I Ditched the Nail Salon in 2024 After Discovering This Long-Lasting Essie Gel Polish

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:People

People

Few things are better than the feeling of walking out of a nail salon with afresh gel manicure, but this little luxury can become an expensive habit. Painting your nails at home is an easy way to cut costs, but a home manicure that chips in a matter of days just isn’t the same.

After many years of visiting the nail salon bi-weekly, I finally found a solution for recreating my favorite gel manicures at home, and I’m happy to report that I haven’t gone to a salon since. Now, you too can snag my favoriteEssie Gel Couture Nail Polish Kitat Amazon for just $19.

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish Kit

Amazon

$22$19 at Amazon

The kit comes with two steps: the gel nail color and the top coat. No UV light or additional steps are needed. Simply apply two layers of the base color and one layer of the top coat. The gel nail color is interchangeable, so once you buy one kit, you can purchase differentshades for as little as $13.

Fortunately, the polish is chip and fade-resistant and provides a high-shine finish, and I’ve found that it lasts just as long as a salon manicure. It also dries lightning fast, so you can get back to your daily activities without fear of ruining your nails.

I’ve never been great at painting my nails, especially when it comes to using my non-dominant hand, but the intuitive brush and bottle design help me achieve precise and even coverage. Although polish still ends up on my skin with almost every application, I’ve found that once it dries, the excess polish easily comes off when I wash my hands.

Plus, unlike traditional gel polish, it doesn’t damage your nails and it’s a breeze to remove when you’re ready for a fresh manicure. There’s no need to soak or scrub your nails, simply take the polish off with acetone or non-acetone nail polish remover the same way you would remove regular polish.

“Gel is great but it’s so much upkeep, takes forever, and destroys your nails underneath,”one shopper raved. “This really does wear like [a] gel without any of the downsides.”A healthcare worker addedthat the “polish stayed on over a week without any chipping or peeling,” despite wearing gloves all day long.

Shop More Manicure Essentials

Cuccio Naturale Cuticle Oil

$10 at Amazon

Revlon Manicure Essentials Kit, $6 with coupon

$8$6 at Amazon

Essie Gel Couture Deep Red Nail Polish

$13 at Amazon

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source: people.com