Every year for the past 14 years, nail professionals have cast their ballots to choose the best products the industry has to offer. There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to nail products, and with emerging trends and ever-changing technology, the developments in each category are always interesting to note.

This year, we added a category for dip systems and acknowledged the growing market for nail art and supplies by expanding into two categories to capture the holo and chrome craze. The Favorite New Product category highlights 20 exciting additions to the market since August 1, 2016. Perhaps one of these 20 will become the next new category for nail techs to consider.

Peruse this list of names when considering a purchase or when doing some research. Some companies have proved to be tried-and-true chart toppers year after year, while others are rising stars to keep your eyes on. Look out for the NAILS Readers Choice logo year-round to invest in a brand you and your peers trust. For the newest products introduced on or after August 1, 2016, take a look at our Top 20 New Products here.

FAVORITE ACRYLIC (TRADITIONAL) SYSTEM

1. Young Nails: Acrylic System
2. CND: Retention + Liquid & Powder Technology
3. Mia Secret: Cover Acrylic Powder
4. NSI: Attraction Acrylic System
5. Light Elegance: APEX Acrylic System

FAVORITE ACRYLIC (COLOR) SYSTEM

1. Young Nails: Colored Acrylic
2. CND: Perfect Powder Color System
3. Mia Secret: Red Gift Nail Art Powder Collection
4. KUPA: Artfinity TripTych
5. EzFlow: Boogie Nights Glitter Acrylics

FAVORITE  BASE COAT

1. Gelish: Foundation Base Gel
2. CND: Stickey Base Coat
3. Young Nails: Caption Base Coat
4. Famous Names: Lumos Fast Dry Bottomcoat
5. Light Elegance: Powerbond Bonding Base Coat

FAVORITE BRUSH (FOR ENHANCEMENTS)

1. Young Nails: Finesse Brush Series
2. CND: ProSeries Enhancement Brushes
3. Light Elegance: Gel Polish Bling Brush
4. Bio Sculpture Gel: Round #6 Sable Gel Brush
5. Gelish: #6 Gel Brush

FAVORITE DIP SYSTEM

1. Young Nails: SlickPour Powder Coating System
2. Gelish: Gelish Dip
3. OPI: Powder Perfection
4. NSI: Simplicité PolyDip System
5. Backscratchers: Extreme Acrylic Dipping System

FAVORITE  CUTICLE TREATMENT/CUTICLE CARE

1. CND: SolarOil
2. Famous Names: 95% Certified Organic Dadi’ Nail & Skin Treatment Oil
3. OPI: Exfoliating Cuticle Cream
4. Gelish: Nourish Cuticle Oil
5. Light Elegance: LE Cuticle Oil

FAVORITE DISINFECTION (IMPLEMENTS) PRODUCT

1. KUPA: Ultrasonic Disinfector
2. Ultronics: Ultracare Disinfectant Cleaner
3. Medicool: Let’s Touch
4. CND: Cool Blue Hand Sanitizer
5. OPI: Original Product Remover

FAVORITE ELECTRIC FILE

1. KUPA: Manipro Passport
2. Young Nails: YN-100
3. Erica’s Advanced Technical Abrasives: MT20
4. Medicool: Pro Power 20K Recharge Drill
5. Light Elegance: Zippy eFile

FAVORITE FILE

1. Young Nails: 150 Zebra File
2. Light Elegance: Perfect File
3. EzFlow: Grey Wolf 150/150 Grit
4. CND: Girlfriend Buffer
5. Tammy Taylor: Purple Terminator

FAVORITE GEL ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM (SOAK-OFF)

1. Gelish: Structure Gel
2. Akzentz: UV/LED Options Gel
3. Gel II: Skyscraper Building Gel
4. IBD: Soak-Off Gel System
5. Bio Sculpture Gel: Bio Sculpture Gel

FAVORITE GEL-POLISH (UV/LED CURED POLISH)

1. Gelish: Soak-Off Gel-Polish
2. CND: Shellac
3. Young Nails: ManiQ (tie)
3. OPI: GelColor (tie)
4. Gel II: Gel II
5. Akzentz: UV/LED Luxio Gel

FAVORITE Gel Enhancement System (HARD GEL)

1. Young Nails: Synergy Gel
2. Gelish: Hard Gel
3. Light Elegance: Lexy Line UV/LED Hard Gels
4. CND: Brisa Gel System
5. IBD: Gel System

FAVORITE IMPLEMENT OR TOOL

1. Young Nails: Magic Wand
2. Tweezerman: Cobalt Stainless Steel Cuticle Nipper
3. Gelish: PolyTool
4. KUPA: MANIPro Ultimate 10 Piece Tool Kit
5. Light Elegance: Speedy Z-Bit

FAVORITE LED/CURING LAMP

1. CND: LED Lamp
2. Gelish: 18G LED Light
3. Young Nails: Universal Cure Light
4. Light Elegance: LEDPlus+ UV/LED Lamp
5. Gel II: Pro-Cure Cordless Rechargeable Lamp

