Treat Yourself To A Bright, Beautiful Manicure That Lasts for Weeks
While there are many styles and methods to get your perfect manicure, for the most part, the choice is between UV gel nails vs Acrylic nails.
What Are Gel Nails?
There’s a good reason why UV gel manicures have become a modern beauty mainstay. They’re virtually indestructible, impossibly glossy, and offered at most nail salons.
Gone are the days when digging through your bag to check your phone ran the risk of chipping your manicure. The UV gel grips on to the nail tighter than traditional polishes which is why it lasts so long.
How To Do UV Gel Nails?
Whether you’re doing UV gel manicures in a nail salon or in the comfort of your own home, there are a few essential tips that will help you achieve the perfect manicure:
- Apply the UV gel polish in thin layers. If you apply too much, the polish will bubble under the curing lamp, leaving the manicure uneven.
- Ensure that you’ve sealed the ‘tip’ of the nail with the polish. After all, this is where the gel polish is the most likely to chip.
- Cure the UV gel polish using a nail dryer or a UV nail lamp.
How To Remove UV Gel Polish?
Finally, removing UV gel nail polish is just as important as applying it. So, take your time! A good method is to wrap cotton pads soaked in nail polish remover (with acetone) and secure them to each nail with aluminum foil. This will place just enough pressure on the nails to let the gel polish come off gently and thoroughly.
There are countless UV Gel nail polish brands, as well as UV gel nail polish kits.
With all this said, which UV gel polishes made our list this month?
1) Gellen Gel Nail Polish Set
What Makes It Great
These Gellen gel polishes apply so smoothly with only a couple of strokes. They come in a great range of colors. Optimized for fast curing, these nail polishes only take minutes to set under a quality nail lamp. I also give these gel polishes points for their staying power – they lasted for a few weeks without a chip or mark, looking just as good as the day I applied the polish. Removal was quick and easy, and my nails looked great underneath. Finally, these polishes are made with mostly non-toxic ingredients – making it a safer choice.
Where It Could Be Improved
The palest pink color is very subtle. It’s perfect if you like a “barely there” look, otherwise, you may wish to apply a few more coats of this shade.
Gellen Gel Nail Polish Set - Nude Gray Series 6 Colors Nail Art Gift Box, Soak Off UV LED Gel...
- On like polish, Wears like Gel, Off in minutes, Mirror shine finish
- With a proper application, 2 WEEKS+ wearing is attainable.
- Environment-friendly products with healthy ingredients, low smell, NON-TOXIC
2) AIMEILI Gel Nail Polish
What Makes It Great
This pretty AIMEILI packet contains a gel base coat and topcoat. Both coats went on really well and took no time to cure to a rock hard, and high shine finish. The gel topcoat retained the glossy finish for over three weeks. I love that you can use other polishes in between the base and tops coats, like a “polish sandwich”. Doing this doesn’t affect the finish or durability and opens up a wealth of possibilities for colors and effects.
Where It Could Be Improved
If you’re having trouble curing your nail polish, make sure you wipe over the base coat, not just the top.
AIMEILI Gel Nail Polish No Wipe Top and Base Coat Set Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Lacquer - 2...
- 21 days high-gloss wear. Mirror shine finish. No Nicks, Chips or Smudges.
- Requires drying under UV or LED Lamp. Apply the polish in thin coat. Thinner - Stronger.
- BEWARE: May cause ALLERGIC REACTION. Please take SKIN TEST EVERY TIME before doing manicure. Stop using immediately once feeling uncomfortable! Also, please DO NOT over file down the nail plates or scrap off old polish with a sharp tool! The trauma required to remove the gel nail polish is quite significant. Once it occurs, infection can set in and cause problems.
3) Modelones Gel Nail Polish Set
What Makes It Great
This is a lovely, attractively boxed set of gel polishes. The bottles are small, but the colors are so pretty, especially the glitter ones. The smaller sized bottles help you use up the product before its expiration date, which means these gel polishes won’t around for long enough to go clumpy. The good news is, they’re very pigmented and provide high coverage so you only need a little bit of product for a good application. These Modelones polishes don’t smell, cure quickly, and last nearly three weeks. The glitter gels are so pretty that I’m going to keep using them regardless of the season.
When the time came for removal, the gel soaked off without leaving a trace, and my nails looked completely unharmed underneath. You get 6 amazing colors in this packet, including 3 shades of rich reds, which I love.
Where It Could Be Improved
My only complaint is that the staying power isn’t as good with Modelones as with some of the other gel polishes reviewed on this page. However, if you combine the gel polish with a great gel top and base coat, you can enjoy these pretty polishes for weeks.
Gel Nail Polish- Modelones Gel Polish- Soak Off UV Gel Polish- Glitter Red Gel Nail Polish Set- 6 Colors 10...
- ❤ MODELONES GEL NAIL POLISH: Ladies' nail-care priorities which can make you more dazzling in the crowd. Ingenuity Art Works Bottles+ 6 PCS Color Gel Nail Polish( 10ml/ each)+ Unique Gift Box. All the colors are suitable for any working or dating occasion.
4) Lagunamoon Gel Nail Polish Set
What Makes It Great
This neat little gel base and top coat set arrived ahead of schedule. The set looks very professional. The user instructions are clear and concise, and the brush seems a good shape for creating nice, even strokes. The first thing I noticed was the almost pleasant floral smell, not the usual eye-watering chemical odor we’re all familiar with. It went on very smoothly, and the curing time was minimal. A quick wipe over and I was done. Shiny, tough wearing and lasted over two weeks.
Where It Could Be Improved
I ended up using more of the topcoat than the base, so it would be handy to have larger bottles, but this isn’t a deal-breaker for me.
Lagunamoon Gel Base and Top Coat,Long Lasting Glossy Top Coat for Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Polish Polygel Nail...
- Lagunamoon No Wipe Glossy gel nail polish base coat and top coat take your manicure to the next level by adding the perfect finishing touch.
- Apply and wear with confidence knowing that Lagunamoon is 100% safe without any harm ingredients.Suitable for both salon and home use (DIY), Lagunamoon meets the needs of professionals,beauty.
5) Essie gel couture platinum grade finish top coat
What Makes It Great
I love the design of this bottle – it looks adorable on my dressing table, and I’m looking forward to trying it out. The essie 2 step system appears simple to follow, and the instruction includes some tips for nail care too. This went on really nicely over a different brand of polish and cured to a rock hard shine. The colored polish acquired a gorgeous depth with this as a top coat and lasted nearly three weeks. I was able to remove it quickly leaving a perfect nail surface underneath.
Where It Could Be Improved
The bottle could be larger as you go through it quickly, other than that, nothing to pick up on!
essie gel couture platinum grade finish top coat, top coat, 0.46 fl. oz. (packaging may vary )
- Quick drying top coat with an ultra-glossy finish; luxurious longwear and impeccable gel nail polish like shine in an easy 2 step system; use gel couture nail color and top coat together for optimal results
How Long Do Gel Nails Last?
On average, and depending on your nail care routine and other lifestyle habits, your gel nails will likely last anywhere from two to three weeks. UV gel nails are entirely different from regular nail polish because they need to be cured under UV light in order to dry and harden. Drying and hardening the gel polish with UV light creates a bond between the gel and your nail, making it adhere better and last longer.
Get more gel nails inspiration here or check out my other cherry-picked reviews below:
