Olive & June's Gel Mani System Is a Game-Changer for Weak Nails

olive & June gel polish system — (Image credit: Olive & June)

On the surface, I have textbook perfect nails. I have received a gel manicure every ten days, like clockwork, for the past eleven years. I try not to think about how much money I’ve spent (chances are, enough for a downpayment on a car) and take comfort in knowing my nails are cuticle-free and a perfect bubble bath pink.

But, beneath my three layers of gel polish lies a scary situation. My nails are, candidly, destroyed. They’re brittle and flaking in a way that no nail strengthener can salvage. It's my fault; I have a bad habit of picking off my gel. My nails are reaching the point of no return, so for the first time in a long time, I'm willing to try something new to save them: Olive & June’s Gel Mani System.

The aesthetically pleasing DIY kit—available today, October 24—is the definition of an all-in-one. It comes equipped with 14 pieces, ranging from polish and an LED lamp to a cuticle serum and the brand’s viral Poppy, which makes painting with your non-dominant hand so much easier. I was most excited to try the Peel Off Base Coat, which promises “drama-free gel removal” and “zero damage.” It stays adhered to your nail until you give it a little nudge. Then, it supposedly peels right off.

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Olive & June Gel Mani System

The kit retails for $85 and the polish is good for over 40 uses, so you’re only looking at $2 per manicure.

Skeptical but intrigued, I brought my kit and polish picks to my go-to nail salon. (I’m highly uncoordinated and was not born to DIY—sue me.) The process started as per usual: shaping with the file, pushing back my cuticles, buffing my nails, and applying a little oil. The base coat went on, and I popped my hand into the lamp. One coat needs to cure for just around 30 seconds.

olive and june gel mani system — The kit is extensive, but it can store everything in the cute, pink box it comes in.

Then, it was time for the polish color. There are 28 hues to choose from, each retailing for $10. I’m a fan of custom colors, so I did one coat of Dusty Rose, followed by a coat of Crisp White, curing between layers. I sealed the deal with the Olive & June Top Coat and a double cure that lasted around a minute.

My manicure looked great and, frankly, a bit plumper than average. The polish was shiny and opaque with just two coats, and I liked the color combo even better than my usual CND Unlocked and Studio White blend. But the question remained: How would it hold up?

Olive & June touts 21 days of wear, but I have fairly oily nail beds (sexy, I know), so my gel typically doesn’t last as long. I’m currently on day 12, and while I don’t have any chipping or fading, the bottom and sides of a few nails have started to lift.

As I sit here pulling off polish chunks, I can confirm the most important detail: no nail damage. That alone is a big win.

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.