The results are in, and we are proud to announce the winners of our 2018 NAILS Readers’ Choice Awards. There was much to choose from, as product innovation continues to ramp up (see the New Favorite Product category) and trends in nail art continue to take hold (see the Favorite Additive, Chrome, or Holo category). After last year’s PolyGel win, gel-acrylic hybrids have proved their staying power with their own category.

What remains the same year after year is the participation of NAILS readers in choosing these winners. Now, with 31 topics to vote on, see what others in the industry are preferring and purchasing. Consider trying one or more of the 20 items in the Favorite New Product category, which were released on or before August 1, 2018. Review the list and see how your favorites stacked up.

Favorite Acrylic (Traditional) System
1. CND: Retention+ Sculpting Liquid & Powder
2. Young Nails: Acrylic System
3. NSI: Attraction Acrylic System
4. Artistic Nail Design: Rock Hard L&P
5. Tammy Taylor Nails: Acrylic Nail Powder and Liquid

Favorite Base Coat
1. CND: Stickey Base Coat
2. Gelish: Foundation Soak-Off Base Gel
3. OPI: Natural Nail Base Coat
4. Famous Names: Lumos Bottom Coat
5. NSI: Polish Pro Base Coat Plus

Favorite Acrylic (Color System)
1. Young Nails: Colored Acrylic
2. CND: Perfect Color Powder Collection
3. Mia Secret: Nude Nail Art Powder Collection
4. NSI: Secrets Shades
5. EzFlow: Design Colored Acrylic

Favorite Brush (For Enhancements)
1. CND: ProSeries Enhancement Brushes
2. OPI: Kolinski Brush #5
3. Young Nails: Finesse Brush Series
4. Light Elegance: Gel Polish Bling Brush
5. ProFiles Backstage: Sculpt It Like It’s Hot! Acrylic Brush #10

Favorite Dip System
1. Gelish:Dip System
2. Young Nails: SlickPour
3. OPI: Powder Perfection
4. Kiara Sky: Dip System Color
5. Artistic Nail Design: Perfect Dip

Favorite Cuticle Treatment
1. CND: SolarOil
2. Famous Names: 95% Certified Organic Dadi’ Nail & Skin Treatment Oil
3. Young Nails: Rose Oil
4. Tammy Taylor Nails: Peach Cuticle Oil
5. Cuccio: Naturalé Milk & Honey Complex Oil

Favorite Disinfection Products (For Implements)
1. KUPA: Ultrasonic Disinfector
2. Virox: Prevention HLD8 (High Level Disinfectant)
3. BlueCo Brands: Barbicide
4. OPI: NAS99
5. Jessica: Purely Clean

Favorite Electric File
1. KUPA: ManiPro Passport
2. Young Nails: YN-100 Electric File
3. Erica’s Advanced Technical Abrasives: MT-20
4. Light Elegance: Zippy eFile
5. Luraco: Pro-30K Electric Nail Drill

Favorite File
1. CND: Kanga File
2. Young Nails: 150 Zebra File
3. Hand & Nail Harmony: 240/240 File
4. LCN: Exchangeable File
5. Bio Sculpture Gel: Teardrop

Favorite Gel-Polish (UV/LED Cured Polish)
1. Gelish: Soak-Off Gel-Polish
2. CND: Shellac
3. OPI: GelColor
4. LeChat: Perfect Match
5. Gel II: Gel II

Favorite Gel Enhancement System (Soak-Off)
1. Gelish: Brush-On Structure
2. Akzéntz: Options Soak-Off Gel
3. Bio Sculpture Gel: Bio Sculpture Gel
4. Aprés Nail: Gel-X Nail Extension System
5. Orly: Bodyguard

Favorite Gel Enhancement System (Hard Gel)
1. Gelish: Hard Gel
2. CND: Brisa Gel System
3. Young Nails: Synergy Gel
4. Light Elegance: Lexy Line Hard Gels
5. KUPA: Gelfinity Hard Gel

Favorite Gel-Acrylic Hybrid
1. Gelish: PolyGel
2. La Palm: 4D Gel by Gel II
3. Artistic Nail Design: Putty
4. Tammy Taylor Nails: SCULPT
5. Nail Superstore: Artisan FelxGel

Favorite Implement or Tool
1. Wildflowers: Scrubby Brush
2. Young Nails: Magic Wand
3. OPI: Titanium Tooling Collection
4. Gelish: PolyTool
5. Tweezerman: Cobalt Stainless Steel Cuticle Nipper

