20 Best Korean Gel Nail Polish Brands (2023 Updated)

Let me start out by saying I’ve been doing my own gel manicures for about two years now. I’m a perfectionist and will only use products that are high quality and have staying power. This weekend I attempted my first manicure using full coverage tips.

I used the AIMEILI Base and Builder gel and I loved the results! The builder base was used as a “glue” to seal the tip to my nail under a UV lamp. Great quality and love that I don’t have to wipe the top coat.

Great product! I’ll definitely be repurchasing when I run out!.

My nail thec knows how to keep a secret. Its me Im that nail thec. This is one of my favorite top Coats. It was a random find on Amazon. Come to find out not only do they make top Coats but they also make blooming gel and all kinds of other polishes this is is definitely a company that I have a love a Box Box from Come to find out not only do they make top Coats but they also make blooming gel and all kinds of other polishes this is is definitely a company that I have a love a #voxbox from So I can use it for my business just saying.

The top and base coat bottles look identical to their gel polish color bottles except for the fact that the text on the bottle indicates which formula is which. Each bottle has a sticker on top of the cap that says “Base” and “No Wipe Top” so you can easily find them if you store your polishes inside a box.

I used a 1 minute cure time with a UV/LED lamp for each layer of base, color, and top coat that was applied. Thin coats are key in getting the polish to last, as is doing the proper prep work to your nails (buffing and cleaning the surface) prior to any application of the formula.

The base coat is slightly tacky after curing it, which helps to get the color coat to stick and not shrink. The top coat is a no wipe formula which leaves a smooth surface and a plump and glossy shine.

As for the durability, a manicure done with this base and top coat along with an Aimeili color gel lasts for 14 days with minimal wear to the tips and hardly a chip in sight. Individually, the base and top coat sell for $6.

99 each, but as a set, you will only pay $9. 99. This is insanely cheap as you get 10 mL of polish in each bottle. Other gel top and base coats easily cost more than double that price for even less polish inside, and the ones from Aimeili are of an equal quality to them, if not better.

This set is a no brainer if you deal with gels!.

I have used the Miracle Gel 2 step system for years. I have been pretty happy with it in the past. I find it does best on toes that don’t chip nearly as easily as fingernails. I have never had any issue with the step 2 top coat in the black bottle.

Recently, I needed a new bottle of top coat. I purchased one (now in a silver bottle) and the formula is HORRIBLE! Within one second of applying it over any color, it lifts my color off ruining what I’ve just painted on my toes.

I have used the old bottles thousands of times and I’ve never had this happen before. I don’t know if they changed the formula with the new bottle, but I hate it and it honestly makes me want to stop using the product I’ve been happy with for years.

I would give this A MUCH higher rating if this issue can be fixed or if someone can explain why this is happening all of a sudden. I have not changed how I’m applying the product, so it’s not user error.

I purchased the Under the Tree shade in store after seeing swatches online. This shade looks like a green to blue to purple shift in the bottle (online it looks more all green), but on the nail, it is a dark navy polish with a strong green shimmer.

Basically a blue to green shift duo chrome. It looks different in different lighting. I think the green shimmer is most visible in sunlight. You do need to apply two coats to get the most green! Glossy top coat also helps boost the shimmer.

The shade is very unique and pretty for the holidays! Sally Hansen’s brush is too wide, IMO. But it isn’t too hard to apply if you wipe a lot of the polish off the brush. This shade stains the skin so be careful! Target has the best price I found on this polish and they do sometimes run sales.

I have mixed views. Mostly good. I like the application and I have experienced excellent, long wear with this product. I get over a week, however there will be some wear at the tips of my nails, and maybe a little chipping at the tips.

But overall , I rate the the wear as excellent. It is in the application that there are some quirks. Some colors definitely need more than 2 coats to get the color and coverage you need. I find the solid colors take longer to dry well and are more prone to dings and smudges than the frosty or glittery colors.

So make sure you apply thin coats and let them dry between, just like regular polish. The finished look is sort of thin, not thick and glossy like a salon gel. I don’t love that aspect of it. Disappointed, actually.

You can see irregularities in the surface of your nail, whereas with salon gel they look smooth and shiny. Sometimes I add a coat of Seche Vite a couple days in to give it the high shine and smoothness I like.

