Does peel-off gel nail polish work? Manucurist Green Flash review

Gel nail polish is brilliant. Gel colour lasts way longer than traditional nail polish, it dries much faster, and it’s far less prone to chipping.

But the only downside to gel nail varnish is that it can be more of a faff to take off than standard nail polish. It normally takes 10+ minutes of soaking gel nail varnish in acetone to remove the colour. Whereas normal nail polish can be removed in seconds with varnish remover.

The Manucurist Green Flash Pro Pouch aims to tackle this issue with an effective peel-off gel nail varnish that can be removed in 1 minute. Each gel nail polish is vegan and supposed to be kind to your natural nails.

But how well does Manucurist Green Flash work? Is the gel nail polish long-lasting, and is it genuinely quick and easy to peel off? This honest review tells you everything you need to know about this at-home gel nail polish set.

Products in this review

The products in this review are the Manucurist Green Flash Pro Pouch (£125) and Active Glow (£16).

The Green Flash Pro Pouch contains everything you need to do a gel nail manicure at home, from curing your nails through to removing the varnish. It includes a base coat, top coat, nail polish remover, nail clips, LED lamp, cotton pouch, and 2 gel nail colours of your choosing.

Active Glow is designed to care for nails while boosting nail shine. It’s supposed to nourish nails while adding glow instantly.

About the tester

My sister very kindly tested the Manucurist Green Flash Pro Pouch and Active Glow for this review. Her goals from using these gel nail polish products were to achieve vibrant nails that don’t chip easily, are long-lasting, and are effortless to remove.

How to use the Manucurist Green Flash Pro kit

Using the Manucurist Green Flash Pro kit and Active Glow is very straightforward. Follow the steps below to apply and remove the gel nail polish.

Application

1. Apply the Manucurist Green Flash Base Coat to bare nails. Cure under the LED lamp using the corresponding ‘base’ setting.
2. Apply the Manucurist gel nail colour. You can apply 2 layers, but make sure they’re thin. Cure each layer under the LED lamp under the corresponding ‘colour’ setting.
3. Apply the Manucurist Green Flash Top Coat to make your manicure shine and last longer. Cure under the LED lamp using the corresponding ‘top’ setting.

The simple 3-step application process is supposed to last for 10 days with a shiny finish.

Removal

1. Use the Manucurist Nail Polish Remover to soak cotton pads, and apply these to each nail. Keep the cotton pads in place using the Manucurist Nail Clips.
2. Leave for 1 minute, and the nail should effortlessly peel off. If any base residue remains, rub again with a cotton pad soaked with remover.

How to use Active Glow

Using Active Glow is even more straightforward.

1. Apply 1-2 coats on bare nails and let dry.

Manucurist gel colours on the nails

My sister picked the colours Capucine (a hot coral pink) and Victoria Plum (a rich plum). Here’s what the shades look like after 2 coats on the nails.

How gorgeous are the shades?! They look rich in colour. I love the glossy smooth finish. Capucine is my personal fave. The picture on the right is how it looks in person compared to the photo on the left.

Honest Manucurist Green Flash + Active Glow review

Green Flash Pro Pouch

The Manucurist Green Flash Pro Pouch is a success.

The curing lamp is really easy to set up with only 2 button options, which makes it intuitive to use. Additionally, the lamp counts down the seconds on a very clear display panel, so it’s easy to see how much time you have left during the curing stage. It’s also very lightweight, portable, and folds away to a compact shape. This makes the lamp convenient to use and perfect for travelling with, as it takes up very little space.

The application of the gel colours is fantastic. There’s a brilliant shade range to choose from. Whether you’re looking for sophisticated opaque white, rich sapphire, everyday beige, or summery apricot, there’s a colour for every mood.

Each colour is easy to apply, delivers rich colour, and cures very well under the lamp. 2 coats are needed for vivid colour payoff but no more. Be sure to cap the ends properly, otherwise, they’ll chip quickly.

The gel nails didn’t last for 10 days either time my sister tried them. However, she doesn’t think she’s quite perfected the technique yet.

The removal process is effortless. The colour melts off in 1 swipe. And you can remove the colour in 1 minute, just like the instructions claim. My sister used 5 cotton pads as there are 5 clips, and 2 drops of the remover was sufficient to do all 10 fingers; she reused the 5 cotton pads.

There is some room for improvement but no major cons. The instructions weren’t super clear that you should paint both hands before curing, as the timer automatically does 60 seconds twice in a row. The LED lamp doesn’t beep when it’s time to switch hands or when the time is up, which would be nice so you don’t have to rely on the timer.

Also, on the final top coat cure, the timer does 60 seconds three times in a row, and there’s no explanation as to why. The instructions don’t clarify either.

Active Glow

The Manucurist Active Glow is also nice. It adds shine, hydration, and a layer of protection to the nail. However, it doesn’t particularly harden your nails like certain nail strengtheners on the market, so just be aware of this.

Is Manucurist worth it?

Manucurist is worth it. The colours are vivid and glossy, application and removal of the gel nail polish is quick and easy, the LED lamp is intuitive and convenient, and the Active Glow adds a beautiful shine to nails.

Rating: 4 stars

This is a great way to do gel nails at home without any hassle.

Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.