I started my at home gel journey like three months ago and have a few thoughts:

• for gel polish, i’ve tried gellen despite some bad reviews of the brand on amazon. they are super affordable and they do work with patience. and i recently tried gelish which are more expensive but i absolutely love the color selection and they are better in results.

the set i have: Gellen UV LED Gel Nail Polish Set... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZOTP29G?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

-gel will peel off in a few days if you don’t buff you nails properly in the base. the rough texture from buffing almost adheres the base coat to your nails.

-top and base coat i’ve used and enjoyed: Base Coat No Wipe Top Coat Set... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0X1PX8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

-i got an affordable lamp to cure nails, and my review is that it will take about twice the time to cure than instructions say. i also have to keep it on a while to “warm up”. i’m willing to have patience since it still works eventually and i save money! my lamp: MelodySusie Eos Pro12W UV/LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711D2PR7?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

-i also suggest looking into good removal process, to me that is the part I am still figuring out!

Hope that was helpful!

edit: fixed lamp link

oops here is the correct link: MelodySusie Eos Pro12W UV/LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711D2PR7?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I don’t use a builder