To gel or not to gel?

That is the question! And a lot of people aren't sure what the answer is. Well hopefully I can sort that. My own opinion is that normal polish is fine and for extra protection and long-lastingness *mouths: not a word* add a topcoat. However I am aware that gels do last longer and are a lot more chip resistant incase some of you have a busy life and use your hands a lot.

Gels for home use usually don't require a UV lamp to dry them but this means that you do have to wait a while for your nails to dry, which is why I often don't wear gels. On a positive side though they are super glossy and shiny once finished and not smudged which is what you should expect in a good polish.

I bought two different gels. One considered a fairly cheap version (Miss Beauty London in red for £4) and the other a moderately expensive polish (Avon gel, in light baby pink for £7 ). Then I put them to the test to see whether the money difference mattered. Here are the results:

Miss Beauty London.
Price: £4 (I think!)
Glossy once dried: Yes
Time to dry: 15 minutes on a thin coat
Easy to put on: Quite gloopy but mostly alright
Coats needed for best look: 2
Finished look: Nice and smart!
Additional comments: A great look to respect those who fought in the war this remembrance day.

Avon Gel
Price: £7 (however I bought it at a discounted price)
Glossy: Quite a lot
Time to dry: 10 minutes on a thin coat
Easy to put on: Very
Coats needed for best look: 3 (however you could have got away with 2)
Finished look: Elegant and feminine
Additional comments: A really pretty polish and very smooth but I don't like the Avon bottles, although they look really nice and smart on the shelf when you go to open a stiffly screwed lid on an Avon bottle the sharp corners dig into your skin! But that is only a minute complaint :)

 Hope this has answered some of your questions about gel polish. And A Topcoat. x