LONG-LASTING POLISH (NO LAMP REQUIRED)

1. OPI: Infinite Shine ProStay Nail Polish
2. CND: Vinylux Weekly Polish
3. Artistic Nail Design: Colour Revolution
4. Young Nails: Caption Polish
5. Orly: EPIX

FAVORITE TRADITIONAL POLISH

1. OPI: Nail Lacquer
2. Morgan Taylor: Lacquer
3. CND: Creative Play Lacquer
4. Essie: Enamel
5. China Glaze: Nail Lacquer

FAVORITE LOTION FOR HANDS OR BODY

1. CND: Scentsations
2. Famous Names: Luxury Dadi’ Lotion
3. OPI: Moisture Whip Massage Cream
4. Cuccio: Naturalé Body Butters Tangerina and Argan Butter Blend
5. Footlogix: DD Cream Mousse

Favorite Manicure Product or System

1. CND: Spa
2. OPI: ProHealth Collection
3. Cuccio: Naturalé Butter and Scrub
4. Seche: Vive Instant Gel Effect Top Coat
5. Voesh New York: Mani in a Box Waterless 3 Step (tie)
5. Bodipure: Keratin Gloves (tie)

FAVORITE NAIL ART SUPPLIES (HAND PAINTED MATERIALS, PAINTS, PENS, BRUSHES, ETC.)

1. Young Nails: Caption Art Screens
2. Wildflowers Nail Academy: Bucket of Glitter - Micro Holographic Collection
3. Light Elegance: LE Glitter Gel
4. Akzéntz: UV/LED Gel Play Paint
5. OPI: Artist Series Design Gels

FAVORITE ART ADDITIVE, CHROME, OR HOLO

1. Wildflowers Nail Academy: Powdered Sugar Collection
2. Young Nails: Liquid Art
3. Light Elegance: Premium Pretties Pigments
4. LeChat: Mirano
5. EzFlow: Chrome Effect Pigments

FAVORITE NAIL ART APPLIQUES AND EMBELLISHMENTS 

1. LeChat: Glitter EFFX
2. China Glaze: Totally Studded Kit
3. CinaPro: Nail Art Decals
4. EzFlow: Gel Art Designer Kit - Nail Foils & Studs
5. Bio Sculpture Gel: Edgi Art

FAVORITE NAIL PREP PRODUCTS

1. CND: ScrubFresh
2. Young Nails: Protein Bond
3. Gelish: pH Bond Nail Prep
4. Light Elegance: VitaPrime
5. Famous Names: Cinnatize

FAVORITE PEDICURE EQUIPMENT

1. Belava: Trio Foot Spa
2. Footsie Bath: Disposable Liners System
3. Lexor: Elite Pedi-Spa
4. J&A: Cleo GX
5. Whale Spa: Alden Crystal Pedicure Chair

FAVORITE PEDICURE PRODUCT OR SYSTEM

1. CND: MarineSpa
2. Footlogix: Callus Softener
3. OPI: Soothing Soak
4. Morgan Taylor: BareLuxury
5. Whale Spa: Candy Cube Complete

FAVORITE PEDICURE TOOL

1. CND: Callus Smoother
2. OPI: Dual Sided Foot File with Disposable Grit Strips
3. Tweezerman: Stainless Toenail Clipper
4. Cuccio: Stainless Steel Disposable Foot File
5. Bio Sculpture Gel: Large Pedi-Paddle Handle

FAVORITE POLISH-DRYING PRODUCT

1. OPI: RapiDry Top Coat
2. CND: Solarspeed Spray Conditioning Polish Dryer
3. Morgan Taylor: Accelerate Quick Dry Drops
4. Orly: Flash Drops
5. INM: Ready Dry Spray

FAVORITE STRENGTHENER OR TREATMENT

1. Famous Names: IBX Natural Nail Strengthening Treatment
2. OPI: Nail Envy
3. CND: RescueRxx Daily Keratin Treatment
4. Nail Tek: Intensive Therapy II
5. Akzéntz: Natural Nail Strengthener

FAVORITE TOP COAT

1. Seche: Seche Vite
2. OPI: Top Coat
3. CND: Shellac Duraforce Top Coat
4. Famous Names: Lumos Fast Dry Top Coat
5. INM: Out the Door

FAVORITE TIPS

1. CND: Velocity Tips
2. EzFlow: Perfection II Tips
3. Light Elegance: Natural Cylinder Tip Kit
4. NSI: Secrets Edge Nail Tips
5. Hand & Nail Harmony: ProHesion Pefecto Nail Tips

FAVORITE VENTILATION SYSTEM/EQUIPMENT

1. Aerovex: “The One That Works” Salon Air Purifier
2. Valentino Beauty Pure: Valentino Beauty Pure
3. Young Nails: Table Top Dust Extractor
4. Medicool: Mani-Vac Dust Extraction System
5. Nail Superstore: ProTool Nail Dust Collector

View the favorite new products for 2017 here. 

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