Best Gel Nail Polish Brands (Nail Enthusiast Picks)

Nowadays the best gel nail polish brands rule the world of the hand-care industry. Almost every woman covers her fingernails with a gel nail polish. This is not surprising because nail polishes of the new age are more practical and make our hands look nice and well maintained.

The Best Gel Nail Polish Brands

1. CND Shellac

There is a reason why I put this hybrid gel nail polish brand in the first place. In 2010, American company CND (Creative Nail Design) created the first gel nail polish and called it Shellac. It was the revolution in nail beauty industry, because Shellac looks like an ordinary nail polish, but has all the qualities of gel nail extension.

You will be surprised to know that today CND Shellac has 102 shades, and updates with every season.   

Gelish and CND Shellac are known to butt heads in the marketplace.

2. Sally Hansen

If you don’t have an LED light for your gel manicure, it’s not a problem. Just grab Sally Hansen in the beauty store. This gel nail polish brand combines comfort and quality in one bottle. Sally Hansen creates two types of gel nail polishes.

The first one is called “Complete Salon Manicure”. One bottle of this nail polish includes a base and a color coat that saves time. The second one is called “Miracle Gel” and this gel nail polish is more traditional, you need to use it with the top coat. It’s up to you to choose, do you want to paint your nails with or without a top coat, but remember that top layer not only gives your manicure the strength, but also creates a glossy shine. And keep in mind that base coat is crucially important for nails protection from the staining, especially if you use extremely bright colors.

3. Dior

Luxury brands create gel nail polishes too, but the best one is made by Dior. The new generation of Dior gel nail polishes have a very comfortable brush. It is wide and has around shape, which will help to apply gel quickly and accurately. I believe that Dior nail polish is the best one I have ever tried in my life, I wish I could have all these delightful shades in my personal collection!

The brand doesn’t have a lot of colors, but the existing ones are magical. The manicure will be alive more than a week, but for the best result, I recommend applying Dior gel nail polish with a top coat. Do you want to have a luxurious looking life? Then you probably need to start it from choosing the outstanding lux gel lacquer by Dior. Don’t doubt that the perfect mani could change your life for better.

4. Red Carpet Manicure

If you want to have a manicure like a Hollywood star, use Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish. This gel nail polish brand consists of 4 parts. First one is called “Prep”. It looks like water and has an alcohol odor, this step is needed for degreasing the nails. The second step is a base coat, it is used for a better adhesion to the nail color. The third step is a gel polish, use it after you dry up the second layer with a LED lamp. The last step is a top coat, apply it after you dry your nails.

Red Carpet Manicure keeps on your nails for more than two weeks. I think that is more than enough, because we, girls, get bored with wearing the same manicure for a long period of time.

5. China Glaze

China Glaze creates gel nail polishes that are easy and practical to use. Within the past few years, high quality nail products by Chinese manufacturer have become extremely popular in North America and in other developed countries.

Actually, lacquers of this brand dry rather fast and easy, so you will not face any difficulties with the lamp usage. You can choose the LED lamp of the same brand, or any other, which is good in quality.

6. OPI

OPI is a well known professional nail beauty company. Its regular nail polishes are famous for their durability and color pallet. GelColor collection by OPI includes record amount of shades – 138 amazing colors. There is no doubt that every fashionista can find a special shade to highlight her unique beauty and personality. Diverse classic, soft shades and designer series were created to satisfy desires of every woman.

This gel nail polish doesn’t need an LED lamp, but you can still use it for a better application process. There is no doubt that dring with an LED lamp makes your mani last longer, even though it was not suggested by the manufacturer.

7. Nails Inc.

Nails Inc. creates beautiful and classical shades for its nail polishes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lot of colors, but you will manage to find the perfect shade. Nude colors of this brand are truly amazing; so if you like classic shades, then you will like Nails Inc. for sure. The gel nail polish is easy and very comfortable in use. You don’t need to have a LED or UV lamp at home for using this brand. I believe it’s very cool to have Nails Inc. gel lacquer in your purse, when you're on a trip, because you can paint your nails without lamp equipment. But still, if you have an LED lamp, you can use it to dry the top coat.

Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish usually stays for more than one week, but with the additional top coat, it will be more like 14 days.

What is the difference between regular and gel nail polish?

Regular nail polish keeps on the nails not so long. Usually, we wear it from 3 to 5 days, while the gel nail polishes we can wear for more than two weeks. The fact is that the gel nail polish is something between an ordinary nail polish and gel nail extensions.

It isn’t surprising that gel nail polishes gradually replace regular polishes. A huge amount of benefits is increasing every year. Moreover, you can see the gel nail polishes with additional oils and minerals, which will support the health of your nails during that time, when the nail polish is on your hands. Those are my best gel nail polish brands picks.

The main goal, that was put in the development of gel nail polish, was to combine all the best characteristics of both coatings. And it worked, now, gel nail polishes are a mix of bright colors and durability.

After the gel nail polishes conquered the hearts of millions of women, the beauty industry started to produce an incredible amount of them. And the questions arise. Which one is the best? What brand makes the best colors? Will this gel nail polish keep on my nails during my vacation?

Especially for my readers, I made a list with the best brands of gel nail polishes. All of them combine the quality of color and duration. If you are looking for easy to remove gel nail polish brands, look no further than the soak off products.

Most fashionistas like gel nail polishes because of three reasons:​

Bright colors. The point is that all kinds of gel nail polishes are extremely bright, intensive, and beautiful. 

High Strength. As for me, high durability and strength are the greatest advantages of the gel nail polishes. Manufacturers invented gel lacquers especially for ladies, who are not fans of gel nail extensions, but who dream about a long lasting manicure. If you have never used gel nail products before, then you will experience a kid of pleasant shock. No chips for up to two weeks if you apply it properly.

Healthy Solution​. There are so many different kind of gel nail polishes, from CND and Gelish to Biogel and Seaweed. CND and Gelish mostly follow a 3 step process, base coat, color coat and top coat. The latter 2 are more of nail treatment solutions that are supposed to make your nails healthier than before.

However, gel nail polishes also have some disadantages:

High Cost. Yes, gel nail polishes are rather pricey. Especially CND, IBD, OPI and Biogel, so you should be ready for heavy expenses. As a rule, gel lacquers cost twice as much than regular nail polish of the same brand. Does this fact scare you away? Actually, you shouldn't be worried about the price. Due to the fact that your manicure will last twice as long, you will end up paying the same amount in the end. A purchase of gel nail polish is a long term investment in your beauty care.

Lengthy Removing Process. When it's time to remove gel nail polishes, some ladies find it difficult to perform. Depending on the quality of your gel polish remover, you can spend from 10 to 40 minutes on cleaning your nails. I recommend you buy a high quality, but a pricey soak off product, which ensures fast and easy removing process. It will keep a lot of your time and nerves safe.​

LED or UV Lamp is Needed. Not all, but most gel nail polish brands should be used together with an LED or UV lamp to ensure an effective drying process. Thus, additionally you need to purchase a good lamp, which will serve you for years. Make sure to keep the warranty!​

Just remember, that no matter how great​ a brand is, if you apply the gel improperly, it won't stay on your nails very long. Make sure you read the instructions, and make sure you use a base coat, a top coat, and to close off the edges!

Tell me what your favorite best gel nail polish brands are. I am interested to know your choices and opinions on the products.

Feel free to use the picture below, just make sure to provide a link back here!

Best Gel Nail Polish Brands
4 Comments
  1. As a new venture I’m deciding to try saving some pennies and create beautiful nails of my own and use the savings to invest in some great polish of my own. Thank you for the honest and informative information….I’ll keep you posted!

  2. So how do you know which will require lamp drying or not? Can they all be dried by lamp? How do you know which MUST be cured with a lamp??

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