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It’s frustrating to see your manicure chipped or ruined after doing chores or washing your hands, especially after you’ve spent hours painting your nails!
This is why more and more nail enthusiasts are looking for the best gel nail polish products.
Gel polish helps you achieve fabulous nails with long-lasting, chip-free color in the comfort of your own home!
Want to try it? Check out our picks for the best gel polish products you should have in your arsenal below.
- Bold, glossy color for salon-quality nails
- Made with keratin complex
- Free from DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde
- Glossy shine
- Buildable milky white color
- Low-odor, toxin-free formula with a thick texture
- Brilliant shine
- Flattering color
- Chip- and streak-free for up to 21 days
Table of Contents
12 Top Gel Nail Polish Products You Need To Try
Enjoy the lustrous look of a gorgeous gel manicure with this easy-to-use gel polish.
Key benefits: Gives your nails a rich, glossy color; resists fading; lasts up to three weeks
Features:
- Created with vibrant pigments
- Available in a wide range of colors
- Low-odor, toxin-free formula
This salon-quality gel nail polish is designed to give you fantastic and vibrant nails.
If you want versatile gel nail polish, Beetles makes a wide range of beautiful shades, which you can buy individually or in a set.
Each polish the brand offers has vibrant pigments to ensure you can enjoy bold, fade-resistant colors. And it has a lustrous shine that makes your mani look elegant!
The polish is also easy to apply and durable. With the right application, your mani can last up to three weeks.
Get long-lasting pink and nude colors with the DND Duo Gel Polish!
Key benefits: Ensures full-coverage color; easy to apply; doesn’t chip, fade, or shrink
Features:
- Duo pack with one matching gel polish and regular polish
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Free of harmful toxins
Enjoy a guilt-free gel mani with this cruelty-free, top-rated gel nail polish.
Fan of muted colors? This gel polish from DND is for you!
It offers a vast catalog of soft shades, including light pink, pale purple, and light nude. For guaranteed longevity, it also ensures your nails don’t chip or peel quickly.
To apply, Just glide on the glossy color, cure for 30 seconds per coat under a UV or LED lamp, and you’ll be good to go!
The best part is its cruelty-free formula is free of harmful ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene, and more. This means you’ll get a mani that’s both safe for you and friendly to animals.
Experience a glossy, smudge-proof manicure with Gelish’s gel polish.
Key benefits: Offers bright and bold color payoff; guarantees smooth application; long-lasting
Features:
- Formaldehyde-free
- Over 200 colors available
- PETA-certified
A pioneer in the gel polish industry, Gelish always delivers gel manicure excellence.
This polish applies smoothly and cures under an LED lamp in just 30 seconds. The result is a vibrant, smudge-proof, glossy manicure that lasts up to three weeks.
There’s also a wide variety of gel polish colors to choose from, although many nail enthusiasts agree that the best Gelish nail polish is the Cranberry Crème. This deep red hue gives you a bold and stunning mani.
And despite its long-lasting, chip-free finish, this gel polish also soaks off completely in 10 to 15 minutes. This is why it’s one of the best soak-off gel nail polish choices.
This gel nail polish set gives you six gorgeous neutrals and hundreds of possibilities.
Key benefits: Easy to apply; long-lasting; full coverage and high-shine finish
Features:
- Made with patented Inspire Gel technology
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Free of toxins
Modelones Gel Polish comes in curated shades that match perfectly with any outfit for any occasion.
Simple, safe, effective, and easy to use, this long-lasting gel polish from Modelones is a must-try!
It cures under an LED/UV lamp and guarantees up to 28 days of bubble-free and chip-resistant color.
Even better, its smooth texture makes it a breeze to apply. With just a few coats, you’ll see full and beautiful coverage!
Many health-conscious nail enthusiasts also love that its non-toxic formula is free of harmful ingredients like xylene, toluene, parabens, and phthalates.
This highly pigmented gel polish doesn’t shrink or turn yellow even after weeks of wear!
Key benefits: Glams up the nails with bold and vibrant colors; mirror-shine finish; soaks off quickly
Features:
- Made with healthy ingredients
- Non-yellowing formula
- Eco-friendly
Go for a fun party style with this gel polish set that combines bright red, black, and glitter polish.
Don’t want to take the time to decide on which gel colors would look best together? Gellen has done the work for you by putting together themed gel color kits for every occasion.
This Charming Moments set combines bold and bright colors with a matching top coat, all perfect for a night out. You can combine vibrant reds and pinks with deep black and fabulous glitter.
