I've quit gel manicures and this simple trick helps my nail polish last as long as possible

An image of a hand with red painted nails on a beige background with pink swirly clip art.

The nail polish resurgence is one of the biggest 2026 nail trends, if you ask me. I was a dedicated nail-painter until five years ago, when I was swayed by the longevity and speed of gel manicures. While I’ve enjoyed my years with shiny, seemingly everlasting colour, the nail damage it caused is hard to ignore. Even a pivot to BIAB nails didn’t totally heal them.

So here I am, crawling back to good old-fashioned nail polish - and I'm definitely not alone. There’s a lot to love about it - the convenience, the freedom of a quick colour change, the affordability. The one downside is longevity - I’ve been spoiled by weeks of shiny, chip-proof colour, and now my dulling, chipping manicure annoys me more than ever before.