Favorite LED/Curing Lamp
1. Gelish: 18G Plus
2. CND: LED Lamp
3. Light Elegance: LEDdot Dual Wavelength Cure
4. Young Nails: Universal Cure Light
5. OPI: Dual Cure LED Light

Favorite Long-Lasting Polish (No Lamp Required)
1. OPI: Infinite Shine
2. CND: Vinylux  
3. Essie: Gel Couture
4. Artistic Nail Design: Colour Revolution
5. Young Nails: Caption Polish

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

Favorite Lotion for Hands or Body
1. CND: Scentsations
2. Famous Names: Luxury Dadi’ Lotion
3. Cuccio: Rough Skin Formula
4. OPI: Naturale
5. Hempz: ProSpa Hand Nail & Cuticle Cream

Favorite Manicure Product or System
1. CND: Spa
2. Cuccio: Naturalé Pomegranate & Fig
3. OPI: ProSpa
4. Voesh New York: Mani in a Box Waterless 3 Step
5. LCN: Anti Age System

Favorite Nail Art Supplies
1. Young Nails: Caption Art Screens
2. Wildflowers Nails: LOADED Brush Case
3. ProFiles Backstage: Stick It! Transfer Foil Gel
4. OPI: Artist Series Gel Brushes
5. Light Elegance: Celina Rydén Signature Series Art Brush Kit (tie)
5. Akzéntz Professional Nail Products: Gel Play (tie)

Favorite Nail Art Appliques and Embellishments
1. Young Nails: Foil Freaks Kit
2. Wildflowers Nails: Perfect PolkaDots
3. Lecenté: Oil Slick Foil
4. China Glaze: Stripe ‘Em Striping Tape
5. LeChat: Glitter EFFX

Favorite Art Additive, Chrome, or Holo
1. OPI: Chrome Effects
2. Wildflowers Nails: Black Diamond Chrome
3. Young Nails: Liquid Art
4. Lecenté: Fantasy Super Holographic Glitter
5. Mia Secret: Metallic Flakes

Favorite Nail Prep Products
1. CND: ScrubFresh
2. Young Nails: Protein Bond
3. Famous Names: Cinnatize
4. OPI: BondAid
5. Gelish: pH Bond Nail Prep

Favorite Pedicure Equipment
1. Belava: Embrace No-Plumbing Pedicure Chair
2. Footsiebath: Footsiebath
3. J&A Pedi Spa: Lenox LX
4. Whale Spa: Crane Pedicure Chair
5. Daylight: Slimline Floor Lamp

Favorite Pedicure Tool
1. CND: Callus Smoother
2. Footlogix: Professional Stainless Steel File
3. OPI: Dual Sided Foot File with Disposable Grit Strips
4. LCN: SPA Mask Brush
5. Antoine de Paris: #38 Toenail Cutter (tie)
5. Mehaz: Pro Angled Wide Jaw Toenail Clipper (tie)

Favorite Polish-Drying Product
1. CND: SolarSpeed Spray Quick Dry Spray
2. OPI: Drip Dry
3. Young Nails: Caption Drying Drops
4. Morgan Taylor: Accelerate Dry Drops
5. Orly: Flash Dry Drops

Favorite Strengthener or Treatment
1. Famous Names: IBX Strengthening System
2. OPI: Nail Envy
3. CND: RescueRxx Daily Keratin Treatment
4. Cuccio: Forté Nail Strengthener
5. Jessica: Bend Don't Break

Favorite Top Coat
1. CND: Shellac Duraforce Top Coat
2. Seche: Vite
3. Gelish: Top It Off Soak-off Sealer Gel
4. Akzéntz: Shine-On
5. KUPA: Gelfinity Gloss Gel Soak-Off Top Coat

Favorite Tips
1. CND: Velocity Tips
2. NSI: Precision Nail Tips
3. Aprés Nail: Gel-X Tips
4. EzFlow: Perfection II Crystal Clear Nail Tips
5. Light Elegance: Natural Cylinder Tip Kit

Favorite Ventilation System
1. Aerovex: “The One That Works” Salon Air Purifier
2. Nail Superstore: ProTool Nail Dust Collector
3. Mia Secret: Nail Dust Vacuum
4. Americanails: BreatheEasy
5. Valentino: Valentino Beauty Pure