We love the ever lasting shine and chip-free wear of gel manicures, but how foolproof are these DIY kits? I put them throught the ringer, testing every one a minmum of three times each.
Most user friendly: Sally Hansen salon GelPolish Starter Kit, $80, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
This compact kit includes fool proof instructions making it a cinch to use. The cure time under the LED light is short, only 30 seconds per polish application.
Best shade selection: Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit, $100, rexall.ca.
With 54 different gel polishes, Red Carpet Manicure has the largest shade variety. The gel polish is runnier than the others which allows you to get a much thinner application without sacrificing on colour payoff.
Most durable: Kiss Everlasting Gel Polish Colour Gel Starter System, $30 and Kiss Pro LED Gel Lamp, $35, walmart.ca.
Inside the gel lamp you can find a multi-dimensional reflective interior which helps cure the gel polish quickly and more evenly. The polish stayed super shiny and it took 12 days until a chip cropped up. Not too shabby.
