Gel nails is the new innovative and on trend product at the moment. Unlike regular nail polish, gel nails do not chip. It takes about 10 minutes to completely cure and dry and they are insanely easy to remove! It even applies just like regular nail polish! The only drawback is that gel nails require a UV machine to cure each layer. Up until now, you could only get gel nails at a salon because the UV machines were insanely expensive. But now that big brands like Sally Hansen are coming out with the personal sized UV machines, gel nails are becoming much more accessible than before. Below is a comparison between two gel nail polish brands and how they stack up against one another.

CND is a professional gel nail brand that is available for professional use only. However, they are available on Amazon and other online retailers. Each bottle averages about $12 USD a bottle.

CND: The brush is exactly the same as a regular nail polish brush. It’s long, thin, and very bendable. The formula is thick and extremely opaque. Though it’s recommended to apply two coats, one coat is sufficient to completely color your entire nail. However, there’s a chance that you could get a much thicker looking nails if you’re not careful.
CND SWATCH (DARK LAVA)

Bluesky on the other hand, is a dupe brand of CND; offering the same colors and results for a fraction of the costs, about $9 USD.

BLUESKY: The brush is a little bit shorter and denser than the CND brush. The formula is less like a gel, but more like regular nail polish. It’s runny and you need at least two or three coats to get a nice, opaque finish.

BLUESKY SWATCH (DARK LAVA)

Comparison of colors between CND and Bluesky Colors (DARK LAVA)

FINAL ANALYSIS: In all honesty, the results are virtually identical. I wore both polishes for about two weeks and both were chip-free at the end of it. Both polishes were removed just as easily too. When it comes down to it, it really depends on how you personally like your nail polish formulas/your budget concerns. For the color match ups, I tried on two colors, CND’s Dark Lava and Tutti Frutti and their Bluesky counterparts. The colors are virtually identical. To the naked eye, I could barely tell them apart from each other. Moreover, I would recommend CND if you hate spending a lot of time on your nails and don’t mind a thicker look. However, I would say pick Bluesky if you are willing to spend a bit more time on your nails, allowing complete control over the thickness and look.