Although gel nail polish has been around for quite some time, it wasn’t until about the last decade that it began to rival the popularity of traditional nail polishes. And there’s a reason for its increased popularity. When they are properly applied, gel polishes can be set quickly and last approximately 3-times longer than varnish polishes. Plus, it provides a flawless look that can’t be matched by any nail polish.
Finding the best gel nail polish is a task that should be undertaken immediately if the person doing their nails wants to achieve truly professional results. In the world of nail polishes, there are good gel products and ones that aren’t so good. In order to help you find the one that’s best for you and will provide you with professional results, we’ve selected the top products that are currently available. Anyone of the following products is sure to provide great results.
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks for the Best Gel Nail Polishes
DIY Hard Nails Color-Changing Polish
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This Pink Galaxy color-changing gel nail polish has a beautiful pink color when the nails are warm but quickly turns to a bluish-purple color when the nails become cold. This product also has a glitter effect that makes it look like the nails are celestial. Although this product goes on a little bit thicker than traditional gels because of the glitter in its formula, it still goes on rather smoothly and is pretty easy to apply. Once applied and cured, this product will last for up to 3-weeks and produce a beautiful sheen that everyone around you will love.
Gelish Fantastic Four Kit
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This manicure salon kit comes with four different products to help wearers achieve the best results possible with their favorite nail color. This kit comes with a pH bond, a base coat foundation, a top coat top-off, and cuticle oil for treating the cuticles and the skin around the cuticles. When used with an LED or UV light, these products will produce a rock-hard coating on the nail and a beautiful shine. And if this kit is paired with a high-quality nail color gel, then professional results are what the wearer can expect. Gelish will stay on the nails for up to 21-days without chipping or peeling, and when the wearer is done with it, then it can be removed in 15-minutes.
Gelish Terrific Trio Polish Essentials
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Although this kit lacks a color gel, it does have the rest of what a person needs to get good results applying their favorite gel nail polish. This kit comes with a foundation base gel, a top-off sealer gel, and a pH bond nail prep. Using these products with a LED curing lamp will help the user achieve a perfect shine without chipping. In fact, when properly applied, this kit will produce a high-shine coating on your nails that will last up to 3-weeks. And if you include your favorite nail color gel in the process, then you’ll end up with the salon-quality results that you want.
AIMEILI Soak-Off Gel
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Although this product does require curing under a UV or LED lamp, when it’s applied, once it has cured, it produces a high-gloss shine that lasts for up to 3-weeks. The gels in this 6-piece kit go on smoothly and can be removed easily when the wearer is ready to change it up a bit. This kit doesn’t allow the user to choose the colors they want, but each kit comes with nice colors that all produce high-quality results. Taking everything into consideration, it’s easy to see why so many buy this product to get the professional salon quality results they want. All of these make this a great kit to buy for yourself or to give as a gift.
Red Carpet Manicure Cinderella
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This all-in-one gel nail kit has everything a person needs to salon-quality results right at home. This kit comes with an LED light, a black travel bag, a max adhesion nail primer, a base coat gell, a seal & shine top coat, nail cuticle oil, an application cleanser, two nail removers, and two limited edition colors. When your nails are done using the gel in this kit, they can be dried in under a minute with the included LED light. And once dry, the nail will keep its color and shine for up to 3-weeks. All of this makes this kit an easy way for people to get professional nail salon results in the privacy of their homes.
Azure Beauty Rainbow Polish Set
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Manufactured using natural resins that have little smell and aren’t irritating to the wearer’s skin, this kit is ready to produce a virtual rainbow of nail color. This kit contains 6 7-ml bottles of gel, and each bottle has an exciting color in it. There’s a light pink, a bright pink, an aqua color, a powder blue, a light purple, and a yellow. When applied to the nails, these gels produce a nice shiny color that resembles candy and will last for approximately 2-weeks. Although the wearer will need to buy a base and top coat separately and use a UV lamp with this product, it’s still a great nail polish kit that produces beautiful results.
Modelos Galaxy Polish Set
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This unique collection of gel polishes contains everything a person needs to create stunning-looking nails. This kit comes with a base coat, a top coat, and a matte top coat that complete the collection and make it easy to get started immediately by painting your nails. This kit also includes a Galaxy Gel and Cat’s Eye Gel that produces very interesting nail finishes. When applied, this product will last for up to 2-weeks, and there’s no need to cure the gel under UV lamps to achieve professional results. And one of the great things about this kit is that the wearer can choose between a matte or a shiny finish according to how they mix the top coat.
Sexy Mix UV Color Changing Gel
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Although many gel nail polishes are capable of producing professional-looking results, this particular brand is capable of also producing somewhat of a surprise. That’s because this gel has a color-changing effect built into it that will allow the polish to change colors according to the temperature of the nails. Although this product doesn’t typically last as long as other polishes, while it’s on, it does produce eye-popping results. And since it’s made with all-natural resins, it’s never harmful to the wearer’s skin and doesn’t produce toxic, noxious fumes as varnish polishes produce. They come in small 7ml bottles, and they make great gifts for friends and loved ones.
Azure Beauty Classic Gel
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Available in a 6-piece set of 7ml bottles, this gel polish set is ready to provide the wearer with professional results at any time. When properly applied and cured with a UV lamp, these polishes will produce a mirror shine and a long-lasting glaze that will hold up for at least 2-weeks. With exciting colors that include gray, red, black, white, and purple, this set is ready to provide perfect nails for any occasion. And since this product is a high-quality product, it will never harm the wearer’s skin or produce toxic smells. Whether it’s given as a gift or used at home, this product brings the nail salon to the wearer’s home.
