Reddit mentions of AIMEILI Gel Nail Polish No Wipe Top and Base Coat Set Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Lacquer - 2 x 10ml

I use the cheap UV/LED light from Amazon. You can also find them on ebay. I purchased this one a year and a half ago and it's still working great. For polish, I'm a huge fan of Aimeili on Amazon. Base Coat/Top cost is a must and one of my favorite colors. It's just like painting with polish - thin base coat, color (x2 or 3 if needed), top coat. I dry in between each with 60 seconds under the light. For me, it's quicker and easier than polish. No need to worry if it's actually dry - once you're done you're good to go.

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ETA: I purchase base coat/top coat July 2017 and I'm still working on it! I use it an average of once every 7-10 days. Some weeks I'll let my nails breathe.

I recently got into gel too a few months ago. You'll need a base coat too. I don't normally bother with one with normal polish, but I've found that without one, gel just peels right off my nails. Natural oils interfering with it, maybe? I don't know. But I like this set. And this is a pretty good remover but strong. Make sure you have a silicone mat to work with because it ate right through the varnish on my desk when I dripped it.

I use an LED lamp with gel polish too! Easily lasts 2 weeks without chipping. My favorite brand of polish right now is Aimeili. Their top coat is awesome, because you don't have to wipe it with alcohol when it's done drying. They have tons of colors and although it's not technically peel-off, I still do it and I don't have any lasting damage to my nails. And for a lamp, get one like this with multiple bulbs (in case one goes out) and a mirrored interior (helps bounce the light around all angles). I've been using gel polish for over 6 years now and I'll never go back to regular polish!

This - from Amazon 😊 https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00PF9Q5EG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_8NE4MFTnLV1Uh

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.

I think the info links on this su Reddit has a great info about base and top coats.

I do gel tips at home and use Ameili.

https://www.amazon.com/AIMEILI-Soak-Off-Nail-Polish/dp/B00PF9Q5EG

Base and top coat
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PF9Q5EG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1559046903&sr=1-2

Nail polish:

CLAVUZ Gel Polish Soak Off UV Led Gel Nail Polish Set New Starter Kits Nail Art Manicure Nail Lacquers 6pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HRSH406/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HVs7CbMM50ENC

I will note the nail polish set has low and some bad reviews. I haven’t bought it in like two years but I’m really happy with the formula I purchased then. This could be a new formula.

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 )

Sure thing!

• LED light. You can get cheaper florescent style lights. I went with the LED version because it's quicker. I'm a red head and try and avoid excessive UV. I even put sunscreen on my hands before doing my nails.
  
  
• I like the Aimeile Top/Base costs and colors. They're super cheap and last. I especially like their color changing polishes.
  
  
• You might also want to gets some nail clamps for removal so you're not wrapping your fingers in aluminum foil.
  
  
• And maybe invest in some ph Bond. This helps dry out the nail bed and helps the nails last longer.

It's nice to have an alternative to super expensive lamps for sure! I have this base coat and top coat which come together, and this red polish by the same brand. So far so good, they look really good! I also ordered this colour shift one which I haven't got yet, so can't vouch for but it was cheap so why not!

I DO do it myself! :)

So far so good with doing a "gelly sandwich" -- base coat gel, cure, regular polish left to dry completely (takes some testing, best to dry overnight), top coat cured!

I got this:

AIMEILI Gel Nail Polish No Wipe Top and Base Coat Set Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Lacquer - 2 x 10ml https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PF9Q5EG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3VmxDb5J1P9GV

Only complaint is that the top coat looks purple/blue and weird, like blacklight or something, in direct sunlight. Otherwise the one nail looks great!! :)