Finessing the white French tip at home can be especially tedious, BUT we’re always up for the challenge. The bonding liquid included within this kit will help your mani last and is the first step you take before applying the base coat. You’re doing the hard part of shaping the French detail, which is why the seal enhancer works to complement the base polish and ensure your nails are completely clean of surface oil. Writer Chelsea Avila first took note of how long-lasting powder manicures can be by word of all the women in her family. So when it came time to update this article, she made sure to do a deep dive into the user experience with each at-home kit and helped outline what makes them a worthy competitor to the salon.

This affordable option is great for someone who wants to try out dip color without investing,” says nail artist Syreeta Aaron, a LeChat Nails Educator. (However, she does note that the results may not be quite up to par with what you’d get with other products.) Still, if you’re just looking to test the dip powder waters or aren’t concerned about the results lasting a super long time, this is a good option. You get one color included with the kit, a nude pink, though other colors are available.

For the first-time dip powder user who isn’t sure if they’re ready for the switch, this kit’s neutral tone is what to start with. Every brush stroke of the base coat determines what the powder will grip onto (be careful of applying the base coat anywhere else but the nailbed.) And since this powder has a light hue, working with your less dominant hand isn’t as intimidating. There are two types of applicators available for applying the powders. The newest arrival is the Mineral Bond which you can use to easily work metallic and holographic colours into the nail and then there’s the double-ended eyeshadow brush which I actually prefer to use (the brush end) when doing the gradient nail as I find it easier to merge the two shades. Tools: You'll need a variety of tools to accomplish dip nails at home, including a nail file for buffing and a brush to apply the product. Many kits on this list, including the AZUREBEAUTY Dip Powder Kit and the wakaniya Dipping Powder, contain replacement brushes as well.

Alcohol, Aqua, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Ethyl Acetate, Tocopheryl acetate, Acetone, Isopropyl myristate, C.I. Acid Red 33, Pigment White 6 To achieve the full opacity of this kit's red tones, reviewers note you’ll have to dip your nails in the finely milled powder several times (with a layer of base liquid applied every time in between). But removal is super easy, as it comes off in just 10 minutes. When your goal is bright, shiny nails that garner compliments, reach for this inexpensive kit. The shine is unbeatable, and the glitter shades are bold and bright. With 12 shades to choose from, including a clear/white glitter, you'll be set for a number of looks. The kit contains everything you'll need, including activator and brushes with replacement tips. Who It’s ForThis kit is a playground of color that's perfect for rainbow nails, supremely glossy finishes, or even matte nails. The application process consists of a base coat, activator, and top coat, and this kit even comes with additional brushes so your liquids don't harden on you over time. One reviewer did say a jar of powder is only worth two to three manicures, which speaks to why there are so many colors to choose from and at such a budget-friendly price.

The kit also provides all the tools needed for a salon-grade experience at home: a Pro Soak Removal Tray and Acetone, an Essential Dip Liquids, a Dip Powder Mini Tray (which isolates any mess), a Build Powder, and a Pro Powder Brush. If you're really particular and love to pay close attention to detail, you'll especially appreciate the included Four-Way File, Cuticle Milk Nail Serum, and Cuticle Tool. This one-stop shop comes with everything you need—and we really mean that. You get to choose between one, four, and six powders (there are tons of color options) to ensure your delivery is perfectly suited for you. Finally, the longevity of these colours is really good. Speaking as someone who washes up without gloves on, types all day, taps fingers when thinking and just generally isn’t great when it comes to maintaining polish, these last really well on me. For my last two manicures I’ve done a double on each (base, cure, powder and topcoat, cure, then repeat) as I find this gives a really strong opaqueness to the colour, plus then they really do stay put – I go around two weeks before I just have to change them (because I have so many pretty colours!) but I could definitely go longer as the only sign they’re due a change is the growth by the cuticles.Nails have really upgraded over the last few years. From traditional polish to gel manicures to out-of-this-world nail art, expressing yourself through the tips of your fingers almost feels necessary now. It's why we're not the only ones obsessing over dip powder manicures. The name comes from its unique application—an adhesive base is applied onto a clean, dried nail, then dipped into a powder color made of a highly pigmented polymer of your choice. Several coats can be “dipped” and then coated with a glossy sealant. People tend to like dip powder nails because they typically last longer than regular nail polish and give a salon-quality look. At-home dip nails are especially convenient and inexpensive compared to getting your nails done in the salon. Other longer-lasting at-home options include gel or Polygel nail kits. I love, love, love the holographic colours as they are so striking and really do look like something you’d have done in a salon. The purple in my carousel above is the holographic Violet Sky and it is just so fun! The key to holographic is to use the sponge to work it into the nail in small circles. Violet Sky was the first ever Sistaco shade I used, and as you can see, it looks really neat and tidy. We've already listed so much, but the icings on the cake are the Dream Hands and Dream Feet rejuvenating masks included in your buy—now that's an elevated experience all from your vanity.

Bonder: Also known as a non-acid primer, you’ll definitely want a kit containing one of these as it’s an essential prep step that will ensure a good application, says Totty. For one, the NAGAIA Dip Kit features primer and a base coat liquid, which work together to help bond the powder to the nail. Sistaco is like a cult, but I mean that in the nicest possible way. It seems that once you start using them, you become obsessed, and then you find yourself allocating an inexplicably high amount of thought on what colours you’re going to buy next, what looks you might try and how creative you can get. The thing about the Sistaco range is that it does give you a lot of room for creativity, but before I go into too much detail on that, I want to write a little intro to the products in general. We love this kit for anyone who wants to bring the whole salon home, as it really provides all the ingredients for an elevated DIY dip mani or pedi.Sistaco Mineral Bond is basically a nail polish in powder form, but not those horrible acrylic powders that leave a hard, fat layer of plastic on your nail that’s virtually impossible to remove without damaging the nail underneath, Sistaco Mineral Bond is literally a coloured mineral powder that you buff or brush on the nail surface and set with gel base and top coats. There are three types of finishes: Classic, Metallic and Holographic, and you can apply the metallic and holographic products in two ways to give you either a shiny or a glittery finish. The process is very similar to the application of your typical gel kit, you apply the base coat, cure it, apply the powder, apply the top coat, cure it and you’re good to go. There are variants on this technique (for example, for holographic and metallic you would apply the base coat, then the top coat, then cure, then apply the powder before following the top coat) but it’s all pretty simple and explained well within the instructions. I absolutely love the fact that you can create your own looks with the Sistaco powders. There is a huge range of colours available and you can mix all the different colours to make your own bespoke shade, but what I really enjoy doing is creating that gradient finish which I’ve now done twice and it works so well. Because you’re using powder, it’s so much easier to buff and blend the two shades together to get a really nicely diffused finish. During the holiday season, this kit’s glitter powders will coat your nails with high-impact iridescence. Reviewers note that the color can fade easily, and the powder pots are especially small, so we best recommend this kit to those who have short or medium-length nails. The other thing that I really like about Sistaco is that the products, for all intents and purposes, are pretty good for the nails, which I’ve really noticed as my nails are a lot less prone to splitting since I started using the range. Also, the whole range is vegan and cruelty-free.