Nailing the gel look at home
How to do your own, holiday-ready gel nails—lamp optional—and 6 of the best festive gel nail polishes.
Happy midweek, everyone!
As promised, today’s edition is devoted to gel nail colour—specifically, products you can use at home, as an alternative to visiting the salon or nail bar.
With the holiday season upon us—happy Thanksgiving for Thursday, to all friends Stateside!—I thought now would be the perfect time to cover the DIY options for getting a gel look-mani, for the parties and gatherings ahead.
With the focus on doing your own nails today—from gel systems with UV/LED lamps, to regular gel nail polishes—we’ll definitely come back to salon treatments in a future edition, such as the hotly sought after Bio Sculpture pro gel services.
I consider myself pretty low-maintenance when it comes to beauty treatments and services, but I do treat myself to gel pedis.
I’m just not great at colouring within the lines, and I like summer brights and deep winter shades, which leave no margin for error—or my slap-dash ways. And the results last SO much longer.
How about you?
In addition to the cosmetic questions of staying power and finish, there’s also ongoing discussion about the use of UV/LED lamps in gel manicures generally, and potential risks to the skin associated with repeated exposure to UV rays.
I’d be remiss for not flagging this, as it’s definitely given me pause for thought about the frequency of having gel nail treatments (in a salon, nail bar or at home), and to even consider applying a sunscreen with UVA protection, 20 minutes beforehand (as suggested last year in a press release by the French National Academy of Medicine). Wearing fingerless gloves during curing has also been offered as a suggestion, to help limit exposure.
Researchers at the University of California-San Diego, in a study reported at Happi, concluded that further studies need to be done. It’s my understanding, with zero scientific or medical knowledge, that LED lamps use less energy, but do also emit UV rays. (Manucurist—the award-winning, greener and kinder gel colour range mentioned in this edition—addresses the issue of UV safety, and goes into the science behind UV/LED lamps, their different wavelengths and more in this post at its website.)
Home gel systems
I need to start by saying that, on me, gel colour never seems to last longer than two to three days on my nails. It’s weird. Even done by the most brilliant pro, gel manis begin to chip or lift within a couple of days (or hours, as once happened en route to a friend’s Boxing Day birthday party).
The best results I’ve had were with a set of gel-coloured acrylics (which doesn't count, obviously, and totally wrecked my already-feeble nails). And the second best results have been down to a home gel nail system, and my eldest’s steadier (and much more artistic) hand. Inspired by a university friend, she invested in this bit of kit a year or so ago, and has had reliable, very good results with it. You get a UV lamp, to cure the colour, after applying the base coat and finishing with the glossy top coat.
She’s been using the Bluesky range of polishes with it— in fact, I ordered this shimmering chocolate brown gel polish—hot the heels of the MBE guide to Gorgeous new autumn nail trends to try right now (if you don't want to wear Rouge Noir).
Another, similar kit is this one, by Mylee, which gets great reviews and is also in Boots.
And, while we can’t get the brand here in the UK, US friends tell me how amazing the Olive & June range is.
The COLOURS! (See reel, below.)
(PLEASE CROSS THE POND, OLIVE & JUNE!)
The brand also just released its own, new at-home Gel Mani System, with a lamp (Forbes has a full story on it). There’s also an option to skip the lap and apply a Peel Off Base Coat, instead.
So many options!
A greener, cleaner gel
This autumn, I came across the Manucurist range—a French gel colour system that’s created quite the buzz because of its cleaner, cruelty-free, sustainably-minded approach and chic-but-fun aesthetic. (The sleek white lamps even come with a set of Glossier-esque stickers.)
The formulas are cruelty-free and made in Paris. Billed as “the first revolutionary, non-damaging & vegan gel polish”, Manucurist’s Green Flash gel colour formula is made with primarily plant-based ingredients, bio-sourced from corn, wheat, cotton, yuca, sugarcane and potato. The products don’t contain HEMA, methacrylate monomers, Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene or Formaldehyde (more information and a fuller breakdown of ingredients the formulas are free from here).
The brand was founded by Gaëlle Lebrat-Personnaz, whose mother had her own nail salon, and remains a family affair.
“My mum has always had beautifully manicured nails painted with stunning red polish," says Gaëlle, who has worked in fashion with brands including Louis Vuitton, Prada and YSL. “After raising three children, she wanted to keep herself busy and trained as a manicurist. She started off working for different hair salons in Paris until she found her ideal spot: Place du Marché Saint Honoré. And that's where we created Manucurist—dedicated to creating beautiful hands!”
The home gel colour kits come in various sizes and edits, with two types of LED lamp (a travel version, and a larger, more powerful option which means faster curing time). This week, I put the Green Flash Discovery Kit* to the test (FYI, the MBE is not affiliate-linked with Manucurist).
It comes with a choice of a Travel or Premium lamp (I had the former, which is foldable and more portable). It contains all you need to get started, including one Green Flash LED Gel Polish (Poppy Red—not a million miles from Claudia’s red nails on Strictly last weekend—so great with her white dress, did you catch it?).
I LOVE the whole concept of the cleaner formula, kinder ethos and more sustainably sourced ingredients (the acetone-free polish remover comes in a glass bottle, too).
Performance-wise, my first attempt produced mixed results—the colour went on super-smoothly, and the brush is shaped for swift, even coverage, but I still felt a little tackiness after curing, with a couple of nails, which settled after a few moments. It also takes a little longer to cure the formula with the less powerful travel lamp (3 minutes for the top coat).
The formula itself is noticeably thinner than traditional gel formulas, so you don’t get the same built-up, shell-like finish. That said, there are various treatment bases available—one is smoothing, which users have said creates a slightly thicker, traditional gel look. I might invest.
The colour is said to last for up to 10 days, but I had some peeling/chipping by day two, but—as I mentioned—this happens routinely with my nails and gels, so it’s hard to say if that’s just my nails. Manucurist recommends sealing the tips with colour, too, for maximum staying power— trickier if you have super-short nails, as I do, especially with a strong colour (as a result, things got messy on one thumb). There’s a corrector pen to handle slips and clean things up afterwards. And I LOVE that you don’t need to use acetone, or to file away at your nails, to take it all off.
The range of classic and on-trend shades is amazing, and there are various offers on different bundles, so you can take your pick.
Regular polishes that shine like gel
The tech behind regular, gel effect polishes is improving all the time. Here are 6 holiday-ready, gel-effect colours—no lamp required—followed by some tips on pro application.
Essie’s Gel Couture in Caviar Bar
Essie’s premium, gel-effect formula is designed to be followed with the accompanying top coat, for the glossiest, longest-lasting wear. Midnight blues offer a deliciously deep alternative to deep wines and berries (more on that here).
OPI’s Infinite Shine in Big Apple Red
I know we have many MBE OPI fans in the house! Infinite Shine is the brand’s gel effect line, and what could be more festive than this timeless red?
