Nail dipping powder is the middle ground between gel nail polish and acrylics. Dip nails last longer than gel polish and they are easier to apply than sculpted acrylic nails. If you’re looking for extensions, you want nail builder gel.
These kits make for great gifts because they come with everything you need to get started. See the end of the article for nail dipping tips but let’s get straight to the kits.
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This is my number one pick so if you’re short on time, this is the product to read about (or just get right now.)
The Kiara Sky Dip French Tip Kit comes with everything you need other than a nail file. If you’re new to dip powders, they include a detailed instructional guide covering the process step-by-step and each bottle is both labeled with the product name and a number corresponding to the step it’s needed for. This all makes it very user-friendly. Be sure to check out the video below of a YouTube nail artist using the Kiara Sky kit as their first experience with nail dipping powders.
The set comes with bottles of the Bonder (prep), Base (resin), Seal Protect (activator), Top (top coat), Nourish Oil (cuticle oil), and Brush Saver. The Brush Saver is neat in that if you find your brushes are starting to pick up the powder colors or feel hard you can stick them in the Brush Saver bottle for a couple of minutes and it should clean them. And if that doesn’t work, they include some extra brush replacement in the kit.
There are five powders in the Color Kit: clear, white, and three pinky nudes.
Keep in mind that because you’re dealing with a powder, these systems can be a teeny bit messy. Head over to my Nail Mat post to protect your surfaces and make cleanup fast.
Find more Kiara Sky Dip System information and reviews here.
The Gelish Xpress Dip French Nail Kit comes with everything you need to create an elegant dip French manicure including a special bowl tool for perfectly even smile lines without struggling.
You get all the required bottles of prep, base, activator, top coat, and brush saver along with four dip powder colors: clear, white, sheer pink, and pink. There’s also a bottle of nail cleanser, lint-free wipes, and a file.
The neatest tool is this shallow bowl with two different sides. You fill it with your white powder and let your finger follow the curved side of the bowl as you dip for the perfect angle for French tip smile lines. Each side creates a slightly different curve depending on your preference.
Gelish has a wide variety of individual colors as well which match the color of the Gelish gel nail polish line. Overall, it’s a good set from a well-trusted brand in the nail world.
I recently featured their gel base coats and explained how a gel base can be used to create dip nails with a nail lamp.
Find more Gelish Nail Dip Powder System information and reviews here.
If you’re a beginner and are just getting your feet wet so you don’t want to invest in a ton of product, check out AzureBeauty’s Eight-Color Starter Set. They come in lots of different palettes but I’m featuring this Classic Color set which comes with French manicure white, French manicure peach, clear, deep rose, slate blue, grey, black with holographic glitter, and silver iridescent glitter.
This set has everything you need including a few extras. Beyond the eight shades you get the base, activator, top coat, brush saver, nail file, three applicator brush replacements, and a powder brush.
It comes in several other color palettes including Rainbow, Browns, and Manena Red.
Find more AzureBeauty Nude Nail Powder Starter Kit information and reviews here.
If you’re particular about your colors and don’t like settling, check out Joya Mia’s Nail Dipping Kits. There are loads of them with many different color combinations from pastels, to reds, to neutrals, to neon, to glitter.
Each set comes with three two-ounce jars of colored nail powder and one 2-ounce jar of clear nail powder. It also includes full-sized bottles of bonder, base, activater, top coat, and brush saver.
Find more Joya Mia Dipping Powder Kit information and reviews here.
This kit from Cuccio is great for beginners because of its easy-to-follow instructions and the bottles are labeled by step making the process easier to follow.
If you love French manicures this set comes with a clear, white, and pink for creating your French tip look as well as three dipping trays specially angled to give you the perfect white smile lines almost effortlessly. No more trying to draw them on–just dip them into this specially curved tray.
For a bolder look, the set comes with bright red and silver glitter. It comes with everything you need except for a nail file.
Find more Cuccio Pro Powder Dip Starter Kit information and reviews here.
I had to include a Mia Secret powder set because they have some of the most quirky and brightest colored acrylic powders in the business. They’re known for their ease of working with, brilliant pigment load, and durability.
The only issue is they don’t come with the liquid set for dipping because they aren’t specifically dipping powders. They’re acrylic powders that are normally mixed with a monomer to sculpt acrylic nails. However, they can be used for nail dipping since the powder is the same thing as long as you pick up a Dip Powder Liquids Set.
Mia Secret has a huge range of sets including this candy-colored Sweet Set (featured above), springy Color Punch Set, glittery Galaxy Collection Set, blacklight reactive Flash Neon Set, and color-changing Mood Collection Set.
Find more Mia Secret Sweet Nail Acrylic Powder Set information and reviews here.
This Classic Starter Kit is part of Modelone’s line and comes with everything you need to get started plus a few extras.
It comes with six jars of powder: white, light nude, taupe, dark chocolate, silver glitter, and gold holographic glitter. You get the required base and activator and an included travel storage case.
The bottles are clearly numbered and while they are labeled with the contents, the text is written so small it can be easy to miss.
I like that you get two applicator replacements as well as a dusting brush for removing excess powder.
Looking for something bolder? They’ve got several different kit themes including Red Velvet, Rainbow, and Mermaid.
Find more Modelone's Dip Nails Kit information and reviews here.
If plain old French manicure dips are boring you to death, check out this Ooh La La French Manicure Kit.
