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With picks from Madam Glam, Londontown, Essie, and more.
Byrdie / Joy Kim
In This Article
Byrdie / Joy Kim
Theat-home manicureis a notoriously tricky endeavor.
Many dont require UV light and are formulated to be ultra-durable and withstand chipping for at least a week.
Keep scrolling to see our picks that made the cut for the best gel nail polishes.
PHOTO: Madam Glam
The tool is pretty simple, fast-drying, and applies pretty thickly on the nail.
This polish lasted almost two weeks without issues.
We liked that our nails did not become less shiny throughout the testing period.
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
The polish was easy to work with, and wasnt thick or goopy at all.
It spread nicely, and it took less than two minutes for it to dry.
In fact, this is one of the fastest-drying nail polishes that weve ever used.
Removing this nail polish was also really simple, too.
It worked well and removed the polish from each finger in less than five seconds.
The shine wasn’t completely gone at the end of the two-week period, but it was definitely diminished.
We like that the polish has a luxurious quality to itit has a rich color without being gloopy.
We also like that it has a high-shine finish, too.
We were a bit disappointed with how long this polish lasted on our nails.
After testing in the lab and at home, we noticed that the polish chipped after two days.
The color was thick and took shape of the nail easily.
Plus, each layer dried very fast and evenly.
When combined with the corresponding top coat, it can sustain up to a week of chip-free wear.
It was really easy to remove, too.
The OPI GelColor Nail Polish comes in a wide shade range, including many neutrals to choose from.
The issue with this pick is that its mostly only available in salons.
you might purchase it on a few websites, but its more for in-salon use.
When we tested this polish out, we noticed that it lasted for almost a full week.
But otherwise, the manicure looked almost the same as day one after a week.
This resulted in a fully-painted, but not-so-polished look over the course of the week.
The removal process was pretty straightforwardwe just rubbed our nails with a cotton ball soaked in acetone.
What to Look for in a Gel Nail Polish
Some, but not all.
However, many true gel polishes do, says Wang.
This can be either a UV light or LED light.
PHOTO: Amazon
The latter are more expensive but will cure polish (essentially dry it) faster, she points out.
Gentlyfile the top of the nailuntil the color no longer looks shiny.
She has bylines at The Cut and WWD, and is a former editor for Family Circle.
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Londontown
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Dazzle Dry
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Nordstrom
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Nordstrom
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Essence Makeup
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Amazon
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Beyond Polish
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: ORLY
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
PHOTO: Walmart
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
