I’m sure I’ve mentioned at least once on this blog that I’m a fan of gel polish because there’s no downtime—after application you’re good to go without worrying about ruining your nails—and it lasts long, at least two weeks up to a month. Usually the polish is pretty solid, but as your nails grow, the growth at the base becomes more obvious the longer you have it on.

But, as several beauty experts would argue, it’s not the best for your nails. I have a blogger friend who always reprimands me for getting a gel mani-pedi because of how damaging the application process and the polish, not to mention the removal process, are to the nails. But, I attended the launch of nail polish brand Girlstuff’s new line of gel polish, Solique, with the same blogger friend, and she seemed to like and approve of this one.

I’m wearing the Baby Blues shade.

This gel polish innovation does not require the harmful process of exposing your nails to harmful artificial UV light to cure the polish. What’s more, you don’t have to soak your nails in strong, even more harmful acetone just to get them off, the way you would normal gel polish. You can remove it easily with any polish remover. Their revolutionary formula combines the benefits of polish and gel in a two-step system that just requires their gel color and gel topcoat. When these two are used and activated by the sun or even natural room light, the combination dries and forms a tough film over the nail. It’s pretty amazing.

The two products themselves contain safe ingredients and are mild, non-irritant, and non-toxic. The system does away with the need of a base because the color adheres to the nail. And, what fascinates me more about it is, over time, and especially under sunlight, the nail polish strengthens and becomes more durable and glossier. I can already imagine myself applying this by the beach or on a poolside lounger and letting it dry while I tan (while covered in sunscreen, of course!). I can’t wait to try this on my next beach trip! But, I don’t even need to wait that long; I can just put my nails under the sun when stuck in traffic, and voila, the high shine is reactivated!

It’s so affordable, too (P180 for color and P200 for the topcoat) and comes in six shades so far. I love all the shades! I hope they’ll introduce more! View the gallery for a closer look and their names, as well as swatches. Click the first thumbnail to enlarge the image and launch the slideshow:

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What’s more, it dries fast, and it lasts long without chipping. Mine lasted two weeks before the edges started to chip (see photo below), and if not for the nail growth at the base of my nails, I would have kept it on longer, heehee. And when I finally removed it, I noticed that my nails looked healthy, or at least normal, and not like they’ve been through battle: The polish didn’t make my nails brittle or weak, and neither did it turn them yellow.

This gel polish is definitely perfect for those who are always out and about—less steps, less waiting, less time spent. And speaking of steps, while I’ve already mentioned it, allow me to list them below:

Solique gel polish application steps:
1. Make sure nails are clean and free of oil and lotion.
2. Do not use a base coat.
3. Apply a coat of your desired Solique Gel Polish Color.
4. Apply a second coating of the same shade.
5. Apply one coat of Solique Topcoat.
6. Cure the polish under sunlight for about two minutes or allow it to dry in natural room light.

To remove:
Simply remove with cotton and Girlstuff nail polish remover, or any brand, really.

For my review of other Girlstuff shades, click here. For more information, visit girlstufforever.com. Girlstuff is available in their branches in SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM San Lazaro, Glorietta, UP Town Center, and Ayala Center Cebu.