Perfect Summer Soak Off
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When cured under a UV lamp or LED, this high-quality nail gel kit is designed to give the wearer long-lasting and professional results. This kit comes with 6-exciting gel colors in 8ml bottles and is made using a non-toxic resin that won’t harm the skin and doesn’t produce a terrible smell. These gels go on smoothly, coat evenly, and dry to a mirror finish that is capable of impressing even professional manicurists. And once applied, this product will last for over 2-weeks before it needs to be removed and reapplied. It’s suitable for anyone who wants to paint their own nails or for people who want to give away this kit as a gift to friends and family.
Gel Nail Polish Guide
Gel nail polishes are great products that really provide professional-looking nails. At least, they are when they’re applied properly. If they aren’t properly applied to the nails, then they not only won’t last as long as they should, but they won’t look as good. Keeping that in our thoughts, below are some tips for properly applying gel nail polish.
Applying Nail Polish
Tools Needed For The Job:
- Gel Nail Polishes (Base Coat, Gel Polish Color, Top Coat)
- UV Lamp
- 180/240-Grit Nail File
- Lint-Free Nail Wipes
- Nail Buffer Block
- Cuticle Remover
- Wood Cuticle Stick
- Acetone
- Alcohol
- Cotton Balls
- Cuticle Oil
Prepare Your Nails
The first step to any successful nail polish application is to start with a naked nail—a nail that’s free of any polish whatsoever. This is also the time to make sure that they’re cut down to the right length and that they are shaped according to your preferences. Your nails can easily be shaped to whatever shape you desire using a 180/240-grit nail file. When all of that has been done, you will then want to use a cuticle remover at the base of the nail to push back against any skin off of your nail plate. Using a nail buffer block, you can then buff the nail slightly. And finally, dip a cotton ball into acetone, or use a cleaning wipe and gently wipe the nail to remove any dust and oil from the nail plate.
Begin With The Base Coat
The first step to perfect nails is to apply a thin layer of base coat to your nails. It’s important to make sure that it’s as thin as possible while still providing good coverage. As you apply the base coat, be sure to avoid getting any of it on your finger. If you do inadvertently get some on your cuticle, then use your wood cuticle stick to remove it promptly. It’s important to properly dry this base coat before moving on to the next step. If using a UV lamp, then place your fingernails under it for approximately 1-minute to dry this coat. If you’re air drying, then be sure to let it dry for the recommended time. Some people double the recommended drying time to ensure that their base coat is fully dried.
Apply Gel Polish Color
Apply a thin layer of your gel polish color, starting with the cuticle and moving out to the edge of the nail. While applying the product, be sure to seal the edges of the nail fully. Now place your nails under the UV light for the length of time necessary according to the darkness of your polish color. If your nail polish is dark, then you will want to dry your nails for 3-minutes. However, if your nail polish is a lighter color, then you only need to place them under the UV lamp for 2-minutes. After this has been done, add another thin layer and dry it the same way you did the first layer.
Apply Gel Polish Top Coat
Now is the time to apply the gel polish top coat. As was done with the gel color layer, be sure to apply a thin coat from the cuticle to the edge of the nail. You’ll also want to make sure that you seal the edges properly for a professional look. When you are satisfied that the coat looks good, be sure to place your fingernails under the UV lamp for 2-minutes.
Cleaning Up
Once you’re done, it’s time to remove any of the tacky gel that may be leftover around the nail. To remove this residue, dip your cotton ball into isopropyl alcohol and use it to clean up this residue. If you wish, take your cuticle oil and apply some of it to the skin at the base of the nail. Congratulations, your nails are now done, and hopefully, all your friends and family will believe that you’ve received a professional manicure and polish.
Gel Nail Polish Additional Tips
- Invest in a high-quality UV or LED lamp
- Use high-quality gel nail polishes
- Apply your nail polish under bright lights
- Shake your nail polish well before using
- To limit hand UV exposure with a UV lamp, wear fingerless nail gloves
- If your nail polish is extremely thick, thin it with a gel polish thinner
- Be sure to remove oil from the nail before applying polish for the best results
Removing Gel Nail Polish
No matter how good your nails look, eventually, you are going to have to remove your old layer of gel nail polish. Fortunately, this step isn’t as complicated as applying the product in the first place and can be done in only a few steps and with a minimum of tools. Below are the steps required to remove your old gel nail polish fully.
Tools Needed:
- 180/240-Grit Nail File
- Cotton Balls
- Acetone
- Aluminum Foil
- Wood Cuticle Stick
- Nail Buffer
- Cuticle Oil
Step One: Using your file, file the top layer of your gel nail polish off. This will cause the nail to lose its shine. The moment the shine is lost, stop filing and move on to the next step. Do not over-file.
Step Two: Soak ten cotton balls in pure acetone. Place each cotton ball on a nail and then cover it with aluminum foil. It’s advised that you only do one hand at a time.
Step Three: Wait for 15-minutes and then remove the aluminum foil and cotton ball. Use a wood cuticle stick to push back the gel nail polish and remove it.
Step Four: If all of the polish doesn’t come off with the first application, then make a second application with an acetone-soaked cotton ball and aluminum foil. Wait for an additional 15-minutes.
Step Five: Remove the aluminum and cotton balls and then remove any remaining gel nail polish from the nail.
Step Six: Apply cuticle oil to your nails and buff them to remove any roughness that may exist on the nail. Finish the project by applying cuticle oil to the skin around the cuticles.
