Lamp or no lamp - what type of polish is right for you?

Green™ is the name we use for Manucurist's traditional nail polishes. The Green™ range offers a palette of over 90 colors, which gives you plenty of choice when you want to coordinate your nails with your outfit or follow a seasonal trend. Its vegan formula is up to 84% plant based and contains no controversial ingredients, guaranteeing beautiful nails without compromising on the health of your hands. Last but not least, it's the perfect way to enjoy a professional manicure at home, is easy to apply, dries quickly and creates an ultra-high-shine gel effect without the need for a UV or LED lamp. It's great news for anyone looking for a flawless manicure in a flash!

For an eye-catching Green™ manicure that lasts, we recommend good nail prep by following the tips in this article. Then, adopt the Green™ System, a 5-step routine that goes like this:

1. Nail Oil Remover: prepare the surface of the nail by removing any traces of oil using our Nail Oil Remover, so your Green™ polish adheres better and lasts longer.

2. Base Coat: apply a layer of Green™ Base Coat, enriched with vitamins and hexanal, which protects and strengthens the nail and helps set the color.

3. Green™ Color: apply your Green™ polish and enjoy its ultra-pigmented, high-shine color.

4. Top Coat: sensitive to natural UV light, our Sunshine Top Coat speeds up drying time, helps your polish last longer and gives it a gel effect.

5. Quick-Dry Drops: applied at the end of your manicure, these Quick-Dry Drops cut drying time in half and deeply nourish the skin around the nail.

You'll find all the Green™ System essentials you need for a quick, clean and easy manicure in our Green™ Essentials Kit.

Nail polish applied without a UV lamp does have its limits. Even if you carefully prep your nails before applying your polish and follow the Green™ System to the letter, it won't last as long as gel polish. A Green™ polish will keep looking flawless for up to 7 days, provided you don't treat your hands too harshly.

Our tips for boosting the staying power of this type of polish:

• Avoid exposing your nails to hot water  for long periods. Wear gloves to wash the dishes and take showers rather than baths.

• Avoid knocking your hands and rough manual work; now is not the time to start DIY or gardening.

• Continue to moisturise and nourish your nails by regularly applying a few drops of Green Oil.

After a week, your Green™ polish will be less resistant and will start to chip. If you want to, you can make it last longer by touching up the most damaged areas. But, eventually, you will have to remove your polish with a gentle, acetone-free remover and take good care of your natural nails before applying a new polish color.

Green Flash™ is THE new-generation nail polish that has revolutionised the manicure world by offering a safe & clean alternative to ordinary gel polish. Like traditional gel polish, Green Flash™ promises perfect, professional-looking nails for   up to 10 days  in less than 20 minutes, with a fabulous "gel-effect" shine.  It is also applied in several coats, which need to be cured under a suitable LED lamp. The difference lies in its vegan formula, containing no allergenic molecules (such as methacrylate monomers like HEMA and di-HEMA) and its ingredients, which are   up to 84% plant based (cassava, cotton, sugar cane and corn or wheat). Our innovative Green Flash™ gel polish can be removed in one minute with a gentle nail polish remover, without the need for filing, drilling or an acetone-based remover that dries out the nail and surrounding skin. In short, Green Flash™ offers the pleasure of a beautiful manicure with no risk to the health of your hands.

Thanks to its ultra-easy system, Green Flash™ makes an at-home manicure child's play. After prepping your nails and removing any oil with our Green Flash™ Nail Polish Remover, you just have to follow the 3 steps shown below, keeping in mind the instructions for use:

1. Base Coat: apply a thin layer of Green Flash™ Base Coat and cap the nail edge. Then cure the Base Coat under an LED lamp (2 minutes for a 24W Slim Lamp, 1 minute for a 36W Premium Lamp).

2. Green Flash™ Color: apply 2 thin coats of Green Flash™ color and cure each coat under the LED lamp (2 minutes for a 24W Slim Lamp, 1 minute for a 36W Premium Lamp).

3. Top Coat: apply the Green Flash™ Top Coat and cap the nail, then cure under the LED lamp (3 minutes for a 24W Slim Lamp, 2 minutes for a 36W Premium Lamp).

Finish off your manicure by applying a few drops of  Green Oil to the cuticles and massaging it in to deeply hydrate them.

Keep all the essentials for your Green Flash™ manicure to hand in our Ultimate Kit.

Manucurist has developed two types of LED lamp to meet your needs as much as possible. Both are equally effective and ensure a high-quality manicure, provided you follow the recommended drying times. If you exceed these times, you risk your nail polish cracking.

• The 24W Slim Lamp is a fold-up lamp that travels easily. It can be plugged into a USB port or a mains socket with a 5V/2A adaptor. This type of lamp takes 2 minutes to dry the Base Coat, 2 minutes for each coat of polish and 3 minutes for the Top Coat. Your manicure will take about 30 minutes in total.

• Our 36W Premium Lamp also folds up, but it's a little larger and more powerful than the Slim Lamp, which allows for faster drying time. It's ideal when you're in a hurry. This type of lamp takes 1 minute to dry the Base Coat, 1 minute for each coat of polish and 2 minutes for the Top Coat. Your manicure will take about 20 minutes in total.

Manucurist LED lamps will follow you everywhere, so you can enjoy a Green Flash™ manicure where you want, when you want!

It is not possible to apply gel polish without a UV or LED lamp. This type of polish needs UV rays to harden, as they trigger the polymerisation process needed to ensure the polish adheres to the nail properly and lasts for several weeks without chipping. If you don't want to use a UV or LED lamp, opt for a regular air-drying polish instead. The shine and gel effect are comparable, but the polish is less durable and therefore won't last as long.