Can Gel Nail Polish be Worn With Ordinary Nail Polish?

This week’s beauty question for Wednesday comes from a fan in Brooklyn who read last week’s article on correcting the damage gel nail polish causes. She wanted to know if it is possible to mix ordinary nail polish with gel nail polish.

Dear Deirdre,

I have an at home gel manicure kit and was happy to read last week that my nails aren’t the only ones suffering from gel nail polish use. I am following your advice, but I want to know if I can wear regular nail polish and use the topcoat of the gel nail polish over it. I love the shine the gel nail polish gives and hate going to the nail salon! Help!!

Baffled in Brooklyn

Hi Baffled. Thanks for writing in and by the way, Brooklyn is my favorite place in the world. So, after receiving your question last Thursday, I wanted to put your question to the test and actually try out using ordinary nail polish and the topcoat from the gel nail polish system I use.

I wrote an article in Examiner on the launch of the Mariah Carey collection of Liquid Sands Nail Polish for OPI and picked up a bottle of  “Stay the Night” nail color. The directions say to not use a topcoat, however, I really didn’t like the way the color looked on me. My skin is aging, I am 45 and the dull matte, sandy finish only aged my hands. I ran to my Red Carpet Manicure

at home DIY gel manicure system and added a coat of “Brilliance” gel nail polish topcoat and I have gotten more compliments on my manicure than I can count.

Will the mixture of gel nail polish and standard nail polish last as long? No, probably not, it started to chip after about three days, but for me, that is long as I touch up regular manicures daily.

Will combining gel nail polish and standard polish damage the nails as using gel nail polish alone will? No, absolutely not, there is no filing or buffing of the natural nail to prep, however, as I have not removed the polish yet, I will have to make this a part two and let you know next week if I had to scrape the polish off and if my nails weakened. My guess is still no, but as I have learned after many years in this business, guessing is never good.

Until next Wednesday, and in the meantime, please send me your beauty question and I will offer you my best advice possible, from the Pro!

Happy Styling!

©Deirdre Haggerty, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior written permission and consent from the author.