Plus, this highly pigmented gel polish is easy to apply, and it lasts up to two weeks with a stunning mirror-like shine. It’s one of the best gel nail polish products on Amazon.
Lovely and sophisticated, this gel polish color can be used to create a sleek mani.
Key benefits: Boasts a glossy shine; has a buildable milky white color; doesn’t damage the nails
Features:
- Low-odor formula
- Free of toxins
- Thick but smooth texture
If you want to hop on the trend of milky white nails, Memeda has the perfect gel polish for you.
Everyone’s gotten into the milky nail craze! And you can nail this trend with this gel polish for a milky white mani that lasts.
Its formula allows you to build up your sheer white color. It also goes on smoothly, helping you achieve the perfect look before curing.
Try this product to get stunning white nails that last up to 21 days!
Quick Tip
The only downside of this gel polish is that it tends to look streaky, but you can avoid this by applying only a few thin coats to your nails.
You’ll love this gel polish’s bold color and mirror-like shine!
Key benefits: Gives you dazzling nails with a glossy color; lasts for two weeks; doesn’t streak; resists chipping
Features:
- Made with a keratin complex for stronger nails
- Free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde
- Available in several colors
Sally Hansen’s Salon Gel Polish makes your nails look vibrant every time.
From one of the top-rated nail care brands in the world comes this incredible gel nail product loved by all nailholics!
Designed to give you a professional-quality gel mani at home, Sally Hansen’s Salon Gel Polish is carefully crafted to last for two weeks without chipping.
In fact, one user said its color stayed put through activities like swimming and gardening!
Additionally, its glossy finish is truly eye-catching, and it cures in just 30 seconds.
Flaunt a stylish manicure while strengthening your nails with the Orly GelFX Gel Nail Color!
Key benefits: Long-lasting; brilliant shine; flattering color
Features:
- Contains vitamins to promote nail health
- Cruelty-free
- Smooth consistency
This reliable gel polish gives you chip- and streak-free color!
Orly’s Gel Nail Color is formulated to last for 21 days, and it’s available in various colors, letting you choose the perfect shade for a mani that’s uniquely you.
Happy reviewers also say that its consistency is excellent; it doesn’t feel gloopy or leave a streaky finish.
And this formulation stands out because it’s fortified with antioxidants, vitamins A, B5, and E, which promote healthy nails and protect the nail structure.
With this, you can enjoy a lasting mani and keep your nails healthy and strong at the same time.
A trendy jelly manicure is within your reach with this pretty gel polish set.
Key benefits: Has a stunning buildable color with a shiny jelly-like finish; lasts for up to four weeks; prevents peeling and shrinking
Features:
- Package includes six beautiful colors
- Low-odor
- Toxin-free
If you love sheer jelly nails, this is the perfect gel polish for you!
Put a fun twist on your usual mani by getting jelly nails with the help of GAOY’s gel polish!
With the six different shades in this set, you can build up the color from clear translucent to solid opaque and decide just how light or dark you want your nails.
Plus, the polish is free of toxins. It also has a less noticeable odor than traditional nail polish, ensuring a pleasant application experience.
No need to worry about getting unsightly chipped nails — Nailboo’s gel polish gives you nails that look and stay flawless for weeks!
Key benefits: Easy application and removal; bold, beautiful color; durable
Features:
- Salon-quality formula
- Compatible with other types of nail products, including dip powder
- No harmful chemicals
Whether you want to play around with different nail designs or just go for beautifully painted nails, this gel polish has you covered!
Nailboo offers many stunning, bold, and vibrant colors for fabulous gel manis!
The polish is easy to apply and streak-free, and it provides a flawless shine for up to four weeks. Plus, it cures quickly under an LED lamp.
Because it has a versatile formula, you can even use it to create designs on dip powder nails!
Now you can have alluring gel nails with this polish’s high-shine gloss!
Key benefits: Provides vibrant color payoff; applies smoothly; allows you to create different designs
Features:
- Low-odor
- Cruelty-free
- Smooth texture
This gel polish is an excellent choice for a creative and fashionable nail look.
Gel polish isn’t just great for long-lasting manicures but also stunning nail art, French tips, and more. This is where Aillsa’s gel polish comes in.
With several beautiful shades, you can use this versatile gel polish for any design you can think of!
Of course, it also has a highly saturated formula and provides a stunning, shiny, and streak-free finish.
