Salon nails at home, with semi-cured gel nail strips

Semi-cured gel nail strips are real gel polish that's been partly cured before it reaches you. You press one on at home and finish it under a UV or LED lamp in about 60 seconds. You might also hear them called gel nail wraps or gel nail stickers.

Up to 14 days on fingernails, and often longer on toes. The secret is starting with clean, dry nails and giving them a full cure under the lamp. Wear rubber gloves for the washing up and they'll look their best for longer.

They're designed to be gentle on your natural nails, as long as you put them on and take them off as directed. The main thing is never to pick or force one off dry. Add a few drops of cuticle oil around the edges first and let it peel away gently.

Yes, for gel strips you do. About 60 seconds under a UV or LED lamp sets the gel hard and glossy. No lamp yet? Our starter kit comes with a mini one. Or try our nail polish strips, which need no lamp at all.

Start with clean, dry nails and pick the strip that fits each one. Smooth it on from cuticle to tip, trim off the extra, then cure it under a UV or LED lamp for 60 seconds. File the edge to shape and you're done, all in about ten minutes.

With cuticle oil, not acetone. Add a few drops around each edge, give it a moment to sink in, then gently lift the strip with a wooden stick and peel it away. If it feels stuck, add a little more oil rather than forcing it.

They're made from real semi-cured gel, and every set is HEMA free and TPO free, vegan and cruelty-free. In the box you'll find 20 strips in different widths, plus a nail file and a manicure stick. Follow the directions, especially when taking them off, and they're designed to be gentle on your nails.

Gel strips are semi-cured gel that you cure under a UV or LED lamp in about 60 seconds, and they last up to 14 days. Polish strips are real nail polish, so there's no lamp and no drying time. They're quicker, start at £5 and last around a week.

They last a lot longer. Velvora gel nail strips are real semi-cured gel and wear for up to 14 days, where regular polish usually gives you a few days. Polish has to air dry, but gel strips set in about 60 seconds under a UV or LED lamp and come off with cuticle oil, no acetone needed.

Both are real gel, cured under a lamp. The big differences are time and money. A salon gel appointment usually takes about an hour and typically costs £25 to £45. A Velvora set goes on at home in about ten minutes, from £11.99, and comes off with cuticle oil rather than an acetone soak.

No. Press-ons are pre-shaped artificial nails fixed with glue or adhesive tabs. Gel nail strips are real semi-cured gel that sits on your own nails, cured under a lamp and worn for up to 14 days.

Yes, they're all the same thing. In the UK, gel nail strips, gel nail wraps and gel nail stickers all mean semi-cured gel in a strip that you press on and cure under a UV or LED lamp. If a wrap says it needs no lamp, it's usually a polish strip, made of polish rather than gel.

It comes down to length. Acrylics are sculpted extensions done at a salon, typically £40 to £70 plus infills, and they're soaked and filed off. Gel nail strips colour your own nails at home, last up to 14 days and come off with cuticle oil. If you're after real length, acrylics or BIAB are the honest answer.

Gel nail strips if you want quick and low-fuss at home, BIAB if you want a thicker builder gel done at a salon. BIAB typically costs £40 to £60 a visit and needs infills, or a soak-off and filing. Gel nail strips go on in about ten minutes and come off with cuticle oil.