I used to work as a nail technician, but these days I mostly do my own nails at home. And honestly, doing your own nails is a little different from doing someone else’s.
You’re working with one hand half the time, trying to hold a magnet in the right spot, cure the gel before it moves, and somehow not bump the nail you just finished.
Over the years, I’ve become pretty particular about what I keep around. I’ve bought products that looked amazing online and barely used them again. I’ve also gone through several versions of the same type of tool before finally finding one that worked the way I wanted.
These are the products that have actually stayed in my at-home nail collection. Some are for cat-eye nails, some are for chrome, and a few simply make doing my own nails much easier.
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BQAN Silicone Nail Tools
I’ve tried quite a few different brushes and applicators for chrome powder, and this is easily my favorite so far.
The biggest difference is how smoothly it applies the powder. I don’t get the little clumps or uneven spots that I’ve had with other applicators. It lets me really work the powder into the nail until the surface looks smooth and shiny.
Chrome is one of those finishes where every little uneven spot shows once the light hits it, so the applicator actually makes a bigger difference than I expected.
I originally bought these specifically for chrome powder, and that’s still exactly what I use them for.
Nothing complicated about them. Out of all the chrome powder applicators I’ve tried, these have worked the best for me.
Check the BQAN Silicone Nail Tools on Amazon →https://amzn.to/4xL6VQu
GAOY Sheer Nude Cat Eye Gel Polish Set – Nude Nebula
One thing I really like about the GAOY gels is actually the brush.
It’s a little thicker and wider, which makes it surprisingly easy to paint my own nails. When I’m working on myself, I’d rather cover the nail nicely in a few controlled strokes than keep going back and trying to fix thin or uneven areas.
The colors in the Nude Nebula set also work really well as base colors.
That’s probably what makes this set so useful for me. I can keep the nails simple or use the colors as a starting point for another design.
For at-home nails, I find myself reaching for this kind of color a lot.
Check the GAOY Nude Nebula Set on Amazon →https://amzn.to/3T5lTCN
GAOY Pink Ocean Cat Eye Gel Polish Set
I like the Pink Ocean set for pretty much the same reason I like Nude Nebula.
The brush is thick and wide enough that it’s comfortable to use when I’m painting my own nails, and the colors work really well as base colors.
That matters to me because I don’t always know exactly what design I’m going to do when I start.
Sometimes I keep the color fairly simple. Other times I decide to add a cat-eye effect or build something else on top of it.
Both GAOY sets give me that flexibility, which is why I actually keep using them instead of letting them sit in a drawer.
Check the GAOY Pink Ocean Cat Eye Set on Amazon →https://amzn.to/47eJ6FT
JODSONE 3-in-1 Cat Eye Magnet Tool
This one took me a while to find.
I bought three other magnet tools before this one, and I wasn’t happy with any of them. They technically worked, but I could never get the magnetic particles to gather as strongly or as easily as I wanted.
Then I tried this one.
The magnet is strong, and I can actually pull the cat-eye particles together without sitting there forever trying to make them move.
If you do cat-eye nails at home, you know how annoying this part can be. You finally get the effect exactly where you want it, then move your hand and suddenly it doesn’t look the same anymore.
After trying several different magnets, this is the one that finally worked the way I wanted.
Check the JODSONE 3-in-1 Cat Eye Magnet on Amazon →https://amzn.to/4xDxuH9
GAOY Handheld UV Light
I don’t use this instead of my regular nail lamp.
I use it for pre-curing, especially when I’m doing cat-eye nails.
Once I use the magnet and get the particles exactly where I want them, I want to keep them there. So I immediately use this little handheld light to pre-cure the nail and hold the design in place.
Then I move on to the next nail.
Once I’m finished, I put my whole hand into my regular lamp for a full cure.
It sounds like a small extra step, but it makes doing cat-eye nails on myself so much easier. I don’t have to keep recreating an effect that I already had exactly where I wanted it.
For me, this is one of those little tools that has a very specific job, but I would definitely miss it if I didn’t have it.
Check the GAOY Handheld UV Light on Amazon →https://amzn.to/4dO1ngP
Pretty Diva Moonlight Chrome Nail Powder
I finally found my glassy chrome.
That’s probably the simplest way I can describe this powder.
I had a very specific look in mind. I wanted that smooth, almost glass-like shine rather than chrome that looked chunky or overly metallic.
This is the powder that finally gave me the look I was trying to get.
I use it with the BQAN silicone tools I mentioned earlier, and I really like the combination. The silicone applicator helps me get the powder smooth and even, while the Pretty Diva powder gives me that shiny, glassy finish I was looking for.
There are so many chrome powders out there, but they definitely don’t all look the same once they’re actually on the nail.
After trying different ones, this is the one I kept.
Check the Pretty Diva Moonlight Chrome Nail Powder on Amazon →https://amzn.to/46Gppqo
How I Actually Use These Products Together
A lot of these products aren’t really separate recommendations for me because I use them together.
For a cat-eye look, I’ll usually start with one of the GAOY colors. Then I use the JODSONE magnet to pull the magnetic particles into the shape I want.
As soon as I like the placement, I use the GAOY handheld UV light to pre-cure it so the effect stays where I put it.
Once I’ve finished the nails, I put my whole hand into my regular lamp for the full cure.
When I want that glassy chrome finish instead, I use the Pretty Diva powder with the BQAN silicone applicator.
That’s basically my routine.
I’m sure I’ll keep trying new nail products because I always do. But I’ve also learned that I don’t need to replace something just because I find a newer version online.
If I’ve already tried three magnets and the fourth one finally does exactly what I want, I’m keeping the fourth one.
Final Thoughts
Doing my nails at home is supposed to be something I enjoy, so I don’t want to spend the whole time fighting with my products.
That’s probably the biggest thing I look for now.
I want a brush that makes it easier to paint my own nails. I want a magnet strong enough that I’m not sitting there wondering why nothing is moving. And when I finally get the cat-eye effect exactly where I want it, I want to be able to hold it there before I accidentally mess it up.
The same goes for chrome. Once I finally found the smooth, glassy finish I had been looking for, I stopped searching for another powder just for the sake of trying something new.
None of these products are here because I wanted to make a list of random nail products.
They’re here because I actually use them.
And after buying plenty of nail products that didn’t work out, these are the ones that have stayed in my at-home nail collection.