It’s free of toxins as well, so it won’t harm your skin or nails.
LeChat Perfect Match Gel Polish has over 200 gorgeous colors in cream, matte, and glitter finishes, giving you looks for every occasion.
Key benefits: Easy application; long-lasting color and shine; quick soak-off
Features:
- Comes in cream, gloss, and glitter finishes
- Over 200 different polish shades
- Packaged with color-matching nail lacquer
Say goodbye to polish products that shrink or fade quickly and grab this gel polish for a mani that lasts!
Since 1993, LeChat has been producing advanced, high-quality polishes — and this gel polish is no exception!
It offers a no-running and no-shrinking formulation that ensures a long life span and ultimate convenience.
Additionally, it glides on smoothly and provides lasting shine and vibrance for weeks.
Choosing the Best Gel Polish for Nails
Because there are more available options for gel polish nowadays, it’s important to look for a few key things before selecting one to ensure you make the most out of your purchase.
Here are some characteristics of a high-quality gel polish:
Long-Lasting Formula
One of the most significant benefits of top-notch gel nail polish is that it lasts longer than regular polish. So the product you choose should last at least two to three weeks.
It should be able to resist chipping, peeling, and fading within that time frame.
Intense Color
Of course, your gel polish should have amazing color payoff! So look for one with a highly pigmented formula that can offer great coverage and stunning vibrance.
Ensure as well that the brand has a wide variety of available colors so you can pick a shade that suits the look you’re going for.
Smooth Consistency
It’s crucial for your gel polish to be smooth and easy to work with. This way, you can take time applying it to your nails, fixing patchy areas, filling in gaps, and evening out streaks to get a perfectly smooth finish.
Glossy Finish
Gel manicures are known for their dazzling shine, so the gel polish you pick should have a lovely, eye-catching gloss.
Reputable Brand
Orly and Sally Hansen are among the best brands of gel nail polish, and you can be sure they have good gel polish products worth the purchase. They also often release new colors and variants.
Quick Curing
The tradeoff for the glossy, longer-lasting color you get from gel polish is that it requires a UV or LED lamp to cure. This can be inconvenient, which is why your chosen product should cure quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gel Polish vs. Regular Nail Polish: What’s the Difference?
Here’s a quick overview of the differences between these two nail polish types:
| Gel Nail Polish | Regular Nail Polish | |
|---|---|---|
| Drying Method | Cured under UV or LED lamp | Air-dried naturally |
| Ingredients | Color pigments and pre-dissolved monomers that harden into polymers when exposed to UV light | Nitrocellulose, color pigments, and ethyl acetate, which evaporates when air-dried |
| Drying Time | Dries quickly (seconds under UV light) | Takes longer to dry due to the evaporation of the ethyl acetate |
| Removal Process | Requires soaking in acetone for 10 minutes | Can be removed quickly by rubbing acetone-soaked cotton balls all over the nails |
| Longevity | Three to five days | Two to three weeks |
As you can see above, the primary difference between gel nail polish and regular nail polish is that you traditionally need to cure gel polish under a UV or LED lamp, while regular polish is air-dried naturally.
This is because regular polish consists of nitrocellulose, a polymer mixed with color pigments and other ingredients using a solvent like ethyl acetate. Once the polish is applied, ethyl acetate slowly evaporates and leaves the dissolved pigments and nitrocellulose, forming a hard film over the nails.
By contrast, gel polish contains pre-dissolved monomers and photoinitiators. The latter allows the former to harden into polymers in seconds once exposed to UV light. So without UV radiation, gel polish won’t adhere to the nails.
Is a UV or LED Light Better for Curing Gel Polish?
Both work, but an LED lamp can cure gel polish in half the time needed for UV lamps.
So if you need to dry your nails for one to two minutes under a UV lamp, you’d only need 30 seconds under an LED lamp.
Plus, an LED lamp bulb doesn’t need to be replaced.
Finding the Best Gel Nail Polish for You
Getting gorgeous nail color that lasts has become a primary consideration when choosing polish. After all, with a busy schedule, not everyone has time to retouch their manicure constantly.
Gel polish is your best bet if you want a long-lasting manicure with a brilliant and glossy shine.
And you can try a few of the options we’ve listed until you find the one that works for you. Don’t be afraid of trying several if you aren’t completely happy!
This way, you’ll be sure to find a gel polish brand that gives you a bright, beautiful mani.
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Thanks for sharing. I was always using Beetles and it’s really one of the best.