The Miracle Gel top coat can drag the underneath color and streak as you apply and since it is so thin, it doesn’t have that high shine that one associates with the Gel look. That being said, overall, I like it because I can work in the garden, clean, wash dishes, etc, and it does not peel off or chip.

And it stays flexible so if your nail bends it bends to instead of breaking popping the color off. I am happy with it as an everyday polish. I would recommend it with that caveat. I did find that my nails were stained after removing one of the solid colors.

don’t love that.

It’s called ultimate top coat for a reason! This is a good one! The application is very easy, smooth, and cures great. There is a slight tacky layer after cure, but it wipes off easily with a tad of alcohol on a lint free wipe.

I’ve had it on for 3 days and so far it’s performing like a good gel polish top coat. Used it on my clients and no issues so far either.

Are you big on gel nail polish? Then stop right there! These essence gel polish are for you! Let me start off by letting you know how affordable these nail polishes are, only CAD $2. 99 *mind blown. The formula is thick and rich with vibrant colors.

The brush is designed very well and makes the application process so much nicer! No signs of clumps or any sort of harsh smell. There are variety of colors to choose from. I usually wear 2 coats and it last me for a good week or so without it chipping.

I would highly recommend this. They say you get what you pay for, this right here is an example! Pay a reasonable price and get a great quality of a product.

I really enjoy that polish, first thing is price it is extremely cheap, easy to apply as brush is rounded, and is medium size. Color I have is 111rainbow with sprinkles. It is sheer with chameleon fine glitter, pinky, greeny bluish, I don’t use it on its own, usually black or white base, and it looks amazing, on its own you’d probably need 3 or 4 coats so you don’t see your nail.

It is not streaky, it evenly distributes on nail, drying time is quick, probably 5-7 min depending on layer thickness. I have it for a year now and formula is same as it was in first day I bought it, didn’t turn any thicker.

On pic I used a white base and one layer of essence on thumb, ring finger and middle finger.

THIS IS THE BEST! If you are looking for milky white look without acrylics, please trust me and try this one. I’m probably on my 5th bottle and I’ll keep buying it. It not very sheer, two coats are enough for the perfect coverage.

This shade is perfect for any season or occasion, from work or school to weddings etc. It is also a great base if you want an abstract mani. 💅🏻 The brush is wide and it makes the application very easy.

This is a budget friendly Ballet Slippers Essie!.

Hands down the ABSOLUTE BEST Top Coat you’ll ever find! I have used SOOOOOOO many top coats and clear polishes that I’m sick of trying. But when I finally broke down and for this one I wish I had gotten this sooner! If the top coat is this amazing I can only imagine what the other gel polishes are like AND IM TOTALLY GETTING SOME!!!! Btw Kiara Sky my birthday is April 16 so if you’d like to send me any silver sparkly gels or anything that sparkles I totally wouldn’t complain about that and THANK YOU for making this company! The nail industry definitely NEEDS a company like this one!!!.

This Color: Vandalism is a SUPER COOL blend of turquoise, black, and white matte glitter, suspended in clear powder. I get an opaque result with 2-3 coats. The Dip Nails Format: I’ve been doing my own powder dip nails at home for almost three years, and I’m a big fan.

I have thin nails that snag and break easily, and dip powder is the only thing that makes them strong enough to grow long. I get 2-3 weeks of wear if I apply it properly. The system is like a cross between acrylic nails and silk wraps.

The way it works is that you paint on a coat of resin (think nail glue), dip it in a fine acrylic powder (colored or clear/sheer), and use an activator liquid to harden the resin. Removal is by soaking or wrapping in acetone, and takes a little longer than removing gel polish.

(If you use more than 2-3 layers, it can take a lot longer. )I switched to dip nails when I realized I was getting headaches from the monomer (the smelly liquid) every time I got my acrylic nails filled.

I also like that there’s no UV exposure needed. But if you hate the smell of nail glue or acetone, this is not a good system for you. Kiara Sky: Kiara Sky added a dip powder line to their lacquer and gel polish offerings in the last year or so.

They have an excellent selection of fashion-forward colors, and their matte glitter mixes are especially fabulous. The price is good and the quality is high. Like most powder dip lines, the company does not provide photos of their product on real nails (just colored circle images), so it can be hard to tell what color you’re getting.

However, you can easily find photos of their lacquer and gel polish colors, and they seem to be pretty similar. (I have only used their dip powder, so I can’t say for sure. ).

