Gel Nails Kit The 5 Best At Home Gel Nail Manicure Kits To Try

Table of Content

• Best home gel nail kit for speed
• The best at-home gel nail kits for salon-worthy nails
• ELLE Edit: The 5 Best Gel Nail Kits For A DIY Mani
• We've Now Tested a Lot of Home Gel Nail Kits—These Ones Are the Best
• Best at-home gel nail kit for beginners
• We tested: Mylee The Full Works Complete Gel Polish Kit (Black)

If applied properly, Aaron says that gel nails typically last up to two weeks. Though this user-friendly set offered quick results, it was missing a few essential pieces. Our tester said the LED lamp seemed cheap and wished it plugged into a regular outlet instead of only through a USB adapter. While the results looked decent, some of the gel peeled off after a couple of days. The other thing to note is that the set comes with only one shade, but you can buy more individually.

Prep your nails by filing, buffing and pushing back your cuticles, before cleaning them with a cleanser or alcohol wipe. Enjoy our expanded catalog of products to find the very best items that suit all your manicure needs. This kit has a great selection of white, pink and beige shades, in neutral tones, neon and highly-pigmented glitter.

Best home gel nail kit for speed

Our testers said the results lasted for eight days before chipping. There weren’t many complaints, although the kit doesn’t come with any foils or polish remover, so you’ll have to stock up on your own. Although the gel was quite thick on application, everyone’s nails stayed shiny throughout the trial period, with no peeling or chipping for eight days – impressive. As well as coming complete with fun nail art, to layer onto your previous polish, you can remove your gels easily, taking the entire gel away in one peel, using a hoof stick. Most kits come complete with an alcohol wipe, so that you can cleanse your nail bed and ensure that any oils are removed before starting.

The reviewer didn't seem to mind, though, given that the polish stayed intact without it. Aside from being a quick and convenient way to get a gel mani at home, the results speak for themselves. "My nails look like they got professionally done," our tester says. After receiving the kit, there is also a further discount voucher on their UK website to purchase gel nail colours. I’ve painted families nails too and saving a fair bit of money too.

The best at-home gel nail kits for salon-worthy nails

"My nails look fantastic even though my hands are far from steady," she shares. "The quality of the gel and the curing process covered my many mistakes and the cuticle tool was great at removing polish from my skin." As with all things, there is one downside — it takes a while for the gel to harden. "The multiple layers of polish make the manicure feel wet and tacky even after drying under the LED light for the recommended 60 seconds," the tester admits. "I had to do multiple rounds under the curing light to get my nails to harden."

However a shellac manicure might not last as long, closer to 1-2 weeks, but the benefit there is that it is gentler on nails. Whether you’re a pro or a rookie, or are looking for something portable or affordable, there’s an option out there for you. Read on for our top picks for gel nail kits, along with application advice from experts. Hone your DIY skills, so you can chop and change your colour when the mood suits.

ELLE Edit: The 5 Best Gel Nail Kits For A DIY Mani

First, I love the idea of a non-toxic polish formulated with bio-sourced ingredients. Also, the most labour-intensive part of maintaining gel nails has to be the removal process, so any brand that promises to remove colour just like regular polish gets my full attention. When prepped and applied properly, gel manis can last up to a month, or until your nails are grown out. "The longevity of a gel mani can also depend on how active you are with your hands and how well you take care of them," Stone says. When it comes to nail care, Kandalec recommends using cuticle oils and hand lotion to maintain the integrity of your manicure at home.

Whether you’re trying to save a little money on manicures or your nails simply need urgent attention, we found the best options for getting your gel mani on at home, from starter kits to lights—plus one super-easy cheat. "Damage from nail enhancements comes from improper prep, application, and/or improper removal — not the product itself," says Kandalec. "One way to prevent damage is to visit a reputable salon that doesn't rush the removal process." Gel needs to soak for at least 20 minutes and should never be peeled or picked off, she adds. To remove gel polish at home, Poole explained to InStyle that you should start by buffing the top layer of your mani with a coarse nail file. Then, soak cotton balls in acetone, secure them to each nail with aluminum foil and wait 10 to 15 minutes. "The gel manicure should slide off with the cotton ball when you remove the foil, but if some residue remains stuck on your nail, use an orangewood stick to work it off," she said.

This compact kit contains all the essentials for a fuss-free gel manicure at home. It comes in a neatly packaged box containing a LED/UV lamp, top and base coat, a 20 pack of cleanser wipes, a nail file and buffer and three full size gel polishes – a bright red, glossy black and dusty pink. Our favourite part of this kit was its speediness, requiring only 30 seconds of curing under the lamp for the base coat, then 60 seconds per coat of paint, and finally 60 seconds once you’ve applied the top coat. "The base polish dries quickly and the clear gel easily spreads across each nail," the tester says. "Plus, the light is easy to set up — just be aware that you need your own charging block." This is a basic starter kit with the bare bones of a gel nail at-home service.

Its size belies its power - our panel was impressed by its 30-second curing time - but the LED lamp can only fit one finger at a time. Still, our testers were left with smooth and shiny nails that stayed looking tip-top for five days, and those who tried removing the polish found it easy enough. The LED lamp is simple and effective, if a tad on the small side, and most of our testers found applying the polish effortless. Two coats left them with streak-free, salon-standard nails, but they began peeling, chipping and losing their shine after five days.

The kit also includes cleaner, primer, base/top coat and the gel polish itself for gorgeous nude nails, which are said to be damage-proof for two weeks. For those who have never delved into the world of DIY nail lamps and gels, this kit makes it super-easy to try out, with fool-proof instructions explaining every step. A salon favourite many of us can't live without, a gel mani can just as easily be achieved at home with the best gel nail kit, saving you so much money in the long-run.

It’s the most compact we tried too, taking up a minute amount of space thanks to its adorable one-finger LED lamp. It’s fuss-free and easy to use, and a great way to start practising gel manicures at home. It's not only nice to look at — the entire process is a breeze, too. Our tester notes that she was shocked at how fast the LED light cures each nail.

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. 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. Our testers loved the choice of colours and most found the application straightforward, fast and streak-free.

When the pandemic first hit, many of us learned to be our own nail technicians. From press-on manicures to dip powder kits, at-home nail products were seemingly sold out everywhere. And while nail salons have reopened with enhanced safety and social distancing protocols in place, there's still something to be said for knowing how to give yourself a good mani from the comfort of your couch.