The main reason I tend to stay away from the gel manicure is the removal process. Yes the pluses to these manicures are many: shiny nails, durability, longevity, but oy, the removal. No bueno. And heck, now that I think about it, glitter nail polish is also quite a process to remove as well. 

And I was hoping for someone to come along and create an easier way to remove polishes such as these, like just a straight up super remover that can handle the task but I guess we’re not there yet. So in the meantime, I’m settling for these NAILMATES.

What they are: re-usable rubber caps that fit on each digit (fingers or toes) and keeps the acetone-saturated pad snug against the nail. The pads that go inside the caps are not cotton but foam, which seems better overall and the pads can be reused!

The above is a pic of my nails after taking off the caps after the recommended time. It didn't seem to remove all the polish (what's left on my nails in the pic looks to be the base coat that the salon applied) but these are way better than using the tin foil or soak-off method. I put the caps back on after I took this pic and in another 10 minutes the base coat was removed too. 

So which are you doing? The annoying tin foil or soak off method or Nailmates? $14 @ nailmates.net and Sally Beauty Supply stores nationwide. Also note that when you purchase the caps they come with 20 reusable pads. Yeah!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.