I just used this after buying on sale and I have to say I’m unexpectedly impressed! Seemed to work pretty well, my only complaints are (1) I wish there were more colors. My kit came in Shell we dance and I found it pretty sheer.

I’m hoping they come out with an opaque white, and a nice dark red. (2) After I finished, my nails still feel kind of sticky/ slimy. I washed my hands, and the polish doesn’t seem to be rubbing off exactly, but it almost doesn’t feel fully dry.

I’m not sure what that’s about?? Looking forward to more colors coming out and hopefully figuring out how to fully cure!.

I would not recommend to anyone to buy this nail polish remover. I bought this polish because it the description said it said it was a gel polish remover. Well I covered my nails with cotton soaked with the remover and covered it tightly with foil as directed.

After 15 minutes, none of the polish came loose. not even flakes. So I followed the instructions and kept trying and checking nails every 5 minutes as instructed. Finally after 45 minutes, a very small amount of the gel nail color began to flake off slightly from the bottom of my nails.

After 2 hours of soaking my nails and making very little progress with getting the polish off my nails and layers of my nails being peeled off trying to get the polish off, I finally gave up. I had to make a trip a nail salon just to get a stronger remover to finally get the gel nail polish off.

I absolutely love beetles gel products! Excellent for gel beginners like myself, the polishes are very pigmented the base, top matte top coats are legit. I also got the beetles gel nail full cover tip system because I do so much frequently have to change my nail length design (weekly).

I’ve been using them together do plan on getting most if not all of their gel polish systems because my clients love them too. I’m so impressed with both products. **Disregard the dry cuticles in the pic, I was taking them off to braid a client lol the pic is the gel press on system the colors are from the autumn collection.

The kit I purchased was the neon set however it’s not a choice I could choose on here. I chose to layer a neon pink over neon orange. I like them. I could have done more decorating but decided not to.

This polish seems to auto-level and drys fairly quickly with an appropriate uv light. My concerns are the size of the bottles, seems very tiny however I don’t paint often so it will last a little longer than most.

And yes, the polish peels off very easily if not applied properly.

This is such a great product to learn with for gel polish! It’s not runny like others I’ve purchased. It’s a little thicker so make sure you apply thin coats. You can always add more coats. I bought this set (but in coral peach) from Amazon (that’s really the way to go.

you get so many colors in one set. The bottles are mini sizes but if you find a color(s) you really like in that set, you can always go back and purchase the full sized bottle). The set I bought has pink and coral tones in this 6 polish set with one of them being a pink glitter one (the kind mixed in clear polish).

I typically take the glitter polish and go over a solid color but check out nail designs for inspiration.

I have most of the Homei Weekly Gel colors, and am happy with the product. It is definitely my preferred gel brand. I put a nail polish primer down as a base coat and apply about 2-3 coats of gel and that will last me 1-2 weeks without chipping or peeling off.

The only issue I had was that the dark green color stained my nails a yellow hue. I had to file them down by quite a bit to get rid of the yellow color on my nails. (That might have been caused by the nail polish primer I use, so I will still give this product 5 stars.

).

I love those products. Easy to peel and enjoy changing colors weekly. super fast UV process and no need off gel. So happy to find out to get those gels even in the States thru. this shop. Also shop staff was nice 😉 Thanks!!.

This nail polish is so nice! Super easy to use and not too thick or sticky like some other gel polishes! Super cute in one coat!

this product did not perform as stated. after several tries, I took a good look at what I received and what is shown on the website. They are not the same in color. This stuff looks like a top coat and performs like a good quality nail polish top coat.

I then checked other reviews. Other buyers have reported getting the wrong item. They have also reported that the return ship price is not worth the return. I feel the same. Will have to keep this expensive fake.

Will never purchase this company brand again. THANKS, QVC, you got another one of us.

I had acrylics than SS powder than gel to finally making the transition to natural nails. A very long road. I have been looking for a polish that lasts longer than 24 hours without chipping while be mostly free from the really harmful damaging chemicals I found Adesse and gave it a try.

It is a bit higher priced than drugstore but it lasts longer on my nails so it is worth it. If I spend the time on polishing and waiting for the drying process than I really want it to last at least three days before I need to start over.

This polish does that. I have many colors and I have not found that any one color has more longevity than another. I do use the Adesse primer and top coat also. I am pleased with not only the ingredients but also the performance.

