Table of Content
- How to find the best gel nail polish:
- Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel Nail Color
- Top 10 Best Gel Nail Polishes 2022
- Can you use a top coat on top of gel polish before curing?
- The 10 Best At-Home Gel Nail Kits of 2022
- Espresso & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Bourbon Buttercream
- The 13 Best Professional-Level Gel Nail Polishes And Kits In 2022, According To Rave Reviews
"Plus, the light is easy to set up — just be aware that you need your own charging block." This polish lasts as long as an in-salon gel manicure, but it comes off just as easily as normal nail polish. It doesn't require a light to cure and also has a built-in base coat, which helps the color lock onto your nails and erases additional steps.
She regularly tests and analyzes UV nail lamps on her own nails for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top professionals to assess new formulas and brands. And because I know the struggle of online shopping, I have taken the liberty of providing you with a variety of UV and LED nail lamps. So without further ado, here are the 13 best nail lamps for an at-home salon gel mani that'll save you some big bucks.
How to find the best gel nail polish:
While this could be frustrating if you find yourself wanting to do your nails all the time, it’s especially space-saving and still very effective. Basically, in my ~professional~ opinion, they're a higher quality at-home manicure than one you'd get with basic nail polish. Because of this, they're also more expensive than regular polish—though they'll almost always be less expensive than a salon manicure. Lucky for you, I did the research on the best-tested, most top-rated gel polishes people are raving about. This is a 2-pack polish that comes with the color and top coat.

Another option is to have someone else remove the polish. While applying acetone to your nails may sound harsh, picking or filing off gel nail polish can significantly damage your nails. I was excited to try the color, however, as with many light shades, it needed three heavy coats before it was almost opaque. This wouldn’t have necessarily been a total turn-off if the polish had resembled a gel at all; even at the time of application, the thin, runny polish felt as if I had just used an average ‘ol nail polish. Whether you want to color your nails at home or go in for a professional manicure, youll need your manicure kit.
Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel Nail Color
While it says to dry each coat for one minute, our tester found that leaving her nails in a little longer allowed them to fully harden without any tackiness. This manicure kit comes with eight gel colors, including two ombrés and six solids, plus a nail dehydrator, a primer, a base, and top coat, various grooming tools, and a drying lamp. You'll also get extension gel and foil for shaping your nails. Once our tester got the desired shape and length, the drying process was a breeze.

On the other hand, it’s the removal process that can require some degree of scraping and soaking in harsh acetone that can dry out and damage nails. Using hand moisturizers and cuticle creams in between manicures can help prevent this problem. Taking a break from gel manicures to let nails recover is also recommended from time to time, especially if they feel thin or start to break more than usual. If they need it, use a treatment polish that is designed to strengthen and repair weak nails.
Top 10 Best Gel Nail Polishes 2022
You can use the cuticle stick to smooth out any air bubbles, then file off the excess before applying a top coat. This kit comes with a three-in-one gel polish, so there is no need for a separate base or top coat—and it still lasts just as long as regular gel polish. The kit also comes with gel polish remover wraps, a mini nail file, and a cuticle pusher. This isn’t a gel, but it acts like one since it can last for almost as long as a regular gel polish. To get it to last that long, you’ll need to buy the top coat separately, otherwise, it’ll start chipping in a day or two. It dries quickly and doesn’t need a curing lamp, but it takes 2-3 coats to achieve full opacity.

Our tester said the gel dried quickly with the included lamp and was satisfied with the finished results. While it may not last as long as a salon mani, you can expect it to hold up longer with regular polish. Both Gurung and James agree that gel polish itself isn’t bad for your nails, the issue typically lies in how users or professional manicurists prep beforehand and later remove the gel. Gurung says, “If you or a nail tech files a lot before the application, that’s not good and can thin out the nails.” The same applies to the removal process. “Filing the top layer of gel with an electric file—a regular file would be okay depending on the gel—forcefully scraping off the gels, or even picking or peeling them is bad for your nails,” she says. Guring also recommends taking breaks every once in a while between gel-based manicures to give your nails a break.
This set comes in a super chic box which smacks of quality from the moment it arrives. Inside, all of the elements the polishes, the base and top coats, the nail files, the lamp are laid out clearly. This sense of simplicity and clarity permeates every aspect of the kit.
While that is a plus, it’s also the reason the polish can’t last up to 4 weeks as traditional gel polish can. If you get a salon gel manicure, you’ll have to go back to get it removed. To get it off at home, you’ll need to buff it with a nail file to break the shell and then soak it with acetone. Keep a bottle of acetone nail polish remover, cotton balls, and cotton swabs close by when applying gel nail polish. You’ll be prepared to clean up any messes or mistakes quickly and effectively.
If you lack creativity or a steady hand, you can always start over. It’s not really an easy solution, but you might be tired of your manicure after a couple of weeks, anyway. If you’re waiting for it to chip off, it could take up to four weeks for it to begin, so you’re waiting for up to six weeks for it to chip completely off. Once the bare spots are too noticeable, it’s probably best to just start fresh.
To seal the deal, wipe the polish with an alcohol-soaked lint-free wipe. “Always re-moisturize with lotion or a cuticle oil, as the rubbing alcohol can be drying on your nails and cuticles,” adds Russel. Make any Chanel nail polish last for up to seven days by layering on this clear gel top coat.
The gel polish is a very light pink, which is a universally flattering nail color that would be great for any season. You can purchase additional colors of the gel polish separately. To find the best gel nail polish kits, we researched dozens of options and considered factors such as set size, polish colors, and dry time while narrowing down this list. For expert tips on how to properly apply and take off gel nail polish, we spoke with Anna Popov, an New York City-based nail artist with a studio in Staten Island. Below, the best gel nail polishes you can buy, according to Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts and online reviewer favorites. These gel nail polishes come in a wide variety of colors and finishes, so you can make sure your nails are always on trend.

“The risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer was times lower than the risks of being exposed to natural midday sunlight,” according to a 2013 study in the Photochemistry and Photobiology. A 2014 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association echoed these findings, saying the average UV-A energy exposure during a typical gel manicure is low enough to be unconcerning. This basic kit has exactly what you need and nothing else, making it perfect for DIY pros who may already have nail accessories. If you're looking to expand your gel polish arsenal, though, our pros say this is your pick — there are tons of colors to choose from. It also comes with a UV lamp and various converters for different areas of the world, making this a great option for travel too. As you shop around for gel nail polish, you’ll see that there are kits that come with curing lamps, lamps you have to buy separately, and polishes that say they don’t need one.
Make your experience even more salon-esque by lighting your favorite candle, using a cuticle oil and slathering on a luxe hand cream. However, one of the downsides to a gel nail polish manicure is that they typically cost quite a bit more money than traditional manicures. You can purchase at-home curing lamps to mimic a gel manicure away from the salon, but eventhat will cost you. Forget nudes, this pale gray gel nail polish from Nails Inc is the perfect everyday neutral you need to be wearing right now.
"If you are still concerned and want to take extra precaution, you can put sunscreen on your hands prior to your appointment or wear gloves with the tips cut off during your manicure," Stone says. It's not only nice to look at — the entire process is a breeze, too. Our tester notes that she was shocked at how fast the LED light cures each nail. "My nails look fantastic even though my hands are far from steady," she shares.