Tired of spending hours (and a small fortune!) at the nail salon?  Here’s how I mastered salon-quality nails at home!

A Slave to The Salon

Like many women, I’ve been married to gel nails for years—trapped in a cycle of booking appointments, dropping way too much cash, and feeling helpless trying to remove gel polish myself. While I wanted a break from regular salon visits, actually taking the leap seemed daunting. After hearing about Olive & June products and their promise of DIY salon-quality nails, I had to try for myself.  Here’s the scoop on my DIY mani adventure!

“15-Free”

Olive & June polishes are proudly advertised as “15-free,” meaning they’re formulated without fifteen harmful chemicals—such as formaldehyde and acetone—that you’ll often find in other polishes. The brand is committed to delivering the cleanest possible products without compromising on quality or performance.

The Mani System

Between individual products, numerous bundle options, and an array of stunning colors, making choices for my DIY experiment wasn’t easy!  I zeroed in on The Mani System, which conveniently bundles everything you need to start your DIY nail journey at a discounted price.  The Mani System (Long Lasting or Quick Dry) includes:

• Poppy: A clever polish-bottle handle attachment to steady your application
• Top coat: Adds shine and durability
• Cuticle serum
• Clean-up brush: Great for tiny mistakes
• Polish Remover Pot:  A unique, simple and effective way to remove polish
• Essential tools: Nail clipper, buffer, and file

To start, I selected six fun colors – a combination of Long Lasting and Quick Dry – and added the dry drops (LOVE!) and another polish remover pot.  Pro tip:  keep an extra remover pot on hand.  Generic removers don’t work quite as effectively on these polishes, and you’ll be thankful to have an extra.  And while there’s a nice variety of colors available on Amazon, I recommend checking out the polish selection here.  Almost overwhelming but such an amazing array of colors!

Bonus:  Education

Olive & June truly shines with their educational resources. Their website offers easy-to-follow tutorials and tips that cover everything from basic application techniques to dealing with common issues. Start with “Mani 101,” hosted by founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle—I learned a lot about the importance of proper nail prep!

My Mani Success Story

By following Sarah’s straightforward steps, I had great success on my first try!  The polish applies smoothly, evenly, and dries incredibly quickly (especially using the dry drops). The end result is a shiny, gel-like mani, minus the usual time commitment!

Surprisingly, getting back into doing my own nails has been easier than I anticipated.  Poppy helped steady my hand initially, but I find myself needing it less over time.  A quick reapplication of the top coat every couple of days keeps my mani fresh and shiny.

I’ve gotten better over time and can now give myself a very decent manicure in 20 minutes. I find the process relaxing, and I get a little sense of satisfaction when I admire my handiwork!

I’ve used both the Long Lasting and Quick Dry formulas.  Long Lasting is more gel-like, while Quick Dry is a little thinner but goes on just as smoothly.  I found them both to last  longer than I expected.

Pedicures

I’ll admit, DIY pedis have been a bit trickier. Shaping, buffing and polishing toes takes patience.  With practice, I am improving, and my pedis last a long time!  This file has really helped smooth out my heels. 😊

Key Recs:

• Start with a System like the Mani, Pedi or Gel
• Follow instructions carefully – especially the first few times
• Apply dry drops for even faster drying
• Reapply top coat every 2-3 days – key to extending the life of your mani!

Love Your Gel? 

Since my initial purchase, Olive & June launched a Gel Mani System, and a line of related polishes.  The colors are gorgeous, though I haven’t decided if I’ll venture back into gel territory just yet.  I really like the flexibility of a quick mani, and the chance to change colors frequently with little time commitment.

Beyond polish, Olive & June offers trendy press-on nails, and a host of luxurious nail, hand, and foot care products.

Final Thoughts

I’m thrilled that I finally gave Olive & June a try –  a far cry from the drugstore polish from my teenage years!  Easy and fun to use, effective and reasonably priced, the products have helped me create a whole new routine.  I am enjoying fresh looking manis with minimal effort and haven’t been back to a salon in nearly 10 months!  That’s time and money to me.  Cha-ching!

In a Nutshell:

• Stunning colors and frequent new releases
• Easy application and lasting shine
• Gentle yet powerful polish remover
• Noticeably healthier nails

Safe to say, I’m a huge fan!. I’d love to hear about your experience if you give it a try!

Thanks for reading!