Reddit mentions: The best nail polish curing lamps

It's kind of trial and error but I have had good luck with these!

• LED lamp
  
  
• Base coat and top coat
  
  
• Structure gel (if you have weak nails, it is like a strengthening clear coat you put in between base coat and color coats)
  
  
• Color polish: you can use any brand. I like Ukiyo, Gellen and Sexy Mix but these are all pretty much the same in terms of quality. You can also go to stores like Sally Beauty or Ulta and buy gel nail polishes in person but they're much more expensive, around $10-15 for a single bottle.
  
  The other accessories you will want are lint free pads and rubbing alcohol, and typical nail stuff (clippers, cuticle pushers, acetone, etc).
  
  There are also tons of accessories that are fun with gel nail polish like nail powders, striping tape, glitter, gemstones, etc. I'd highly recommend picking up a black polish and a white polish too for nail art and stuff.

If you're just getting started, I'd recommend this starter kit from Gelish since they're an excellent professional brand and it has everything you need other than a color coat (which you can pick up at Sally's or online if you're feeling more daring). It comes with the cleaning solution which is an alcohol base like you said, as well as the remover. I think starting with good quality products is the easiest way to learn so you're not fumbling with something that's already difficult to work with.

For lights, I haven't used many different lights, I just got one on amazon that had really good reviews. It seems like the ones with a "hood" over them are ideal. Just make sure it says it's UV light! I got this one and I absolutely love it! It's nice and big so you're not scrunching your hands in there to fit, it has different time settings, or it will automatically kick on when it senses your hand and start counting how long your hand has been in.

Other important things to consider is proper removal technique so you don't damage your natural nail. Buff up the top layer, soak them for 5 or so minutes in hot water with a bit of acetone, then wrap them in foil with cotton balls soaked in acetone like they do in most salons and wait 15-20 minutes. You shouldn't have to struggle to get anything off.

This is a life changer!! I love getting my nails done but it doesn’t really work well with being a broke university student. So, I bought a couple of things and did it at home myself! It did take a couple of hours (although I worked slowly and got distracted lots of times) and took some patience but it looks better shaped and painted than some salons I’ve tried in the past. Something for y’all to consider!!

Products I used/needed:

• Kiss Nail Glue Maximum Speed (Walmart)
  
• Clear coffin-shaped nails (Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HGYZW55/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
  
• Nail file
  
• Nail clippers
  
• Nail buffer
  
• Gel nail polish (Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SWP6RR0/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ... All drug stores sell gel polish too, I just liked these colors)
  
• LED lamp (Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008FXFH6Q/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
  
• Rubbing alcohol/cotton ball
  
  I started buffing my natural nail to make sure it was smooth. I then went on to fitting and gluing each nail on, then trimming and filing the nail to preference (I did mine a bit too long but oh well lol). Then I just painted away and dried with the LED lamp. After, since it’s a gel polish, you’ll want to take a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and swipe it over each nail as the gel polish leaves a sticky residue at the end. Then you’re done! I hope you can enjoy this as much as I did! It’s work, but worth it to save money in the long run. :-)

I may be getting ahead of myself, but I'm an avid salon girl that started out by doing her own nails, but I'll throw some more tips.

When you're ready, this will turn any regular nail polish into gel polish. It has AMAZING reviews, and plenty of them too. It'll save a good amount of money since gel tends to be super expensive. Also you will have a wider selection of nail polish since honestly there's more non-gel than gel.
Don't hurt yourself by paying too much for a LED light, here's one that's 4/5 stars, and only $10. Remember that there's are two types of gel polishes, UV and LED. They're not interchangeable.
Let me know if you ever need advice on nails, I have 10+ years of knowledge!

I do! I have medium to long length nails and even though some people say gel weakens them, I actually find that they make my nails stronger. I have pretty healthy nails to begin with, though. I use my hands heavily for work (constantly brushing up against metal, cutting things and operating machinery) and gel is a godsend.

I am also super frugal though so I do them myself. It's very easy and it doesn't take that long after you get the hang of it. I usually put on a tv show or movie while I do it, it's very relaxing.

