10 gel nail polish kits for an at-home nail day

There are numerous ways to decorate and accessorize your outfits and yourself, but one of the most popular is painting your nails. Getting started with nail polish is easy, though anyone experienced in painting nails can tell you that application requires time, patience and practice to master.

Once you have the basics, though, you can upgrade to a huge world of styles and methods, including using gel nail polish. These special polishes have several benefits over regular ones, though they also have as many complications.

In this article: Beetles Gel Polish Gel Nail Polish Kit, Gellen Gel Nail Polish Kit and Vishine Gel Nail Polish Kit

What is gel nail polish?

A gel nail polish sequence, like most nail polish sequences, is made up of three parts: a base coat, a colored polish and a top coat. Unlike other polishes, though, gel polishes contain special chemicals that harden when "cured," or exposed to certain kinds of light, and each part of the sequence requires curing. Curing typically takes only 30 to 90 seconds for each layer, though some cases might require several minutes.

Gel nail polish benefits

The unique process of giving yourself a gel nail polish look is worth the hassle thanks to five main benefits:

• Quick dry: If you’ve ever painted your nails with standard polish, you’ve felt the agonizing length of time it takes for them to dry and the pervasive fear during that time of smudging, smearing or otherwise ruining the application. Gel polish, however, is typically completely dry as soon as it has finished curing.
• Long wear: Curing gel polish results in a coating that’s much harder and more durable than standard nail polish. A well-applied gel polish can last for up to a month compared to the roughly one-week duration of standard polish. It’s also less likely to chip.
• Flexibility: Despite the hardness and durability of gel polishes, they’re actually quite flexible, much like natural fingernails.
• High shine: Curing also results in a glossier finish that’s hard to achieve using other types of nail polish.
• Cost: Compared to getting a gel nail polish treatment at a salon, grabbing a gel nail polish kit and doing it yourself is shockingly inexpensive.

Parts of a gel nail polish kit

Most gel nail polish kits contain most or all of the following items:

• Base and top layers: Because gel nail polish treatments require special base and top layers that can be cured, most kits include them so you don’t have to make a separate purchase. However, some kits exclude them to keep costs low or for those who already have more than enough from other kits.
• Main layers: All gel nail polish kits contain at least one color of main polish, but some include two or three or even a dozen-plus. However, most main gel polish bottles are smaller than standard polishes by roughly half.
• Curing light: Some gel polish kits include a curing light, usually called "starter kits," while others only contain more gel polish, usually called “add-on kits.” Curing lights can use either ultraviolet or LED lights. UV lights are more common because they’re cheaper, but they usually need their bulbs replaced more often and curing takes longer. LED lights are the exact opposite, more expensive but more durable, and rarely take longer than a minute to fully cure.
• Cleanser: Some kits contain a nail cleanser. These remove dirt and grime from your nails so your polish application can be smoother and last longer.
• Extras: Bigger kits toss in some useful extras, including manicure tools such as files and clippers, or nail art goodies such as stickers and dotting tools.

Best gel nail polish kits

Beetles Gel Polish Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains 12 colors of main polish that come in three sets. Set one is "Love Bug" and contains Valentine’s Day types of colors. Set two is "Cozy in Cashmere" and contains plenty of muted colors. Set three is "Flannel and Fleece" and contains a wide range of colors.

Sold by Amazon

Gaoy Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains 15 colors of main polish and one bottle each of base coat, glossy top coat and matte top coat. There are four sets of colors to choose from.

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Gellen Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains six colors of main polish, manicure tools, an LED curing light, a base coat, a glossy top coat, a matte top coat and nail rhinestones.

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Jewhiteny Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains 27 colors of main polish, manicure tools, an LED curing light, a base coat, a glossy top coat, a matte top coat and nail rhinestones.

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Jodsone Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains 32 colors of main polish, manicure tools, an LED curing light with an LCD display, a base coat, a glossy top coat, a matte top coat and nail stickers. 

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Modelones Gel Nail Polish Kit

There are 15 versions of this kit that contain seven to 12 main polish colors, depending on the version; manicure tools; a curing light with three timer settings; a base coat; a glossy top coat; and a matte top coat.

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Morovan Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains four colors of main polish, a base coat and a top coat. But the real draw is the glitter powder and the multi-shape rhinestones you can use to sparkle up your look.

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Sunbow Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains 22 colors of main polish and one bottle each of base coat, glossy top coat and matte top coat. There are five sets to choose from.

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Vishine Gel Nail Polish Kit

This kit contains six colors of main polish, nail art tools, an LED curing light, a base coat and a top coat.

Sold by Amazon

Beetles Gel Nail Kit with LED Curing Lamp

This kit comes with six delicate, neutral colors in both matte and glossy finishes. It also has an LED curing lamp and a base coat and top coat to give you that fresh-from-the-nail-salon look at a much more appealing price.

Sold by Amazon

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Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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