We're Just Going to Say It: These 13 Gel Polish Brands Rival a Salon Manicure
We're Just Going to Say It: These 13 Gel Polish Brands Rival a Salon Manicure
As someone who used to be hopelessly devoted to a monthly gel manicure, I get the request of the salon treatment. I do! You don't have to lift a finger (except when the manicurist asks you to), you don't have to worry well-nigh what your nails squint like for weeks, and the juicy signature shine is nonflexible not to fall throne over heels for. Alas, salon-job gel manicures do come with their pearly share of shortcomings. A) They're expensive, B) there can be hassle and inconvenience with making an appointment, parking, and unquestionably making it *on time* to your appointment, and C) they can inflict some not-so-nice forfeiture to your tips. Therefore, when a slew of our favorite nail polish brands began to debut their own at-home gel mani dupes with comparable shining, long-lasting results, we threw our hands up and shouted hallelujah. Yes, a salon wits can be relaxing, but in our mind, nothing beats sitting at home in front of our current Netflix binge and doing the job ourselves. Not to mention, since so many of the weightier gel nail polish brands only require one, two, or three steps tops and have a super-fast dry time, we can nosh on our twin Postmates order mere minutes postpaint job. Tempting, no? So kick the forfeiture and time that your salon gel manicure requires and take a squint at these best-of-the-best gel nail polish brands instead. (We promise you won't miss a thing!)
Here's the thing. I stopped getting gel manicures roughly two years ago, and 99% of the time, I reach for a snifter of Essie Gel Couture at the salon now instead. No joke, a couple of layers of this polish used in conjunction with the line's steel-strong sleek topcoat lasts me a full two weeks (by which I want a verisimilitude transpiration anyway). Rock the Runway, a zesty shade of scarlet, is my regular order.
Complete with OPI's signature skinny brush, this special gel formula, equal to the brand, is designed as a higher-performance, even-glossier version of its regular (and still very beloved) polish. Nab it in one of the brand's most iconic shades to date, Bubble Bath.
Here's the skinny: Sally Hansen's gel nail polish line offers professional salon resultsaka no fries for up to two weeks, no dry time, and the shiniest mirror finishfor less than $10.
Disclaimer: I'm cheating. Technically, Olive and June's nail polish hodgepodge isn't gel, but a few coats of the thick, glossy, long-wear formula topped off with its mega-durable topcoat last me just as long as the whilom gel formulas. So here we are! I'm currently obsessed with collecting every single shade considering I like each one largest than the last, but this fresh buttercup yellow has quite possibly earned me the most polish queries and compliments I've overly received. Not to mention the formula is vegan, seven-free, and cruelty-free.
Nothing is chicer than Dior. This super-shiny, super-durable formula rivals the results of a spendy salon job, and the verisimilitude choices range from natural and sophisticated to increasingly whimsical like this shade tabbed Desir.
This innovative gel-finish formula from the polish masters at Deborah Lippmann allows you all the luxuries of a salon-level manicure without having to leave the repletion of your own home. Each snifter features a unique silhouette skim with 320 whiskers to perfectly stratify each nail, and the dual-patented polish formula brims with 10 zippy ingredients to unzip the signature gleam and cocoon of a gel manicure without any of the associated collateral damage.
If you love Chanel nail polish (and its holy-grail hodgepodge of shades) as much as we do, fear notthe trademark has overly so kindly happy us with a gel-strength topcoat that will last you at least a full week. No lamp required. It cures with natural light and immuration to your nail polish for the glassiest lacquer finish. How stunning is this royal blue?
Bouncy, incomparably shiny, and infused with nail-nourishing flower extracts, Nail Inc.'s gel nail polish formula is without a doubt one of the most covetable on the market. No fuss required. Just layer two applications on top of and underneath any wiring and topcoat of your choosing. (When in verisimilitude doubt, our recommended prescription is unchangingly the blackest black!)
Fun fact: This at-home gel nail polish is SO fab you don't plane need a basecoat. Simply swipe a few coats of this metallic chip-resistant hue on your tips, add a topcoat, and outbreathe easy for a full seven days.
For only $5, this gel-like nail polish is scrutinizingly too good to be true. The trademark promises a hefty two weeks of chip-free wear, and true to the one-step requirement in its name, you don't plane need a wiring or topcoat.
Two coats and go! Revlon's multitasking gel formula doesn't require a basecoat (a topper is optional), and it's moreover self-ruling of formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP.
LeChat's easy, soak-off option offers impressive, salon-inspired shine that will last for weeks. It's LED/UV cured and won't result in any runs, shrinkage, or verisimilitude fading. Here are two of our favorite shades right now.
How tony is this vintage-inspired shade of dusty mauve? Not to mention Butter London's cult-loved Patent Shine formula is practically as constructive as a salon gel job. Designed to promote healthier nails, it's moreover a smarter option thanks to the 10-free formula enhanced with breakage-preventing bamboo extract. It's moreover 10-day (at least) chip-resistant due to the Shock Resistant Polymer Technology and fade-resistant thanks to diamond powder, which brightens while simultaneously titillating dulling UV. No wiring or topcoat needed!