I will continue to replace my favorite colors as I use them up.

I’m on my third bottle. I LOVE this stuff. I have tried so many other cuticle oils (mainly because I wanted something cheaper) but I always end up ordering the Adesse age Defying Nail Treatment. It’s honestly worth the price.

I get results after the first use. My nails grow so much faster when using this product. It makes my nails look so healthy. I use it on my toes too and it really makes a difference. I have recommended this product to so many of my friends.

Once you use this, unfortunately, you won’t be able to use anything else. As I said, I have tried ALOT of other products and have yet to find something I am content with.

I use to love this polish … lately nothing is a perfect match all the regular polish is more yellow So pink gel nails get a yellowed pink toe… and that folks is red …. A color called shocking pink shouldn’t look red ….

Thought maybe it was the top coat … nope! Tried the teal and guess what I had blue teal fingers and yellow green toes … we even checked to see if it was top coat … it wasn’t I’ll never use this brand again! Also it chips easier than they claim… and as for claims, no shrinkage my a** this stuff shrinks terribly! I asked my lovely nail tech to NEVER EVER use this brand of polish on me again!! … btw I have been going to my lovely nail lady for over 5YRS she does excellent work.

Le Chat it’s in no way a user error this is you guys all the way! Don’t call something perfect when it’s not even close. Perfect match get it together!.

Perfect Match has become my very favorite gel polish. I get my nails done about every 4 weeks. that’s right. FOUR WEEKS. because my nails last that long with this polish. I always get 3 coats of color on my nails, I find that it helps it last longer.

I have gotten so many colors from this brand that I could not even name them all, but my favorite will always be black! I like this polish because it’s not super thick like other gels that I have had on before.

Although, my nails are weak and brittle and with this polish it holds them and helps them appear to be stronger. Love this polish so much. 1 Elaina D. Elaina D. Sayville, NY 17 reviews Oct. 9, 2015, 12:03 p.

m. I’ve been getting gel manicures with LeChat perfect match polish since july. every 2 weeks religiously and I can’t believe how great my nails look! Maroonscape is my favorite color. I love that the perfect match comes with the coordinating EXACT color in regular polish for my pedicure! Its so hard to match gel colors with regular colors! I would suggest soaking in the acetone for as long as possible when its time for a color change.

I noticed that when my tech soaked for less that 10 min I would have more damage done to my real nail.

Loved! Great color and It was very durable! I wore this for a party and I got so many compliments on it! Lasted me for over 2 and a half weeks and got great use out of it! Definitely would buy again!

I love this brand of gel polish. It is easy to apply for beginners and the color looks just like what you see in the bottle. Usually it’s a 50/50 chance of the color actually looking like what shows.

Two coats are enough but you can add three if you like. It cures quickly and isn’t thick. I recommend this brand.

This color is one of my clients favorite, it’s a baby pink, but very pigmented I will say, actually, all Gelixir gel polishes are very pigmented, I can even do only one coat of color and that’s it, and I really love that because it’s saves time, and the nails won’t look thicker than the usual when you apply 2 coats of color.

Another thing I really love about this brand it’s that you get really good quality of gels at a low price compare to other brands. I definitely recommend Gelixir gel polishes.

Love this brand! The color is a beautiful pink and is a buildable coverage. It is also odorless which is always great only improvement i would make is the brush it’s just a little to squared to get around the cuticle.

Definitely one of the best gel polishes!.

I have this in “wild orchid” which is not an option here. I LOVE this nail polish. It really looks and feels like a gel mani without having to cure it under UV. I only painted my nails last night so I can’t say too much about longevity, but I will say that with regular nail polish I do notice chipping as early as the first night.

I haven’t had any chipping or incidents of the polish peeling off so far. My nails look so sleek and shiny, and this nail Polish dries faster than any that I’ve used! I had never used Deborah Lippmann before as I honestly think $20 is kinda ridiculous for nail Polish… but I can say that I’m quite impressed and will be purchasing other colors in moderation.

This polish is really pretty and I usually like Deborah Lippmann’s polishes, but this one is awful. The formula is just not right, it is too thick and chips within a day. I almost always use crazy glitter formulas, so this part I am used to.

This polish does not apply or lay the way it should. I have used high end thinners to try and help it, but it only lasts for one hand before it needs thinned again and you have to mix it after each finger you apply polish to.

