Goodbye to Gel Manicures: Maybelline Super Stay 7 Days Gel Nail Color

If your new year’s resolutions include spending less time and money at the salon then you must read on. Today I will talk about the ONLY nail polish formula that lasts on my nails for an entire week without a single chip, the very appropriately named Maybelline Super Stay 7 Days Gel Nail Color. My nails are the worst when it comes to chipped polish; they seem to possess some magical powers that induce chipping but this formula is a holy grail favourite that comes to my rescue each time.

The formula is thick and has a gel like consistency, it is quite glossy on its own, but can be enhanced to a super shiny look with an appropriate top coat.The pigmentation is intense and opaque in a single coat; you will not need more than 2 coats for a perfect finish. The wide brush makes the polish super easy to apply, and although the formula has a slightly gel-like consistency, it spreads evenly on the nails. The drying time is pretty good too, it takes less than 10 minutes for each coat to dry, and so in 20 minutes you will get glamorous nails that last for days! Despite the formula being quite thick, it does not get gooey or stringy in the bottle and the shelf life is pretty good. Coming to the most important part, the longevity, the formula pleasantly surprised me when I wore it for the first time. I ripped open packages, shampooed my hair, washed utensils, but the nail paint didn’t budge at all for a whole week. I could even get away with wearing this for 10 days without any ugly chips (only tiny ones close to the tips).

My favorite shade is 08 Rouge Passion (Passionate Red), which is a bright tomato red, perfect for the holiday season. This colour appears slightly orange in yellow light but is a true red in white light, it is well suited for all skin tones, and is a great shade for the toes as well! The formula and chip resistance is pretty consistent across all the shades (I have also tried and loved 460 Orange Couture, 270 Ever Burgundy, 635 Surreal and 869 Emerald Excess). The polishes are available in a multitude of shades and Maybelline seems to be bringing out new colors every season.

The packaging is extremely sturdy and looks quite high end. The white caps look great all stacked together on the vanity, and the trapezoidal bottles have a luxurious feel to them. They are the kind of bottles that will not break in the suitcase when you pack them in your carry-on. This range falls around the 10$ price mark in the US, and is available in India for INR 375 for a 10ml bottle. Although the price is a little steep for a drugstore polish, I feel that it is justified considering the quality and wear time of the product.

This is my go-to polish when I go on vacation because I don’t need to bother with repainting my nails. In my opinion, it is a great DIY alternative to a gel manicure. This nail polish is ideal for lazy girls like me, who don’t want to invest too much time in the vicious cycle of painting and drying their nails and need a foolproof and quick solution to well-manicured nails.

To sum it up, Maybelline Super Stay 7 Day Gel Nail Color gets two thumbs up (and two big toes up?) along with a sack full of love from me. This is hands down one of the best drugstore nail paints out there and could give solid competition to gel manicures!