One of my biggest indulgences is going to the nail shop. There is really nothing like the feeling of getting pampered, sinking in a big, cushiony chair after a hard work week and letting other people beautify you. But I discovered that I love to change up my nail color as often as the trends change so I keep tons of nail polish options at home.
Plus I am a nail ninja and I’m really good at doing my own nails or anybody else’s. So when all these “at-home-gel-nail” nail polishes kept popping everywhere I decided to give them a try! Check out my findings below.
Disclaimer: This is a compilation of different nail polishes I’ve been testing for more than a year! I am currently wearing acrylic nails but I still obsessively collect nail polishes and love to paint my own nails.
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish
Price: $9.99 (I found it on sale at $6 at HEB)
Claim: Quick to Apply, Easy to remove. Up to 14 days of Color and Shine. No light Needed. Available in 58 shades.
The Good: This is a quick fix for ugly, unpolished nails for any emergency like a blogger event or a party. They have a vast array of colors to choose from and you only need two bottles of polish (the color and top coat) for the whole process. No lamp required to “cure” the color; the clear top coat actually does that for you. The nail polish brush and rich formula makes it easy to apply with no streaks. One coat is good enough if you need to run out the door NOW. I bought many shades I plan to play with. It removes easily with nail polish remover.
The Bad: After following the instructions in this 3 step process I discovered that the layers of color polish must be applied really thin because that way it dries quickly. If you layer it on thick=disaster. Still, you have to wait almost like a regular polish for it to dry. The color pay-off was not that great with this particular shade. By the third day my nails looked only OK and were starting to chip.
Formula X for Sephora
Price: $10.50
Claim: Enriched with ShineXcel™—a luminescent ingredient that enhances color and overall shine, each polish’s patented No Compromise formulation offers long-lasting, incredibly-saturated color with a stunning finish.
The Good: The color pay off is amazing! They have tons of colors at Sephora and you can try any of them on your nails. So this formula does not claim to be gel but I think the finish is very similar.
The Bad: The price is steep so maybe you won’t be collecting bottle of this polish left and right but splurging in a color as delicious as this one that I’m wearing here is definitely an indulgence. And you’ll definitely need the top coat so that your nails look like this. I’m wearing “Indelible.”
Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel
Boo hoo. My nails were so streaky.
Price: $4.99 (but I used a $1 OFF coupon from HEB) so I paid $3.99
Claim: Doesn’t require a top coat and cures without a lamp. Provides up to 2 weeks of color and shine in 1 easy step. Available in 17 shades.
The Good: The color dried out fairly quickly and the price is great but I would never buy it again. It removes it easily with nail polish remover.
The Bad: The rich wine color I picked out seemed like a keeper but as soon as my nails dried the color went a bit opaque and streaky. Bummer. I am taking it off as I write.
Price: $59.99 for a starter kit with everything you need for 10 applications
Claim: SensatioNail® is the leading at-home, lamp gel manicure system. Available in 59 colors.
The Good: They promise 10 perfect applications from what it includes in the kit but I got definitely got like 15. I bought the starter kit 4 years ago and I still use it and have it today. Perfect, shiny nails with a variety of colors. Unlike before when I first reviewed this brand, they have tons of trending colors to choose from. Your friends will actually think you got this done at the nail shop as you can see from the photos above.
The Bad: It’s not as inexpensive as the other two options. It takes someone with patience to go through the whole process which is similar to the one at the nail shop. I love doing my nails so this was easy for me especially when I was done and my nails were 100% dry and ready to go! Each nail polish bottle is $11.99 (ouch) and it’s a pain to take off just like the salon gel polish. Sensational offers a removal kit though so consider that. All in all, the application process is worth it because your nails will look perfect.
Do you have any at-home gel system that you love? Please share it with me in the comments below because I’d love to try it!
