Julep Quick-Dry Gel Nail Polish, Long Lasting, Air Dry Formula, No UV/LED Lamp Needed, Vegan, Chip-Resistant - Sweet as Sugar

When I saw this Julep Quick Dry Gel Nail Polish that doesn't need a UV lamp to cure it, I was very excited to order it.Besides the fact that it doesn't need curing, this polish can be removed with a non-acetone nail polish remover. Both of these features are time savers and will end up leaving my hands/nails healthier, so I could not wait to try it.This polish is on the thin side but the brush is very full, which makes it easy to get the polish on in two to three strokes. One coat is translucent like gel polish, two coats provided good coverage for the more natural tippy taupe color. If I were doing a darker more dramatic color I would probably use three coats, just to get a more deeply saturated look.After putting it on I saw that the finished look is not as jelly-like shiny as a salon manicure, so I added a top coat of regular polish to finish it off. The effect was very pretty and it lasted for several days with no chipping or peeling. Over a week later I did have a chip, but this was after a thorough house cleaning and I was not exactly cautious about protecting the manicure.For removal I did cheat a bit and filed off most of the top coat. That was probably not even necessary since what was left came off easily using a non-acetone nail polish remover pad. It took only four pads to remove all the polish, and my natural nails looked much better than they do after scraping off regular gel polish.I'm really thrilled to have discovered this type of polish and love all the neutral and natural colors that are available. Currently this .3 oz bottle of quick dry nail polish is selling for $15. I will get several manicures out of the bottle and since I know and like the Julep brand (for their exceptional quality) I feel the price is warranted. Would definitely recommend!

This review is for Julep Quick-Dry Gel Nail Polish-Sweet As Sugar. The front of the bottle states this is "Gel" nail color. However, this is not a gel nail polish. Gel polishes require a UV/LED nail lamp, to cure/dry the polish. This is a regular polish that air dries. The bottle does not mention anything about this being a quick dry polish. Though, the listing does mention it. I can say it does dry to the touch fairly quickly. I would consider this a quick dry polish. It also has a rounded paddle brush, for easier application. The polish consistency is slightly thick. Though, it's not overly thick. As long as enough polish is used, it applies easily. Even though it applies fairly smoothly, the 1st coat shows streaking. I applied the 1st coat as thinly as possible. The 2nd coat was applied just slightly thicker, than the 1st coat. I applied both coats thicker than I normally would. Due to it's consistency, as well as the color of this polish, it couldn't be applied really thinly. Otherwise, it wouldn't apply smoothly. After 2nd coat, I could still see some of the streaks from the 1st coat, as well as some dark areas, where it wasn't opaque enough. I didn't apply a 3rd coat, even though it definitely needed it. You can see this, in my attached pic. For me, this polish is a 3 coater. I normally apply coats as thinly as possible, because applying thick coats often causes chipping and peeling, with manicures not lasting as long. Sweet As Sugar is a light baby pink, or light rose quartz shade. It's a pretty color. Plus, it doesn't have a loud odor, compared to some other regular polishes on the market. I will also mention that, strangely, the bottle did not come packaged or sealed. Though, the Amazon barcode sticker was placed in a way that covered half the cap, and half the bottle. The ingredients list is provided on the underside of the label sticker, located on bottom of polish bottle. I also appreciate that ingredients are provided on the bottle. You never know when you'll need to check the polish ingredients, in the future. The polish bottle is 10ml. I have a lot of experience, with many different regular and gel polishes. 10ml isn't a lot, especially considering this is a full size polish line, being sold as individual shades. While I do appreciate that it's made in the USA, I do not think this polish is worth $15. Suprisingly, this brand's pricing is up there with [and surpasses some] Indie brand nail polishes. I would at least expect this polish to be full coverage in 2 coats, as well as be around 15ml. For the price, it just doesn't meet my expectations.

I'm quite pleased with this Julep polish. Don't let the product name confuse you. This is air dry polish, not a UV-dry gel. The polish seemed a little thin to me at first, but I was quite impressed with how evenly it applied and how well it leveled. On my nails, I always use a decent base coat and top coat with any polish and usually 2+ coats of color, so the longevity of any polish does depend on if you are using adequate prep or just on its own. I will say that I was pretty impressed with how well it did on my littles swatch buttons with no added base or top coat. The color was remarkably opaque on the first coat and perfect after 2 coats. It is thin, but nicely smooth and very shiny. If I was in a rush and had to forego a base and top coat, I think this polish could probably handle it. I didn't keep track of the dry time, but it was pretty quick and, being on the thinner side, it doesn't seem prone to denting like some other polishes as they continue to cure throughout the day.The Chill Out Cherry Red is bright and vampy. While red can be great for many occasions, I think this is a great red for the holidays and I'm excited to use it as a base for some nail art as well.