I've tried out a few different lamps but so far my favorite has been this one (I prefer LED):

https://www.amazon.com/MelodySusie-12W-LED-Nail-Dryer/dp/B00AXSQCGK/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497569940&sr=8-1&keywords=melodysusie+gel+lamp

I have had great luck with this brand of polish (they make a glitter red that is ammmmaaazing – I had a trainer at the gym stop me when I was lifting to tell me my nails were the best he'd ever seen haha):

https://www.amazon.com/AIMEILI-Soak-Off-Nail-Polish/dp/B00PF9Q5EG/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1497569972&sr=1-4&keywords=gel+nail+polish

And I use these clippy things to remove the polish when I'm ready to change it. No tin foil for me!

https://www.amazon.com/HIGHROCK-Acrylic-Remover-Cleaner-Superior/dp/B00OWZ0TVE/ref=sr_1_28_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1497569972&sr=1-28&keywords=gel+nail+polish

(I just happened to be reordering some polish today so I had some of these links open already :p )

Upgrading my lamp really helped me out more than changing which polish I used. I upgraded my drug store kit lamp to the one I linked below and I found that my gel polishes cured better and lasted longer. Other than that I can recommend curing your polish for longer and really making sure you wrap your tips well and dont flood your cuticle at all. For polishes I like bundle monster gel polishes and Sally Hanson salon gel polish.

Edited to add a polish brand I like and the link I forgot! Sorry!

36W UV LED Nail Lamp Manicure/Pedicure Nail Dryer with 4 Timer Setting - Perfect Salon Tool for Drying Nail Polish and Gel - Dry Both Fingernails and Toenails with 2 FREE Bonus Nail Files https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01KZQ90S6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_brP0Bb49QFVRW

A couple years ago for Christmas my boyfriend got me a gel polish kit. He got me this polish kit, this UV lamp, and some UV damage protecting gloves. I can't speak for anything else since I haven't used other products, but I really like using it! My biggest gripe is that the gel polishes in my kit are not very opaque. It takes many many coats of polish before it starts looking like a solid color. Also, the colors that are shown on the caps are not really accurate to how they come out on my nails, which can be a bummer. One time I wanted cherry red nails and they came out more pink. I'd like to eventually invest in some other brands of polishes to see if I get better results. The gloves are pretty nice so I'd recommend those if you are concerned about UV damage on your hands. As far as actual UV lamps goes, I don't see how there could be too much difference between them, unless you got a tiny one-nail-at-a-time lamp vs a full sized one. Overall I think it's been worth having the kit. I don't use it very often, but still really enjoy it when I have the time!

I'm not a nail tech, but here is what I have:


This is a good kit that comes with everything you'll need. I started with this one but I recommend getting a different light.


So you could create a kit yourself..

I bought this lamp after realizing the one that came in the kit wasn't powerful and only fit 4 fingers at a time.

I use gelish top and foundation coat and PH bond


To remove it at home, I file off the top coat and wrap my finger tips in aluminum foil with an acetone soaked cotton ball. I sit with my hands in a heating pad for at least 5 minutes, and then gently remove. Don't scrape/peel off the polish it will cause a lot of damage.


I hope this helps some!

Thank you! I got an 18 piece Modelones starter kit from Amazon that included 16 mini colors, base coat and top coat. For curing, I also got a MelodySusie LED lamp. All in all it was about $50 in total.

Gel polish starter kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QL5GN34/?coliid=IAGTYPFLUB6E3&colid=181AZGV3HS4EW&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

LED lamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AXSQCGK/?coliid=I2S98XHUIRHVZI&colid=181AZGV3HS4EW&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I followed the exact instructions they had on the Amazon listing for the starter kit, and they were actually quite in depth and useful, with pictures! I've always been very meticulous with regular polish, so I didn't find there to be a learning curve at all! This was my first try ever, and I've only gotten gel done at a salon once before, and I would say it took me about an hour overall including prep. I definitely encourage you to try it, it was very fun!

It helped with mine. I couldn't look at my nails without them breaking. They're still thin, but I usually keep them polished. It's my 'me time' when I do my nails. I put on trashy tv, drink some wine and unwind while painting them.

I use this light

I use this structure gel and apply a very thin coat. You'll need a brush to apply it since it's a little thick. But it makes my nails feel as hard as acrylics.

