Eight essential products to perfect that at-home gel DIY manicure

Everything you need to treat your talons.

A trip to the salon is the ultimate act of self-care, but did you know that giving yourself a DIY manicure could be equally therapeutic?

Whether you’re looking to be more mindful where spending is concerned, or just want to upskill, investing in nail artistry tools could be your one-way ticket to relaxation.

With everyone from tennis superstar Andy Murray to the huge TikTok obsession with the viral Hailey Bieber glazed doughnut nails, everyone is talking about at-home manicures.

Get on the trend early by investing in the eight essential products needed to perfect an at-home gel DIY manicure.

Note: some items in this round-up are gifted PR products. These have been tagged with a * for transparency.

Builder Gel

If you’re a nail extension aficionado, then the Mylee Builder Gel* could become your saving grace.

The main purpose of the builder gel is to strengthen your natural nails and enhance their ability to hold gel polish. You can also use it to set jewels and glitter into your fresh at-home manicure, too.

Prep your nails for the builder gel by buffing and pushing the cuticles back on your nails. After applying a base coat, layer your builder gel on top. It truly is as easy as that.

No Wipe Top Coat

Protect your hard work and artist skills with the Mylee No Wipe Top Coat*.

According to the site, the No Wipe Top Coat glides on, dries immediately and ensures your DIY manicure will stand the test of time… Three weeks to be exact!

It also cures under a UV lamp and sees the best results when used in combination with a base layer, too.

If you’re not keen on a matte effect, however, why not try this Flexiglass UV Top Coat from Beauty Pie instead? It’s high-shine, chip-resistant and is also free from seven of the main toxins found in regular nail polish.

Nine essential items for a gel DIY manicure including the Matte No Wipe Top Coat by Mylee
Image credit: Mylee

Gel Polish

The main ingredient to every salon visit or DIY manicure – the gel nail polish.

If you’re searching for long-lasting and highly pigmented colours, there’s no better place to buy your bottles than The Gel Bottle.

If variety is the spice of life, then The Gel Bottle currently do a few deals on their gel polishes. Think 10 hues, including iridescent ‘Vanity’ and bright taxi yellow ‘Flashing Lights’, for £75.

You can see The Gel Bottle gel nail polish in action via Newcastle Upon-Tyne-based nail salon, Kured Studio.

LED DIY Manicure Lamp

Rio Salon Pro UV & LED Lamp via Look Fantastic, perfect for an at-home DIY manicure
Image credit: Look Fantastic

The Rio Salon Pro UV & LED Lamp via Look Fantastic is a minimalists dream.

Its slick and subtle design features 15 long-life LED lights and features a smart sensor with 30-60 second settings.

This LED nail lamp will run for 50,000 hours and is compatible with LED gels and UV gels formulations.

If you want to get your money’s worth and invest in your DIY manicure, then the Rio Salon Pro UV & LED Lamp is essential. Run, don’t walk.

Gel Nail Polish Remover

Nine hacks to getting that perfect DIY Manicure - use Aliver Cosmetics Nail Polish Gel Remover
Image credit: Aliver Cosmetics

Trust me, when it comes to a DIY manicure, you don’t have to opt-in on acetone.

Instead of scraping and soaking, you can ‘magically’ melt away your old gel nail polish designs with this nail polish remover from Aliver Cosmetics.

The gel remover works by instantaneously breaking down the nail polish on the surface.

It may take some time depending on how thick your last salon/DIY manicure was. However, you’ll start to see results within 3-5 minutes.

Nail Polish Base Coat

Nine essential items for a gel DIY Manicure including OPI Stay Classic Base Coat
Image credit: Opi

If you have hard or brittle nail beds, then the Stay Classic base coat from OPI is a crucial part of your DIY manicure journey.

The base coat will protect your nails from being damaged by gel nail polish. It will also give you an easy-glide base, making it almost impossible to mess up.

The Stay Classic base coat is only available for ‘professional’ account users on the OPI site. So, if you can’t get your hands on it, why not try this one from Mylee? Or, if you’re feeling particularly money savvy, opt for this hybrid base/top coat wonder from Essie.

Hand/nail moisturiser

The Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream is a moisturiser made with your nails in mind.

Not only will it soften your cuticles, but the treatment cream will simultaneously strengthen your hands and nail beds.

For super hydrated and protected nails, pamper with the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.

Manicure Kit

Image credit: Mylee

Everything you could ever need and more – the Mylee Manicure Tools Kit is an essential starter-set for a perfect at-home DIY manicure.

The all-in-one kit features all of your needed nail-care essentials.

Inside you will find:

  • Stainless steel nail clippers
  • Three-way nail buffer
  • Gel nail scraper
  • Cuticle pusher
  • Cuticle nippers
  • Three smooth and shape nail files

Feature image credit: Jodene Isakowitz/Budka Damdinsuren (via Unsplash)