The kits include three powders, bonder, activator, and finishing gloss. It’s a very basic kit, reflected in the affordable price tag, so you’re not getting any bells and whistles here.
Find more Color Club Seren-Dip-Ity Kit information and reviews here.
If you dig a flashy manicure, you need to check out the Neon Powder System by Born Pretty. The set comes with everything you need including bottles of base (bonder), activator, top coat, and brush saver.
You get four different pots of powders in gorgeous shades to rock these summery neon nails. I like that they sell their liquid system separately so if you run out of bonder before you run out of powder you can replace it without buying a whole kit.
Find more Born Pretty Dipping Powder System information and reviews here.
If what you’re looking for is a French tip kit with options, the TP Gel Dip Powder Kit is where you want to be.
It comes with one jar of clear, one jar of white, and two shades of pink so you can choose what best suits your skin tone and style.
It comes with bottles for prep, base and top coat combo, and activator. There isn’t a brush saver so be sure to wipe your brush off before replacing it in the bottle to prolong the life of your brushes.
I like that it comes with a nail file, nail buffer block, and dusting brush. The buffing block is much easier to get a nice smooth finish than with a standard nail file and the dusting brush helps keep your layers thin.
Find more TP Gel Dip Powder Kit information and reviews here.
For beginners who are looking to try dip powders and don’t want to invest a lot of money just yet, check out the Dip Well System. It comes with everything you need to give yourself a dip French manicure.
(Just make sure you don’t accidentally call it a “French dip manicure” because that’s a manicure with a roast beef sandwich on it and not something I recommend wearing to your next formal function–unless you’re into that.)
The set includes bottles of Bond (prep), Base (bonder), Activator (what it says on the tin), Sealer (top coat), and Brush Softener for cleaning gunked up brushes. You also get a nail file for buffing down your dip nails and an orange stick for pushing your cuticles.
For colors, this set comes with a French White, Sheer Pink, and Clear as well as instructions for creating the French tip smile lines like a pro.
Find more DipWell French Manicure Starter Kit information and reviews here.
Absolutely. What's so great about dipping is that it requires less precision than something like acrylic, making it much more accessible to beginners.
Going to the salon is a fun and relaxing way to pamper ourselves, but it gets expensive. A $45 manicure once a month is over $500 a year.
The process of applying nail dipping powder involves a long list of steps which might seem intimidating at first, but each step is simple and quick to master.
It's all a matter of correct order so keep the instructions that come with your kit handy as you apply your manicure.
Not to mention, both the EPA and CDC list nail salons as common vectors for nail and skin infections so doing your nails at home is not only cheaper but also may be safer.
I like this multicolor brush by Anself because it's fun and soft.
All three boast long-lasting, chip-free nail polish but they are different to apply.
Gel nail polish brands contain a special polymer that hardens only under UV/LED light. It's applied like normal nail polish but then cured under a special lamp.
For manicure lifespan, you're probably looking at two to four weeks, depending on the application and brand.
Acrylics are something all nail polish lovers are familiar with. I've had my fair share and I honestly don't miss them. Acrylic nails are created using acrylic polymer powder mixed with a special monomer to create a paste which is sculpted onto the nail with a brush to create a nail extension.
Working with this type of acrylic requires a practiced hand and will need to be filed for a smooth finish.
There's no lamp needed as once it's mixed with the monomer, the acrylic will harden soon after. Acrylic has a strong smell and can be tough on your nails when you remove it.
For manicure lifespan, acrylics don't last as long as you'd think. Sure the acrylic will stay on but after two weeks the nail growth is pretty obvious and you need to go in for fills.
Dipping Powder uses acrylic powder but is applied without the traditional monomer. Instead, a special base coat is applied and the nail is dipped or sprinkled with the powder in several coats before a liquid activator is applied which cures the acrylic.
Dip nails are more foolproof than acrylic since you're sticking your finger in a jar instead of having to sculpt the acrylic. They also tend to smell less.
Dipping powder can be applied to natural nails and nail extensions.
For manicure lifespan, they last about three to four weeks. The nail growth tends to be less obvious than on acrylics but there's bound to be some going that length of time.
Removing dip nails is a little harder than removing gel nail polish, but if you follow the right steps and have patience, they can be removed without damaging your natural nails underneath.
The first step is to take either a nail drill machine (which is easier and faster) or rough grit nail file and file off the top layer of the dip powder. You want to remove any shine of the top coat from the nail which gives the acetone better access to the powder underneath. If the dip on the nails is fairly thick you can file down more of the powder if you're confident you won't hit your natural nails
Then you want to soak your nails in 100 percent pure acetone for a minimum of 20 minutes, 30 minutes is a safer bet.
You can soak them in a bowl, with cotton balls wrapped in foil, with nail clips, or whatever gel polish remover tools and method you prefer. The important part is that you wait.
At the end of your soaking time, the dip powder should slide off cleanly. If it can't be wiped off with a cotton ball or gently moved with a cuticle pusher, don't scrape at it. This stuff will take a layer of your nail with it if you force it.
If there's still dip on your nails after the first soak, repeat the soak for another 20 to 30 minutes. You may want to do a second light filing of the surface before your second soak.
You'll know when it's ready to come off because it slips off with zero resistance at all.
Keep in mind when you're using a nail drill, it's always best to have a nail dust collector so you're not breathing in nail dust. It also keeps the dust from covering everything in the room.
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