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If you’d told me a few months ago that I could achieve a salon-quality gel manicure — at home, by myself — I wouldn’t have believed you. That was before Olive & June leveled up the DIY nail game with its Beauty Innovator Award-winning Gel Mani System.
Olive & June has always championed making salon-quality nails accessible to everyone, but gel remained a tough nut to crack for at-home use. “With our salon heritage, [launching gel] was especially emotional for me,” says Olive & June founder and CEO Sarah Gibson Tuttle. “We’ve gotten so many requests from the community for gel, and we know they wanted the Olive & June version of it.”
Here’s why gel is tricky: Many pro-grade gel lacquers contain HEMA (hydroxyethyl methacrylate), an adhesion-promoting molecule that ensures longevity. While gel nails are beloved for their long wear time and glossy finish, HEMA has also been flagged as a potential irritant when it comes into contact with skin. Licensed technicians mitigate this by cleaning the sides of nails before curing, lowering the risk of irritation. But Olive & June took it a step further by formulating its gel without HEMA altogether.
Olive & June The Gel Mani System, $85
“We [always] knew we needed to formulate without HEMA,” Olive & June’s Head of Product Development Anne Reigle tells Refinery29. “We ended up testing a ton of different ingredients and landed on a proprietary blend of adhesion promoters that last up to 21 days.” The brand also designed a custom UV LED lamp for foolproof at-home curing. “After rigorous testing, we found the ideal setup: 17 precisely placed LED bulbs paired with a reflective surface to evenly disperse light and ensure your nails are cured from every angle—quickly and thoroughly, every time,” Tuttle explains. The lamp’s UV exposure is safe for home use, but if you’re extra cautious, applying sunscreen or wearing UPF fingerless gloves (as I do) is a great habit.“Because we were creating the lamp at the same time as the [gel polish] formulation, we were able to have control over every aspect and make it work with exactly the type of bulbs and the type of light intensity that we needed,” Reigle explains. I personally like to apply sunscreen to the backs of my hands before a gel manicure or wear UPF fingerless gloves to be more mindful of UV exposure.
In typical Olive & June fashion, the brand drew from fan-favorite polishes to create a starting lineup of gel shades, along with a gel base coat, top coat, removal system, and, most notably, a peel-off base coat that works with regular polish — even stubborn glitters. (If you’ve ever been tempted to rip off your gels, this innovation will be a game-changer.) The packaging walks you through the steps: Shaping and prepping your nails, applying the base coat, two coats of color, and top coat, curing between each step. Pro tip: Clean up the edges before curing for a neat, salon-like result.
As someone who’s very comfortable with DIY manicures but new to gel, I found the process surprisingly forgiving.,. The thicker formula allowed for steady, precise application, and within 30 minutes, I had glossy, plump nails that looked professional. The real test? Durability. My hands go through the wringer — cooking, cleaning, dog mom duties, and workouts — yet my manicure stayed flawless for two solid weeks. While it could’ve lasted longer, I was ready for a change by week three.
Removal is where most gel disasters happen, but Olive & June’s system simplifies things. After filing off the shiny top layer, I used the brand’s reusable silicone nail caps and acetone-soaked foam pads to gently lift the gels in lieu of cotton rounds and squares of foil. For peel-off base coats, a quick scrape under the edge makes removal even easier. A little buffing, hand lotion, and my nails were back to their best.
Olive & June’s Gel Polish System starts at $85, with individual gel polish priced at $10. As of 2025, you can also find the lamp and polishes at Target, both in-store and online. For the math-minded, here’s the kicker: “We’re making it possible to get a $50 to $100 manicure at home for $2,” Tuttle says. “And I really wanted to deliver the same or better results at home that you get in the salon.”
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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.