Unless I get the most perfectly applied prep, an at-home manicure never lasts past 3 days without chipping or peeling off. It’s frustrating! That’s why I’ve thrown out all my regular polish and become a full-time gel-polish convert. When they first came out a few years ago, they were only available in salons (the CND brand). Then, brands started making at-home versions that included a lamp to cure the polish. Ok, getting better, but now we have a handful of brands that have gel polishes that don’t require a UV lamp to cure. Some need a topcoat, some do not , so I put an asterisk next to the ones below that require you to use more than one product, like a base coat/primer and/or top coat, with it.

Are you going to join the “throw-your-regular-polishes-out” movement?

1. SALLY HANSEN Miracle Gel Nail Color shown here in Throwing Shade - $9.99 @ ulta.com.

2. *L’OREAL Extraordinaire Gel-Lacque 1-2-3 Nail Color shown here in Decadent Indulgence - $7.99 @ lorealparis.com. 

3. COVERGIRL XL Nail Gel shown here in Rotund Raspberry - $7.49 @ covergirl.com and walgreens.com. 

4. *CND Vinylux Weekly Polish shown here in Pretty Poison - $9.95 @ ulta.com.

5. NAILS INC. LONDON Gel Effect Polish shown here in Kensington High Street - $14 @ nailsinc.com.

6. *REVLON Colorstay Gel Envy Nail Enamel shown here in Wild Card - $7.99 @ ulta.com. 

A Makeup Primer – SKINDINAVIA The Makeup Primer Spray ($49/8oz, $35/4oz @ dermstore.com) – a skin primer is going to help your makeup stay on your face where it belongs and not melt off any quicker then it has to. This one is the first face mist primer I’ve seen and I love that you just mist it on and then you’re onto your next step of foundation. Also available in an oil-free version.

Waterproof Mascara - URBAN DECAY Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara ($20 @ nordstrom.com and urbandecay.com) – nothing worse than coming out of the pool or ocean with black mascara running down your cheeks. Not sexy.

A Continuous Spray Sunscreen – HAWAIIAN TROPIC SPF 30 Dry Oil Clear Spray Sunscreen ($8.99/6oz @ ulta.com) – I’ll use a dry oil over a heavy lotion any day during the hot summer months and this one has sunscreen in it? Woo-hoo, double-duty, baby! And this is one of those continuous spray ones so you can get in in those hard to reach places on the body!

Non-Moving Lip Color – KAT VON D Everlasting Liquid Love ($19 @ sephora.com) – who wants their hair getting stuck in lip gloss when the summer winds blow? Not me! This one dries down to a super matte finish; almost too matte but better to have color then none at all. And these lasts for hours on lips! Shown here in Bauhau5, a deep raspberry.

Bright Tips – NAILS INC. Gel Effect Polish ($14 @ saks.com) – I just picked up this bright red called St. James shown here last weekend (Mayfair Lane also shown here, a dusty pale pink) and wow, does this polish totally rock! I was sick of taking the time to put on a flawless manicure on my fingernails only to have it start chipping within 24-hours. This formula uses a plasticiser technology to create the glossiness and longevity of a salon gel polish but without the price tag or removal process. 

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.