin damage. If youd rather use a lamp, the Vishine starter kit includes everything you need. In the Beauty Lab, we love a hand cream or a specialized cuticle cream to keep nails healthy and hydrated. First, we send out samples to testers across the country who provide feedback on dry speed, chip resistance, shine or dullness, color, ease and evenness of application and ease removal, plus any nail staining upon removal. Youll need to purchase a base coat, top coat, and curing lamp separately. .css-1iyvfzb .brand{text-transform:capitalize;}We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. There are pros and cons to both gel and traditional options. Some color names are a bit misleading and affect expectations. ICYMI, Deborah Lippmann has a great reputation in the nail polish industry. You can also try this shade in . UV lights were the original way gel polish was cured, but LED lights are becoming more popular because theyre faster and safer. Youll be able to choose from lamps that produce UV or LED light. We haven't Lab-tested this set, but we like that as opposed to the process for removing traditional gel polish, you can easily remove this with regular acetone nail polish remover. That said, our Beauty Lab carefully assessed the products included above to ensure they stand up to their specific "-free" claims. It changes with temperatures, so if youre cold, youll get a darker color and if youre warm, youll get a lighter color. Typically it takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes soaking nails in acetone to soften and remove gel nail polish. We love the fact that many quality gel nail polishes come in kits with multiple color choices. If you prepare your nails and apply the polish correctly, it should be able to last for 2 weeks. The pearl finish is life and compliments my skin tone. Youll need a base and top coat to extend the lifespan of these polishes. Happy painting! Make sure you have access to a UV/LED lamp with this one. Thanks to a blend of hardening polymers and resins, you can count on this lacquer to resist chipping and peeling for several days. Longer nails can elongate fingers, but "shorter nails are less likely to chip, so opt for a clean, short cut" if you're worried about chipping, suggests Rachel Apfel Glass, founder of GLOSSLAB. Best Nail-Polish Brands: Jin Soon. She regularly teams up with the GH Beauty Lab's scientists to write about the very best nail products on the market, according to their testing data. oz | Finish: Shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes. Buying guide for best gel nail polish. Theyre mostly in the red family with plenty of pinks, but they do offer black, blue, and a couple of purple shades. Gel polish is a wonderful invention that has improved enough to make long-lasting manicures easily accessible to every DIY nail artist or casual painter. Not only will it lack the high-gloss shine, but it will smudge, smear, or otherwise not last very long. Our best overall pick is the Morovan Poly Gel Kit. Image Source: jinsoon.com. Gel polish should only be used on strong, healthy nails. Its quicker and will save you money, so you can feel free to change up your look as soon as youre bored with it. "I'm not very good at painting my own nails, and of all the polishes I've tried, this is one of the easiest to apply on my own nails," says Malzahn. Gel nail polish sets that include a variety of colors are ideal for consumers who love to change the color of their nails to match their different moods, outfits, and styles. This set doesnt include a curing lamp or base and top coats, so youll need to purchase those separately. In the Lab, a manicurist professionally applies polish to a separate panel, evaluating each polish for ease of use, application and coverage. Affordable gel polishes in rich reds and bold blacks for an edgy, fashionable look. "A great nail polish delivers high shine, super smooth application, has a fast-drying formula, UV protection and great color assortments," says Jin Soon Choi, expert nail artist and JINsoon founder. There's a lot that goes into it, between having to paint a small area with your non-dominant hand, impatiently waiting for the polish to dry, and then accidentally smudging it. Curing typically takes 30 to 120 seconds. Youll need to purchase their top coat which is sold separately. The Top Gel Nail Polish Brands Of 2021 1. One of our most iconic shades, now available in Gel. You can use either UV or LED, but youll probably end up with LED just because theyre more common these days. For example, the ones on this list are all ones that can be applied just like any regular polish, sans light. Apply additional coats as needed to achieve your ideal shade, but remember to place your nails under the curing lamp to set after each coat. The differences between UV and LED curing lamps are stark. Glass says, "I recommend using coconut oil to moisturize the nail bed." Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. One of the benefits of gel nail polish is its glossy finish. Base coats are recommended, but not necessarily required. All you need is the polishes this set comes with. Use a gel top coat and let it cure just as you did with the other two layers. You could simply paint over the bare spot on your nails. This can be either a UV light or LED light. I applied two coats, waited for it to dry, and then the top coat gave it an impeccable gloss and hardness!". In the GH Beauty Lab, we test nail polishes both in the Lab and with consumer testers. These are traditional gel polishes and cant dry without the lamp. Best Gel Kit: Le Mini Macaron Mini Gel Nail Polish Kit at Amazon. But, depending on the polish formula, it could take shorter or longer than the average to fully cure. This set of bold-colored gel polishes is for those who want to make a statement with eye-catching nails. And, BTW, this polish does require drying with a UV/LED lamp. CND Shellac. However, this will vary depending on the number and thickness of the layers of polish applied. Use white to draw a border between the polish and the bare nail and call it a reverse French manicure (thats actually a fairly popular design choice). Often, a nail polish maker claims their polish will last a certain number of days. We then used these insights from our research and testing to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list. Yes, but no. "Deeper colors were rich and fabulous even after one coat," one tester raved. And although youll also need to invest in a UV or LED nail lamp to cure gel polish once youve applied it, youll save money in the long run with lasting results for a fraction of the cost of repeated trips to the nail salon. Weve talked about the application process of gel nail polishand how they differ from traditional options; however, they also have features. At-home manicures just got a lot more luxurious. Moisturizing your nails and cuticles in between gel manicures will help to prevent them from drying out from the acetone remover. Gel polish wont dry without a curing lamp. Gel nail polish is a product of the 1980s, but you can thank the ingenuity of the 21st century for drugstore gel polish that doesnt require any kind of lamp. Shades: 4 | Size: 0.5 fl. Turn any nail color into gel polish with this natural light-activated top coat. It's great for those who don't want a huge commitment to gel polish. Lasts 2 weeks with proper application. These are glossy glitter polishes that change colors when theyre hot or cold. Achieving pretty nails with colors that stay put for lengthy periods of time requires quality gel nail polishand the know-how to apply itproperly. If youre giving your child their first gel manicure but they cant sit still, this should be the one you go to. Follow with the accompanying top coat for amanicure that stays shiny and chip-free far longer than its regular polish counterparts. Gel nail polish was once a special treat only available in nail salons, but its now easily accessible to the public and you dont even have to be a professional to apply it correctly. In our last test, we sent over 174 polishes to consumers and evaluated more than 3,700 surveys to find the best nail polishes on the market. Beetles gel polish is 9-free, according to the manufacturer. Rave Review: "This is the perfect color if you want to do French nails and use it as a base. Shades: 18 | Size: 0.5 fl. Evelyn Lim is a nail expert with more than 18 years of experience. The top coat makes my nails SHINE SHINE SHINE!!! "It's completely replaced gel polish for me." oz | Finish: Shine | Cruelty-Free: No. While that is a plus, its also the reason the polish cant last up to 4 weeks as traditional gel polish can. This formula from a leading brand in gel nail products is naturally-derived from resin and is low odor. We hope this list proved helpful so you can start your gel polish collection soon. Comes out silvery/glittery/holographic, a look that shifts with movement in the light, but the base hue will still show through a bit if you choose to use one. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough gel polishes from Black-owned and/or Black-founded businesses to meet this percentage. FairyGlo Gel Nail Polish From Amazon $6.99 Perfect Summer 6-Polish Sets From Amazon $15.05 Orly Perfect Pair Gel Duo From Amazon $16.99 Lagunamoon 25-Polish Sets From Amazon $7.99.