Your favorite gel effect nail polishes?

[Suntaurus]

Does anyone use Nailsinc gel effect nail polish or anything similar like the sally Hansen gel effect or essie gel couture polishes where they’re kind of gel but not really because they don’t need a uv lamp?

I love gel but honestly the light gives me a headache even if I’m looking away from it and it’s just a pain to do myself or go to the salon.

I’ve been trying to find more good gel effect nail polishes. I love Nailsinc gel effect nail polish because they have a kind of watery consistency and are easy to apply. Does anyone have any recommendations on similar kinds of nail polishes? I’ve been trying some other gel effect brands and they’ve been super thick and clumpy. What are your thoughts on gel effect vs gel vs regular nail polish in general?

Edit: oops I meant to post this in the nail care forum. Sorry about that! If it can be moved I’d appreciate that.

 

[i*bella]

Nails Inc is my favorite brand. The brush is 3-stroke (hah!) magic. I've seen some really nice manis done with the Essie gel couture line so if you're looking for a cheaper drugstore alternative I'd try that.

 

[limom]

Essie is great. The gel top coat makes every polish last longer.

 

[Suntaurus]

Nails Inc is my favorite brand. The brush is 3-stroke (hah!) magic. I've seen some really nice manis done with the Essie gel couture line so if you're looking for a cheaper drugstore alternative I'd try that.

I know right? I love it because it’s so easy to apply. It’s the only nail polish that I can’t screw up with my shaky hands!

Essie is great. The gel top coat makes every polish last longer.

Ooh this sounds very promising- I’ll have to try the gel top coat. Thank you for the recommendation

 

[s3raph1nas]

Essie is great. The gel top coat makes every polish last longer.

I second this! I have exclusively used the Essie gel top coat for YEARS. It makes regular nail polish last for up to two and a half weeks with minimal chipping.

 

[shinji.matthew]

I don't remember which brand or colour it was but my friend suggested using one that I got from Fun Lacquer for my figurines and model kits. I was thinking of touching it up and didn't want a to buy a bottle of paint that I would only use once. Turns out it worked fine, but I think it is a little too strong for figurines. It still looks nice on my nails though.

 

[pmburk]

I've been more about DIY nails lately (as probably many of you!) and breaking the pricey salon habit. And, obviously with the virus, that's a factor as well as many salons are closed. I was getting regular salon gel or dip manicures, but since being at home since March, my nails have actually recovered really well and are in such nice shape I want to keep them that way and avoid the salon.

Normally regular polishes last 2-3 days on me before they're a chipped mess. I tend to be a perfectionist about my nails, so once there's a chip I feel the need to redo the whole thing. I'm anxious to get myself in the habit of polishing my own nails.

I'm a huge fan of Dashing Diva press-ons, but I've also just ordered a lot of "gel but not gel" longwear polishes - an assortment from CND Vinylux, Essie Gel Couture, and OPI Infinite Shine. Vinylux has a new gel-like top coat that I just picked up, but haven't had a chance to try yet. I'm assuming it is intended to be shinier and more "plush" than the regular Vinylux top coat. My personal experience is that Vinylux wears pretty well on me, and I love how quickly it dries. I've always had good luck with OPI products, but haven't tried Infinite Shine.

I also use Londontown Lakur polishes (in fact, just ordered 2 more colors today) and their Gel Genius top coat. Their colors last really well on me (comparable to Vinylux), and the Gel Genius topcoat has that plush, shiny gel look. They also all dry very quickly! Their regular top coat (I think it's just called Protective top coat) is also nice and super shiny, wears well. Drugstore-wise, I have used Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in the past and just wasn't a fan. It just didn't seem to last very well on me - I always seem to have problems with her polishes chipping on me very quickly. I've never had very good luck with any Sally Hansen products, outside of the Gel Rehab overnight mask which I love.