I can’t get my nails to look decent without polish on them, but “normal” polish chips and flakes off after a couple of days. I have neither the time nor the money to go for regular gel manicures, even putting aside the horrific damage they do to your nails.
When I was last in the US I bought a Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab base and top coat kit, and stuck it in a drawer. A couple of months ago I broke it out for a special occasion and was amazed that a week later the manicure was still decently holding up. It also dried quickly to a high shine finish (I did my toes half an hour before bed and no sheet prints!). I started using it regularly and my nails have been transformed.
Just to prove I am not working for the company, the best combination of products - the combination that lasts the longest - is Essie Gel Couture colours (the twirly bottles) with the Deborah Lippmann base and top coats. Essie does a top coat for the Gel Couture but it doesn’t dry as quickly or last as long. Deborah Lippmann do colours but again, they start chipping earlier.
I now do my nails once a week - takes me about half an hour start to finish - and am so happy that they look so groomed. The products are expensive (and the Deborah Lippmann is difficult to get in the U.K. - I had to find a replacement on eBay which cost over £40), but against salon manicures it is a bargain.
One very important thing I have learned is that, to avoid damage to your nails, you must NEVER pick the polish off if it does start to chip. Normal polish remover does the job quickly.
Now if I can only get DL to retail in the U.K.!