And here is an Imgur album linking to some of my favorite polishes on Amazon. I absolutely am in love with the Elite99 chameleon pots. The colors in the picture is what you get. The green one is one of my favorites. And oh my god the holo powders

Matte top coat: Perfect Summer Matte Top Coat Gel... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014A3VGKA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Stripes on middle finger were done with striping tape: Beaute Galleria 30 Mixed Colors... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQM5J72?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Cuticle oil: Bliss Kiss Simply Pure Cuticle &... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DYMYY2G?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Golden polish: Elite99 Gel Polish Soak Off UV... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OWPD9E?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Base coat: Beetles No Wipe Gel Top Coat and... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F12SZDS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Ball point tool used for design draw on ring finger: Yimart 20PCS Nail Art Design... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X6BCY7K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Tool disinfectant: Barbicide Disinfectant 16oz Conc https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00415UVTK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Uv/LED lamp: SUNUV 24W UV Light LED Nail Dryer... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGG5CH4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Nail drill: Makartt JD700 Professional... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JRGPH46?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Base color 044: Gel Nail Polish Gift Set, 12 Pcs,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SBNVJ5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I did! This one. It's pretty small so I can't fit my whole hand in there (and I have pretty small hands). Just means I have to do my thumbs separately - doesn't really bother me though since it was so cheap and cures the polish well enough.

Gelish is a brand of gel polish that wears 14-21 day. This is the first time I'm trying it and I love it. Super easy to apply, I am on my 3rd week and no chipping yet (though I did get tired of the original color so applied the regular polish over Gelish).

I've got this lamp based on recommendations from some other Reddit Laquerista. I also got this set which I think of using as a foundation to protect my nails.

Gelish Mini Pro 45 Second LED Curing Gel Soak Nail Polish Salon Light Lamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009CFXQC8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kQo4BbD41ZVFR

I've had this one for at least 6 years and it's great for normal home use. Cures four fingers at once in the time the light stays on. It's either 45 or 60 sec but I haven't timed it.

I've had no issues with the unit mechanically.

I've used it with a wide variety of brands and using good prep and even application methods, it cures perfectly.

I have red carpet manicure gels (usually regular price $12.99 Canadian at London drugs, a lot are marked down to $6.99). I also have the now-discontinued Quo by Orly gels (shoppers drug mark, initially ask $12.99 or something but snagged for $0.99; great if you find them at that price but I noticed they don't last as long and aren't quite as shiny as the red carpet manicure ones).

Lamp is from Amazon. Mirapure lamp uv/led. Has auto on/ off as well as timers.

https://www.amazon.com/MiroPure-Nail-Timer-Setting-Files/dp/B01KZQ90S6

With rcm gels my nails lasted 2 weeks until the grow out bugged me and I took it off. With quo, 1 week and it started to peel.

You can get started with gel polish manicures for less than $40!

2 years ago or so I bought these polishes off from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PC7YG88/ and https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PF9Q5EG/ and got a cheap $15 LED lamp which I see is no longer listed on Amazon but this one has good reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01JGG5CH4/

After I did my first gel manicure I never looked back. My gel manicures survive heavy lifting with metal weights in the gym, washing dishes on a daily basis, heavy labor outside such as moving rocks, yard work, etc. It used to take me at least an hour to do my nails with non gel polish and then I'd sometimes ruin them with sheet marks or other marks or smudges 😥 but with gel polish that isn't an issue anymore.

I only use regular polish now for stamping or for applying foil. I've since amassed quite a gel polish collection spanning across many brands. I mostly buy online from Amazon or eBay since that is cheaper (polish price per oz) than buying Gelish, ASP, Red Carpet Manicure, etc. in stores locally. My favorite online brands are Aimeili (which I linked to) and Lechat. I think price per oz Lechat might be the cheapest. I think it also has the best formula out of all brands I own.

The only downside is removing the gel polish takes me at least 45 minutes. And you must remove gel polish by first lightly filing the polish and then soaking it off in acetone, NEVER peel gel polish off. You may think you can get away with it but I can tell you from experience, as someone who has thick ass strong nails who thought others just had inferior nails, you cannot get away with it.

Edit: I was going to type out instructions for how to do a gel manicure but it's probably better if you just watch some YouTube videos on it. One tip that I didn't see in any videos I watched was that you want thin coats when you do gel polish. I notice when I get coats that are too thick my nail beds felt really hot when I was curing them under the light. (The heat went away after it was done curing) When you do thin layers that doesn't happen.

These Presto gels are considered art gels, so they're thicker and easier to work with for nail art compared to regular gel polish :) I highly recommend them if you're planning to use them for nail art. They also cured perfectly without shrinking over my gel overlay using Gelish, I mention this because I could not get the OPI gel polishes to cure over the Gelish stuff. I bought black, white, nude and the Britney Tokyo x Nail Swag set which are mostly primary colors, you can use them to mix your own colors.


