obviously there’s the design - but most brands have their own unique formulation to create gel nail strips. Some formulas will work better than others. But here are a few things to keep in mind when reading reviews and product descriptions.
How Oily Are Your Natural Nails?
Some formulas simply work better naturally than others - but the question is how would you know that without trying it for yourself? If your natural nails are slightly more oily than we recommend trying a nail dehydrator before applying your gel nail polish strips. This will ensure that it will most likely adhere to your nail a little easier and last much longer. However, be sure to just pay attention to reviews that mention this. If using a nail dehydrator doesn’t work then it might be the brand formulation, or user error. Most semi cured gel nail sets come with enough to last for two manicures - so you’ll have the opportunity to test.
2. Do you want your manicure to feel like a traditional gel nail manicure or a thicker feel like acrylics?
Some semicured gel wraps are thicker than others - when you’re looking through product reviews be on the lookout for pictures and customer testimonials that speak to this. However, this isn’t uniquely a reason to choose one formulation over another. If you find a design or formula that you love - but want it to be slightly thicker you can always apply gel builder on top after curing your semicured gel nail stickers. Here at Jelcie, we formulated a super easy to use gel builder that doesn’t require fancy tools - and applies just like a top coat. You can check out our glass gel builder .
3. How long do you actually want your manicure to last?
Some gel strips are formulated to last 7-14 days depending on how rough you are with your nails. If you have a job that requires you to be in constant contact with water then perhaps it’s more realistic to expect your manicure to last 7-10 days. A lot of our customers want their manicure to last at least 7 days - after the 7 day mark they are ready to try a new design.
The nice feature of semicured gel nail polish strips is that they’re super easy to customize - if you love your set and just want to refresh the top coat you can! If you want to try a new one after 7 days, the removal process is pain free.
Our Jelcie gellies formula is designed to be super flexible and easy to apply - however it is still slightly thicker so that your manicure looks like a professional gel manicure and not a sticker.
After formula - the next way to decide which brand to try is based off of their design options - some prefer more unique designs, others more premium designs (think gold foil) and lastly the amount of solid colors you can choose from.
