best at home nail kit

zayas11896    April 27, 2023    Comment   

If you’re anything like me, the thought of giving up all your regular salon services may be frightening. Though hair treatments, airbrush tans or professional nail services might not be necessary to survival, I’m a firm believer that they can contribute to your overall well-being.

To escape from my busy day-to-day routine, I would pop into the nail salon to get a regular manicure. But a few years back, I realized that I was leaving the salon more stressed than relaxed due to the crowded spaces and inconsistent treatments.

Since I wasn’t getting the well-being boost I was expecting, I thought about bringing the salon into my home. Although my typical gel manicure would be more difficult to accomplish than painting my nails with a basic polish, I knew there were at-home gel kits on the market.

The 6 Best At Home Gel Nail Kits Of 2023

After searching the web for an affordable and reliable kit, I settled on the Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit. It was under $25 and had everything I needed to complete a gel manicure from start to finish, including a curing light.

When I opened the box I found two polishes — a base/top coat and my nail shade of choice — along with extra supplies like a cleanser, lint-free wipes, a buffer and a wooden manicure stick.

The biggest difference between a gel nail polish and regular nail polish is that gels need to be cured with an LED light. In the salon, these commercial LED lamps are bulky and expensive, but the Sensationail kit comes with a portable version of the light that gets the job done.

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"Also included in the kit is a mini nail buffer, a wooden cuticle pusher, lint free wipes and nail shields for easier removal."Amazon

I start by washing my hands to ensure no oils are left on my nails and follow by pushing back my cuticles with the wooden manicure stick. Then, I shape my nails with the file included and buff them out with the soft pink side. This step is necessary because it helps the polish adhere to the nails, minimizing the chance of chips.

With regular polish, I typically do all 10 nails at once, but Sensationail recommends only working on a few fingers at a time. I choose to prep, polish and cure four nails on one hand, then move to four nails on my other hand and finish by doing my thumbs.

The 7 Best At Home Gel Nail Polish Kits Of 2023

As noted by some buyers, the painting portion takes some time to get used to."It takes a little practice but if you do it as directed, it looks great and lasts a long time, " said one verified buyer.

The instructions say to avoid getting the polish on your cuticles, which isn't easy the first couple times, but I found that was eventually able to paint them with ease by working slowly.

At the very end — after prep, painting and curing — each nail gets wiped with the cleanser to reveal a shiny finish.

Best Home Gel Nail Kits For 2023 Uk, Tried And Tested

According to the brand, you can get approximately 10 gel manicures from the starter kit. After the products run out, you can buy single Sensationail gel polishes to replenish your at-home manicure kit.

One of the highlights of the process is that it takes a fraction of the time that a salon manicure would take and that it doesn't cause a mess.

"I was a little nervous getting this because it was so cheap, but I am extremely impressed. It is so easy to do and way faster than painting my nails like normal because the lamp cures each coat so fast, " said another buyer.

Best At Home Gel Nail Kits Of 2023, Tested In Our Lab

Though I've experienced the occasional chips, the color typically lasts for around two weeks. I wash my hands constantly, but even when I treat my nails poorly, the polish seems to hold up.

One buyer agrees and enjoys saving money on salon services. "I've done two manicures myself with it so far, and my sister and friend have used it too. For everyone, the manicure lasted the full two weeks and looked great. I love that I don't have to pay for a gel manicure anymore!"

Like any hard-to-remove gel manicure, this one will likely damage your nails if you don't remove the polish correctly. I'm notorious for picking off the color, but the brand recommends buffing the shine off your nails, securing acetone-soaked cotton balls to them with aluminum foil and flaking off the polish with a manicure tool.

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To say I won't visit a salon again would be a lie, but with the amount of money and time I've saved with the Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit, I'll continue to use it as a way to keep up with my regular manicures.

To discover more deals, shopping tips and budget-friendly product recommendations, download the new app and subscribe to our Stuff We Love newsletter!Theresa Holland is a freelance writer covering all things fitness and wellness for . You can also find her work in Elite Daily, MyDomaine, Thought Catalog, and more.

Melanie Rud is a Chicago-based writer with 10 years of experience covering beauty. She covers all things skincare for , from ingredients to acne advice.

Best At Home Gel Nails Kits

/ David Carr Trying your hand at a DIY gel manicure might seem daunting, but with the right tools and products, we promise it's totally doable. Moreover, doing your nails at home will save you significant time and money. "You have everything you need for a gel manicure at your fingertips, literally, and you don't need to leave the comfort of your home, " says manicurist Syreeta Aaron. "It's a little expensive at first, but once you have the kit and any additional supplies you need, it's cost-efficient over time." We tried several kits ourselves, complete with files, buffers, nail preppers, gel lacquers, top coats, and LED drying lamps. After testing nine sets in The Lab, we narrowed it down to the user-friendliest options that offer the best-looking results. These are the best at-home gel nail kits tested by . Our Top Picks Best Overall: Morovan Nail Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: SensatioNail Gel Starter Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Portable: Le Mini Macaron Le Maxi Deluxe Gel Manicure Set at Ulta Jump to Review Best for Beginners: Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Value: Gellen Gel Nail Polish Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Polish: Essie Gel Couture Longwear Nail Polish + Top Coat Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Gel Sticker Nail Kit: Ohora Semi-cured Gel Nail Strips at Ohora.com Jump to Review Best Pro-Style Kit: Red Carpet Manicure Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Basic: CND Gel Basic Kit at Beyondpolish.com Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks Final Verdict How We Tested Other Options We Tested What to Look For FAQ What Is Verified? Why Trust Best Overall Morovan Poly Gel Nail Kit 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon Our Ratings Ease of Use 3.5 /5 Drying Time 5 /5 Overall Look 5 /5 Ease of Removal 5 /5 Quality 5 /5 What We Like Shiny, solid finish Long-lasting Easy to remove What We Don’t Like Learning curve The Morovan Poly Gel Kit earned perfect scores in most categories, including drying time, finished appearance, longevity, ease of removal, and nail integrity after removal. We only marked it down for ease of use since there was a slight learning curve to applying the gel nails. That said, the directions were thorough yet concise, so we knew what to do each step of the way. This manicure kit comes with eight gel colors, including two ombrés and six solids, plus a nail dehydrator, a primer, a base, and top coat, various grooming tools, and a drying lamp. You'll also get extension gel and foil for shaping your nails. Once our tester got the desired shape and length, the drying process was a breeze. She said her nails were a little tacky after placing them under the lights for the recommended two minutes. However, they were definitely cured and felt durable. She used the purple-to-white ombré hue and loved the overall results. With some practice, she thinks they'll continue to look even better. With the exception of two extensions falling off, our tester's nails looked just as good two weeks later—still shiny and vibrant without any cracks or chips. She said the removal process was a piece of cake too. After soaking them in acetone, the gel scraped right off. And while her nail plates were somewhat brittle, they weren't completely wrecked. Price at time of publish: $49.99 for All Seasons Kit Included Shades: 8 | Dry Time: 2 minutes | Cruelty-Free: Yes / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples / Tamara Staples What Our Testers Say "The gel extensions felt very durable and solid after they fully hardened. I used the purple-white ombré poly gel, and the final color was beautiful." —Danielle Ransom, Product Tester The