Manucurist Reviews: Long-Lasting, Damage-Free Gel Polish Manicures at Home!
I love having nicely manicured and polished nails. There are just two problems: I’ve found that whenever I do my nails at home, they never last, and when I get gel nails at the salon, my nails always end up damaged. In my hunt for long-lasting, damage-free polish that I could apply at home, I found Manucurist! Not only do they have a gel polish system that you can use at home, but they also have traditional polish AND a nail care line. Keep reading my Manucurist Reviews post to find out if it’s the answer to all my problems!
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Manucurist Reviews
About Manucurist
Manucurist started as a boutique nail salon in Paris, created by Gaëlle Lebrat Personnaz and her mom in 1996. In 2016, Gaëlle took over 100% and created the first green and clean alternative to gel polish. After huge growth in the overseas market, Manucurist was able to officially launch in the US in 2021! Now the brand offers several plant-based polish lines: Green Flash LED polish, Green Nail Polish, and Active Treatment Polish.
Manucurist Non-Toxic Green Flash LED Gel Polish System
I’ve just started to realize how toxic gel polish can be for your nails. Certain chemicals in traditional gel polish are easily absorbed through the nail and can cause irritation and permanent allergies. I did a deep dive into acrylate allergies caused by gel nails – it’s not pretty! However, Manucurist gel polish is vegan and cruelty-free and made from plant-based ingredients, and it does not contain HEMA or other toxic ingredients (like methacrylate monomers).
Manucurist Green Flash LED polish also differs from traditional gel because the removal process doesn’t require harsh chemicals or sanding down. Using their Gel Polish Remover, it literally only takes 1 minute to remove the polish from your nails! Green Flash is also their longest-lasting polish, claiming to last up to 10-12 days.
How to Apply Green Flash™ Gel Polish
Green Flash Gel Polish applies the same as a regular manicure, except between coats, you cure the polish under an LED light. I always make sure to prep my nails by wiping off any oils with a swipe of their polish remover or a nail dehydrator. Then follow these steps:
- Apply a thin layer of Green Flash Base Coat and press the “BASE” button on the lamp to cure.
- Apply a thin layer of Green Flash Color and press the “COLOR” button on the lamp to cure. Apply another thin layer of color and repeat the steps.
- Apply a thin layer of Green Flash Top Coat and press the “TOP” button to finish curing.
The key is to apply thin layers and cap the edges of your nail to help prevent chips!
How to Remove The Manucurist Gel Polish
I think the coolest feature of Green Flash LED Gel Polish is that removal is SO EASY and damage-free! All you have to do is put a few drops of their Green Flash Acetone-Free Remover on a cotton pad, secure it with clips, and wait 1-2 minutes. The polish literally wipes off! It’s even easier to remove than regular nail polish, and there’s absolutely no damage from the polish or removal process.
How Long Does Green Flash Gel Polish Last?
The Manicurist Green Flash polish claims to last around 10 days. I’ve found it lasts for about 5 days before I see major chips and wear. Five days may not seem like a lot, but that’s about how long a salon gel manicure lasts on me. And honestly, the chips aren’t that bad. As long as you aren’t looking too closely at my nails, it seems like my manicure is still intact. Regular polish doesn’t even last me a day before it chips! So my nails are just…special…haha. From other reviews, people say it lasts close to 10 days. So, if you have normal nails, I believe the Green Flash system will last longer than a regular at-home manicure and give you a look similar to a salon gel manicure.
The Day 7 photo shows a chip and creases in the polish. It doesn’t look great up close in the sunlight, but you can’t see those imperfections at a regular distance.
Tips for a long-lasting manicure
One of the biggest factors in how long polish lasts is how well you prep your nail. I won’t go into that in this post, but it makes a difference if you start with healthy, strong nails and prep them properly. I WILL share more about Manucurist’s nail care line below, though!
I’ve also found that fresh polish works best. I tried some of my Manucurist polish I’ve had for at least a year, and it chipped immediately. This could also be due to the polish thickening up after a while. You need to make sure the polish is thin and not gloopy. Manucurist sells Polish Thinner, which I think is necessary if you don’t use up your polishes quickly.