Maybe I got a bd bottle, but this is ridiculous for the price. I have other bottles from this brand that act nothing like this.

I love Deborah Lippman. I work as a nail tech and deborah lippmann is always my first choice/recommendation. There’s no real difference between ‘gel lab pro’ and the regulars except these have wider brushes and I find the formulation ever so slightly thicker.

I personally hate essie, it gets thick sooo quickly. These never do, and I’ve had some for years. Colours are really beautiful and sparkle is so nice, stays shiny and catches light well. I never get chips with a good top and base coat.

Excellent pigmentation, the thickness gives you a solid colour even on first coat. (my preference compared to zoya) I think the bottles are really nice and love the brushes, they don’t shed either. It’s a little hard to tell the colours online, I find my stargasm to be slightly cooler than this picture, but a true rose gold for me! Worth the cost for me, especially because they lasts so long.

This is a very beautiful gel polish. It takes a lot longer to cure than expected and you need at least three coats to get a good glitter coverage (and make sure you really shake the bottle for at least 90 seconds before use) but the end result is beautiful, high quality, flexible and strong.

Removal was easy with the disk iff method too, no damage to my nails. Would recommend this product for home use.

Awesome product for babies when feeding time and you can’t spoon feed. My Grandaughter doesn’t have to make do with formula if enroute, or at daycare. Just put jar of baby food in feeder, pust out air and ready to go.

If running late to work she can still have breakfast on the way. Also used this product when Dr. recommended adding cereal to milk to help keep it down. Much easier than clogged up formula nipples. Great for on the go.

Great finish! Cures super hard. Pro tip – this cures a little sticky after 90 seconds in a UV lamp, but if you gently wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in NON ACETONE polish remover and gently wipe off the sticky residue before the next coat and b.

This new nail polish is so disappointing I’ve been using Shine, last & go for a few years and love it. Been telling every one I know to buy it. Lasts for at least a week, dries really fast, great shine/gel look, inexpensive though it’s better than nail polishes ten times the price, lots of colors (and bought most of them to replace every color I had of other brands).

At first I thought this was just a new design of the bottles and still the same great formula and bought around five colors to start with, a few new, a few that looked like old favorites. But this is nowhere near Shine, last & go in quality.

Worst nail polish I ever bought, I think. At least the worst in many years. The formula looks streaky and see through when you paint with it, it needs at least tre layers, four in certain colors, it has a very long drying time (even the first coat), doesn’t get that nice gel look and starts to chip away the very first day.

It works a little better with the old base coat, that’s also gone, but only a little better (and that base coat was also as good as base coats ten times the price). Don’t even bother trying it, you wont use it.

I bought this about a month ago at Clicks, and I am very disappointed. I have been using essence nail polish for as long as I can remember and never had a problem with it, actually I love essence, is my favorite brand.

But this one particular bottle is not doing the things. First the application is not as smooth as expected and it starts chapping off after a day. I still love essence and will continue using it but I am disappointed with this one particular bottle.

having so much polish on the brush that it drips on the floor or table, and cause of that literally never drying, ruining it and having to start all over again – then sure, it covers, smooths itself out and is alright.

🙁 Cry. Don’t know bout reformulation really – I have one other, but a different print on it. With that one I also have to wait forever and do 3 times a thin streaky layer to get coverage and it’s still not alright.

Also, I feel like the first time you open it and try it on one of your nails, it feels pretty alright – same day in the evening trying to do rest of the nails and I feel like it has already started to dry out in the bottle 🙁 same happened with 3 different colours and different print on bottle.

I guess it’s to be expected with the price, but it feels like such a waste on the world also, cause to me it unfortunately feels pretty much just trash, apologies. Maybe I’ll finally learn to pass and buy a better one.

Oh and I had the You Are Coconuts one.

This color is gorgeous and so easy to use. Making straight lines in artwork has never been easy for me, but this has helped tremendously! I love that you can use them for just about anything and the consistency is perfect.

Really great and fun product!.

The consistency and pigment is phenomenal! I only dislike the quality of the brush and that could be because gel is so much thicker than regular paint or polish. Therefore, I opt for my own art brush of preference.

I love this product!! I had a little hiccup when I first got it the tube had no product but I emailed them and they got it taking care of. The color is amazing you can use it with many designs🥰

This is the red that pops into your head when you think of the “perfect” red. I’m using this to do a Valentine’s day nail art and I can’t wait to use this color!