This is the LED lamp I bought from Amazon, it's small but works fine.

I just bought this one and am pretty happy with it so far. I've only used it a couple times, but it's not that expensive, which is nice.

I use this light. It's pretty solid, and a much better solution than the $10 nail curing lightI started with. That light worked pretty well, but didn't have near the coverage of the newer light, which I've mounted under a shelf in my portable curing station.

Thanks! Here's a question: Which curing lamp do you use? I was looking at this one, but I am wondering if there's a better option.

Here you go, and Here's a video of it in action.

Basically practical/ small LED tech is not there yet AFAIK. I don't think that efficiency exists for anything small, although we are making good progress, it all seems to be with multiple dies (is that the right term?). At least if you want something that we would consider a flashlight and not some sort of light-canon.

So yes, we all face that problem.

I hope it works out for you! Gel manicures truly worked best for me as a bite-til-they-bleed biter for 26 years. I know they’re dumb expensive in most areas of the country though I do think it’s worth it to treat yourself to one every now and then, if only for the experience and to have someone clean up your cuticles. They’re very affordable in NYC because of the competition, but I know that’s not the case most other places. :( But getting a curing light & your own gel polishes is definitely the cheapest route to go:

Curing Light

I ordered this exact lamp from Amazon a year ago. It’s a LED and UV lamp.. works great and haven’t had any issues with it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGG5CH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2e68AbHZ6PE90

No.

What you're looking for simply does not exist. At 5000 lumens, this is the brightest single LED light I can find: http://acebeam.com/acebeam-k60

EDIT: If you pushed this hard enough you might be able to squeeze 10K lumens out of it.

Edit 2: I have a dream that ine day, I'll get it right the first time. My information will all be correct, and I won't need to edit anything.

Best of wishes to you! I hope you have as positive an experience as I've had. I have this lamp from amazon. Absolutely no complaints or problems with it.

I bought my [LED nail lamp] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KBNWDA6?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf) from Amazon and I really like it. It cures my nails just fine and has way more settings than I ever have used.

Oh perfect, I have a couple of questions that I wanted to ask anyways!

I have no prior knowledge or experience with gel polishes and how they work (the only thing that I know is to apply thin layers and to keep them absolutely away from natural light hence the opaque bottles), but I would like to get into them especially because I want to try and apply some nail powders. So my questions are:

• What is the difference between the UV and LED stuff?
  
• How do I know which lamp to buy? And since each gel polish will carry a recommended curing time with them, does the wattage of the lamp affect it and if so by how much? Based on simplynailogical's video, she uses this lamp and this no wipe top coat
  
• If there is no stated curing time, how does one estimate whether or not a nail is fully cured?
  
• When it comes to buffing nail powders into the cured nail, does it matter if the top coat that was used had a sticky layer or is a no wipe? (again referring to simply's video she used a no wipe). If the answer is that there is no difference, then I would like to buy a no wipe version
  
• Is it okay to use gel top coat over regular, non-gel nail polish? Will it cause the underlying nail polish to have streaks or some funky lines as a result of the two different mixtures?
  
  ​
  
  Oh and, one more that popped into my mind just now. Ever since I bought UNT's peel off base coat, I use it every single time. However it does ruin gradients as repetitive dabs to the nail surface will cause the base coat to thin out (I even waited ~20 mins for the base coat to dry before trying a gradient). So to anyone who uses a peel off base coat and does gradients on top of it, does it ever work? Or am I being a complete moron as the peel off will just cause lifts?
  
  ​
  
  I will be very grateful to receive answers, thank you!

I use this lamp from amazon. And yes, I apply the OPI base coat before the gel polish 🌸

This is the one I use. It's not bad for the price, I just have to make sure the sides of my thumbs cure because the lights don't always reach them

SUNUV 24W LED UV Light Nail Gel Dryer Curing Lamp with Sensor for Gel Based Polish Manicure Pedicure SUN9C (Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGG5CTW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_63jDCbBSKHJXT

Do yourself a favor and get a UV lamp. They're not that expensive.

It's probably your lamp. It should be at least 36 watts. This is the one I use It works really well and is a decent price!