Manucurist also rates their polishes on how easy they are to apply—from Beginner-Friendly to Expert. If you are new to Manucurist polish, I would suggest only Beginner-Friendly polishes. It does take a bit of practice to get the application down (even if you are used to painting your nails). The ‘Dark Pansy‘ color I used is labeled “Easy to Use,” and I found it a little more difficult to apply than the ‘Jade‘ color, which is “Beginner-Friendly. “
Manucurist’s Green Flash Color Refresher helps extend the wear and shine of polish. I apply it every two days, and my polish lasts longer than it ever has before. It also dries very quickly!
How Much Does the Manucurist System Cost?
I recommend getting one of their Starter Kits first. These contain an LED lamp, basecoat, color, topcoat, remover and nail clips, which is everything you need to get started. The basic Starter Kit costs $75, which is about the cost of getting your gel nails done at a salon twice. BUT Manucurist does have sales and you can get 15% off your purchase with my code!
(discount applied at checkout)
Manucurist Non-Toxic Green Nail Polish
Manucurist also has their Green Nail Polish line that DOESN’T need to be cured under an LED lamp. It’s a quick air-dry polish and is supposed to last up to 7days. You also have the same color options that you do with the Green Flash line.
Differences Between Green Flash LED Polish and Green Nail Polish
FORMULA: I’ve noticed that the Green Polish line is more plant-based than the Green Flash line, which makes it a great option if you are looking for an even more natural nail polish. It can also be removed with regular nail polish, whereas the Green Flash polish needs to be removed with their remover.
NO LAMP: You don’t need the LED lamp to dry this polish! Which is great if you don’t want those extra UV rays from a lamp.
PRICE: The Green Nail Polish is slightly cheaper than the Green Flash LED polish, and the starter sets are also less expensive.
This is the best “regular” nail polish I’ve tried. It dries quickly (especially with the quick-dry drops) and lasts longer than I thought it would.
Manucurist Active Treatment Line
It’s kind of surprising, but the Active Treatment Line is starting to become my favorite polish from Manucurist. I’m struggling with damaged, brittle nails right now, so I love giving my nails some TLC between manicures! The Active line has also really grown since I discovered it, with more treatment formulas and colors to choose from.
All Active polishes contain natural ingredients to nourish nails while making them look pretty. They also don’t require a base or top coat and are very easy to apply.
ACTIVE GLOW Treatment Polish: The Glow polishes strengthen and repair nails while giving them a tinted glow! Layer more coats of polish to get a more saturated color. My favorite is Glow Raspberry!
ACTIVE SMOOTH Treatment Polish: The Active Smooth line is like nail care and makeup combined! These polishes help smooth and blur imperfections on the nail – just like CC cream for the face! There are four nude shades – from light pink to brown.
ACTIVE EFFECTS Treatment Polish: There are three Active Effects polishes: each targeting a different nail concern while adding a different effect to the nail. The Active Plump contains collagen for hydrated and visibly fuller nails with a pearly baby pink. The Active Shine contains beetroot extract + AHA’s to strengthen and illuminate nails with a pearly beige finish. The Active Bright contains lemon extract + AHAs to strengthen and brighten nails with a pearly white finish.
Treatments for damaged nails
If your nails really need some extra TLC, Manucurist has nail care treatments to bring them back to life. I love the S.O.S. Masque—it’s an overnight treatment that you peel off your nails in the morning! The Keratin Booster treatment just dropped, and I need to try it. It’s supposed to harden and regenerate your nails if you apply it three times a day for two weeks. That’s some serious nail rehab! Manucurist also has nail serums and oils for specific nail concerns.
If you are curious about the best treatment plan for you, take their Nail Analysis Quiz!
Pros and Cons of Manucurist Polish
Overall, Manucurist polishes are my favorite for traditional-looking polish. I think Manucurist polishes last the longest on me compared to other long-lasting nail polishes. However, I wouldn’t say that the Green Flash gel polish looks exactly like gel nails from the salon or even semi-cured gel nails. The Green Flash polish just lasts longer and dries faster than regular polish. It’s still my top choice if I want to actually paint my nails at home.
The price point is a little high, especially when getting started with the Green Flash Gel system. The good news is that you don’t have to buy the whole system if you want to use the Green Nail Polish line!
Even if you don’t use Manucurist polishes, you can still use their nail care line!
