In case you haven’t heard, gel lacquer colors are nail colors that work a little differently from your traditional nail polish. That’s because they use a UV light in order to dry, resulting in a brighter, and more resilient coating.

Traditionally, after getting your nails painted, the next 10 minutes involve sitting and doing nothing with your fingers splayed, asking other people to change the TV channel in case the slightest contact with any solid object should ruin your beautifully coated fingers.

Alternatively, you walk out of the salon waving your fingers madly in the air while your other half stumbles behind carrying your bags.

Sure, it’s handy excuse to get waited on for a bit but it’s also kind of annoying. And it’s even more annoying when somehow you still manage to smudge them on the sofa. Or you chip them later in the day while routing through a handbag or washing up…

Gel lacquer – also known as gel nail polish - addresses these issues perfectly. It’s incredibly quick to dry using a base layer and UV light, and virtually indestructible for weeks afterward. The colors are vibrant too, which makes them really stand out.

This is perfect for all kinds of different scenarios. If you work a job where your nails come under a lot of punishment (in a kitchen for instance), then gel nails will stand up to that and stay looking great. And as we already implied, they’re ideal for holidays where direct sunlight, salty sea water, and scratchy sand can otherwise do a number on them.