This is actually pink gel+holo chrome powder! Here are the links to the stuff I used

Pink gel polish (#77): https://etsy.me/2PmO8Yf

Top coat: https://www.amazon.com/AIMEILI-Wipe-Coat-Soak-Polish/dp/B06XJ24GTH/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=no+wipe+top+coat&qid=1555792190&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Holo powder: https://www.amazon.com/Elite99-Holographic-Pigments-Dual-head-Different/dp/B01N3MWKUG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=elite99+holo&qid=1555792224&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Gel lamp: https://www.amazon.com/Dryer-Polish-Timer-Connector-Tools/dp/B07GB42Q73/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=1K57NX2SATX13&keywords=gel+lamp&qid=1555792343&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=gateway&sprefix=gel+lamp&sr=8-5

I have this lamp. I got it about a year ago and it still works as if it’s brand new. It cures both LED & UV gels for me. Super lightweight and compact, comes with the adapter/plug/thingamajig. It only has two time settings though - 30s and 60s. No little count timer clock thing either. I’m sure they have other models with extra features but they might cost a bit more.

Here's my thought on this though. I have Amazon prime and all this came out to $40 something. To others it might be more, why not just get the Whitestone for $45 then?

I happen to come across this uv lamp on Slickdeals, would something like this work or is the wattage too low?

promotional code 6MW8F6IU = $9.60.

SUNUV SUN9C 24W LED UV Nail Dryer Curing Lamp for Fingernail & Toenail Gels Based Polishes (Pink) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGG5CH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bSEUzbCKNN6X5

This one is the one I have and I based my choice on reviews. It's done well so far!

Oh I have sun9C its not working with CND very well.

I bought this lamp and use the Gelish brand ph bond + foundation + top, and only use gelish colors. Don’t bother with their nail cleaner, though - isopropyl alcohol works exactly the same and doesn’t dye stuff blue, plus it’s 25% of the cost.

I have this one:

MelodySusie Portable LED Nail Lamp - Violetilac 6W Mini Nail Dryer Curing LED GEL Nail Polish Professionally - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FXFH6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dhOMBbVMRJK9D

Use code:QWTN6RPV to get it cheap!

You could buy one of those cheap nail dryer things...

https://www.amazon.com/SUNUV-Curing-Fingernail-Toenail-Polishes/dp/B01JGG5CH4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1506442756&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=nail%2Bdryer&th=1

This one!

I just bought everything I need to do OPI gel manicures at home! That consists of this starter kit and this LED lamp. It was a bit of an investment, but I'm sick of driving 45 minutes each way to go to my favorite spot in my parents' town because I can't find a salon I like in my own town and paying $40 plus a $5 bridge toll.

Aimeili no wipe base and top coat

Essie’s Mooning

UV lamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FXFH6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_cOkwDb367GWTA

Hoping it lasts. There are some messy parts, so I’m afraid it might peel off or something. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Crossing my fingers it works out because I’m tired of painting my nails every 3 days.

Yup, cheap too: http://www.amazon.com/LENBO-Whitebule-8000-9000LM-3000mA-30V-32V/dp/B00BWH8VWO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1420341351&sr=8-9&keywords=100w+led

I want to know how he's driving it. 100 watts is quite a bit of power to be using on a quad. Enough to noticeably hurt flight time if used for more than a few seconds.

This is the light I got https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGG5CH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_Lk85k6KRGyuOu

And I got these to use instead of foil
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXUOHA6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_or0VzbNM6EXCT

Still figuring out nail polish I like. I got gelaze by China Glaze at Sally Beauty. Searching for a top coat and base coat that works. Just got one from Amazon, haven't tried it yet.

Nail polish for this you need stuff that requires a UV or LED light. Not the Sally Hansen gel stuff you can get anywhere, that's gel-like, not gel that requires a light.

I'm by no means an expert. I just hate paying to get my nails done. Got them done 3 times at 3 different places and they destroyed my nails. No more. If I screw it up that's on me. I don't make myself bleed though.

Late to the party, but in my opinion you've got way too much going on for the die to be suitable for use. All those colors and gold make it difficult to determine the number facing up. If it were black numbers, it might be better.

I don't think balance is going to be much of a problem since there's no solid core it's built around. Although depending on if the glitter and shiny things settle to one side, that might cause disruption.

I don't think glitter and pigment will affect the cure unless you go overboard on it. I think you need a stronger UV light. Look into getting one of those UV nail lights, something similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/MelodySusie-Portable-Nail-Lamp-Professionally/dp/B008FXFH6Q/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=uv+nail+lamp&qid=1567445902&s=gateway&sr=8-5 , that you can put the mold under and hit it with UV light from all sides. That should vastly reduce the amount of time you need to cure over using UV light that's traveling from 93 million miles away.