Gel polishes confidently push ordinary nail polishes into the background. Many people no longer see the reason to repaint their nails every 3 days, when for a little money you can make a manicure with gel polish and enjoy perfect nails for 2, or even 3 weeks. In addition, many have mastered this skill, and are able to do manicures on their own, saving money and time. But when choosing materials, there are always a lot of questions, the main of which: "Which gel polish to choose?". The variety of manufacturers and price dynamics is very large. It is best to base your choice on reviews, so let's look at the main popular brands of gel polishes and which reviews are the best.
CND
The first on our list, of course, is Shellac from CND, because this American brand was the first to create and develop a gel polish formula, calling it shellac. This word is firmly entrenched in all such types of coatings. Although in fact shellac can only be called gel polish from CND.
Despite the rather high cost, and on average one bottle of colored varnish costs 800 rubles, a lot of girls around the world use this good gel polish. Reviews say that CND is the best gel polish, since it is thick enough, lays well on the nail, has a dense bright coating and covers the nail in two layers quite tightly. The varnish holds well on the nails without scratches, chips and scuffs. A top from the same brand will allow for a long time to maintain the luster of the coating.
Of the minuses of CND, a high cost can be noted. Although from the palette you can choose some of the most beloved and universal shades that you can enjoy for quite some time. The CND collection has a basic palette with classic, most versatile and vibrant shades that are out of fashion and always relevant. The brand also periodically releases seasonal collections of gel polish. Reviews mark their interesting fashionable shades. For example, in the summer collections Summer Splash or Paradise fresh juicy shades are presented, and in the autumn and winter Autumn Forbidden or Glacial Illusion, darker and more saturated colors.
Kodi
Another American company, Kodi, produces gel varnishes of a more affordable price category, and due to this it has become one of the most popular on the market.
In addition to bright colors and a rich palette, Kodi are distinguished by the fact that the first to sell rubber top and base for gel polish. Reviews recommend these products to create a more dense coating that does not peel or peel. Kodi products are available in bottles of 7, 12 and 30 milliliters, and bases and tops come in bottles with or without a brush. The latter are intended for professionals, and receive positive feedback from them.
Which gel polish has no drawbacks? So Kodi of the minuses can be noted liquid consistency of most shades. You need to adapt to them and fill your hand, since many literally numb to the cuticle or spread to the sides.
Gelish
Gelish products are located in the middle price segment and, thanks to this, as well as a rich palette of shades with more than 100 tones, it has won the love and popularity of both masters and home manicure lovers. An important advantage of the Gelish brand is its hypoallergenic composition and good quality gel polishes. In the reviews, users note that even sensitive people are not allergic to Gelish products.
When using the entire line, namely the top, base, gel polish and means for removing one firm, you can achieve a durable and bright coating that lasts up to three weeks. And you can remove it by simply soaking in a special solution. No traumatic filing will be required, the nails will be in perfect condition after removing the gel polish.
The reviews of the masters also note an important feature of Gelish products - they do not thicken the nail and the manicure looks as if the nails were painted with ordinary varnish. In this case, the nail plate is reliably protected from chips and delaminations.
Canni
This is a Chinese brand of gel polishes, affordable and therefore dearly beloved by many. However, more often it is used not by professional masters, but at home. The Chinese brand took the basis of the CND formula and made its analogue, only cheaper. That is why Canni varnishes have become so popular - at a low cost of about 150-200 rubles per bottle, the buyer gets a quality that is approximately comparable to a more expensive counterpart. Even the packaging and shades of Canni resemble CND, so replacing the manufacturer may seem almost equivalent.
Canni gel polish is applied and dried in the same way as all other brands - first a base is applied, preferably of the same brand, then 2-3 thin layers of color coating are applied. At the end, everything is fixed by the Canni top. It is important to dry well in a UV or LED lamp each layer of gel polish.
Reviews note that the palette of shades of Canni is very diverse, and, in addition to conventional means, the range includes magnetic varnishes, thermo-varnishes, camouflage bases and many other decorative coatings.
Bluesky
Talking about the brands of gel polishes, it is impossible not to mention the Bluesky brand. Without exaggeration, this is a giant in its field, because no other brand has so many shades and collections. Literally any tone or effect you want is in Bluesky. These are classic, bright, fluorescent shades, thermo-varnishes, varnishes with the effect of "cat's eye", with sparkles, with flakes, spreading and others. The whole list is hard to list. Tops and coatings are also not limited to one remedy - the top and base 2 in 1 are very popular, as well as the Velvet Top top coat, which can make any varnish matte and velveteen to the touch.
Also of the advantages of Bluesky is excellent durability and ease of application. However, the increased durability of these coatings may turn out to be a minus for someone, since it is sometimes difficult to remove such varnish - you have to not only use a special solvent, but also saw off particularly durable areas.
OPI
The OPI brand is one of the few that has the quite successful production of both regular nail polish and gel polish. The line of OPI Gel Color is popular with buyers and craftsmen in that the gels have good lasting shades and have caring components that are essential for every gel nail polish.
Reviews note an important detail - the proximity of the shades of ordinary and OPI gel polishes. That is, if there is a small chip on the gel polish, you can easily cover the nail with a regular varnish of the same shade and not repair the entire manicure. For many girls, this is a very valuable option that saves time.
Masura
Many consider the Masura brand to be Japanese, but in fact they are Russian-made gel varnishes that are based on Japanese quality standards. In the case of gel polishes of domestic production, this is rather not a minus, but a plus. After all, Russian manicure brands have long established themselves with the best hand.
Under the Masura brand, two main lines of varnishes are available:
- Three-phase - require application of the base and top.
- Single-phase - they are applied independently on the nail plate, dried in a lamp and do not require topography.
The latter, by the way, are very popular, because in time their application is comparable to ordinary varnish - you can manage to make a persistent manicure in just 15 minutes, and then wear it for 2-3 weeks.
A nice feature of this brand is that all the shades are in small bottles and in standard packaging. This means that you can buy several shades as probes without spending a lot of money. And then buy the most favorite colors in standard packaging, which is enough for at least 50 manicures.
Among the Masura collections, one can distinguish magnetic varnishes and the Lumi-Lumi series, the shades of which can glow in the dark.
Runail
Another Russian manufacturer and also very, very popular. The palette of these varnishes can hardly be called banal, because it includes the most fashionable and sought-after shades, in addition, there are so many of them that you can choose a varnish for any occasion.
Among the advantages that these gel polishes have, reviews often note the positive effect that RuNail products have on thin and brittle nails. The tool strengthens them, makes them firmer, and does not harm them even more. At the same time, the coating does not make the nail plate heavier, and the manicure looks natural and attractive.