Why I'm Obsessed With the New Gel Hybrid Nails

A gel hybrid manicure simply combines dip powder with a gel top coat. For those unfamiliar, dip involves applying a base, dipping your nails into a powder and then repeating the process two more times. The dip creates a strengthening, nourishing layer over your nails. Often, your manicurist will file and buff this coat with a small, whirring device so that it’s not too thick and perfectly smooth. The gel top coat — the same as your standard gel top coat — is applied on top of the dip. This makes for an exceptionally strong, long-lasting manicure.

You can expect to pay between $30 and $50 for this service depending on where you live, which salon you go to, and whether you opt into additional services (such as a hand massage, cuticle remover or design). This is about double the cost of a traditional manicure but given that it lasts three times longer, you will actually save both time and money.

For my first gel hybrid experience, I chose a hue halfway between purple and gray, and for the three weeks that followed, I was obsessed. I constantly admired my nails and was strangely proud of them. They did not chip even once, they stayed incredibly shiny and I got compliments almost everywhere I went. It was a no-brainer to repeat the process, which I did exactly three weeks later due to nail growth.

Image via Wendy Gould