Gel nail polish sounds great on paper: We keep going back to the salon for the high-shine look that lasts longer than regular nail polish without chipping. But gel manicures can damage your nails and skin through UV exposure and increased dryness and brittleness, and experts recommend taking a break between gel manicures if you notice your nails getting weaker. But if you like to always have your nails done, you’ll want a regular polish that doesn’t immediately flake off. And guess what? We found it.Essie’s Gel Couture polish can be applied and removed like regular polish, but is formulated to match that gel-like shine, as well as to be longwear. You can brush it straight on the nail without a base coat or the use of a UV lamp, and follow up with the Gel Couture top coat for a lasting, glossy mani in two easy steps. When you’re ready to take it off, you can use a regular acetone or non-acetone remover without soaking or scraping that can damage the nails.We first heard about this from Abigail Williams, HuffPost’s editorial director of audience growth and strategy, who adores the lilac-orchid shade “Bodice Goddess.” It’s a natural, jelly pink that’s designed to enhance anyone’s nails. (The polish comes in 16 additional pink and red shades.)“This is my new favorite ‘your nails but better’ polish,” Williams said. “This is the first polish that doesn’t straight up piss me off to watch chip off because I can barely see where the polish stops and my own nails begin.”Other users of Bodice Goddess concur, calling it “the perfect sheer pink base” that “goes on smoothly and looks very natural.” Just know that it’s not quite a baby pink, and rather than having a milky white undertone, it’s more of a “pink jelly bean color,” for reference.Williams also praised that the polish didn’t damage her nails like gel polish has been known to do. “My nails are famously thin and weak and have been freakishly strong since I started wearing this,” she said.While the Gel Couture line isn’t marketed as nail care and won’t necessarily nourish and harden the nails like a straight-up nail strengthener would, using regular polish can be better for your overall nail health because improper or frequent application and removal of gel polish can weaken your nails over time.Abigail Williams/HuffPostWilliams' nails before and after using Bodice Goddess.Plus, the gel-like formula means that it lasts far longer without chipping or fading than your average drugstore polish. According to reviews, you can generally rock this for a week and a half to two weeks before the first chips appear on hands, and even longer on toes, especially when used with the top coat. “I highly recommend this line to anybody that has issues with chipping polish because it’s a dream!” one reviewer wrote. “I also like that you don’t need to soak your nails in acetone or use a drill to remove the polish yet its staying power almost matches gel polish that requires all of that.”Another reviewer, who used the same formula in a different pink shade along with the top coat, claimed this was “literally THE glossiest and longest wearing polish in my 57 years of life.” They went on, “I’m absolutely shocked how well this holds up and retains [its] gloss! I work in a warehouse handling metals and cardboard every day. I don’t baby my nails as that’s not in my job description. I also do a lot of yard work without gloves and despite also washing my hands frequently, my nails remain looking freshly manicured.”They concluded, “I have NEVER had any nail polish hold up like this!!! It takes a full work week of abuse to slightly dull the high gloss but still looks shiny. If I could give this brand 1,000 stars, I would!”People love the polish so much, in fact, that they’re deciding to use it at home rather than spending more money at the salon for a professional gel mani. “This is by far the BEST nail polish I’ve ever used!! GoodBYE to my nail salon!!” said one shopper, who used the same polish in a different shade.Below, find more promising reviews for the flattering shade Bodice Goddess, as well as the general reliability and ease of Gel Couture’s formula. You could save both your nails and your wallet by giving this a try instead of your next gel manicure at the salon. “This is my favorite color and I decided to stock up on it. It’s the only color I wear because it goes with all my wardrobe. It’s a milky pink, just the right amount and color with a hint of lilac. Just beautiful!” — Amazon Customer “I’ve been searching for that perfect sheer, milky, pinky nude to be my everyday color. I’ve found it!! It’s so good. If you have been looking for that same unicorn color this is it!” — Danielle LaRue “I have several colors in this polish, but this is my favorite. This is a somewhat sheer, neutral color. I like that you can apply a third coat to get a less sheer application. The top coat is a must as this is what gives you the outstanding shine that lasts one to two weeks depending on how rough you’ve treated your nails. The only problem I’ve encountered is the pictures do not always reflect the true color. Overall this is the best polish I’ve ever used.” — mimi “This is the only nail polish I use because it really does last a week and is much gentler on your nails (and easier to remove) than gel. Only frustration is that Essie, like so many brands, discontinues favorite colors. “Bodice Godess” is a great lavender/pink semi-sheer option. Will be fun to try. Seller was great—delivered promptly, on time as promised and mail polish was new, in good shape, undamaged!” — Northfield “This is my go to nail polish for the summer, it’s such a nice sheer color. I priced the same brand of polish at our local Rite Aid store and it was much more expensive there, and they didn’t even have this color. So I was very happy when Amazon offered it . I purchased two and the top coat as well and paid a whole lot less . Sheers are very popular right now and you won’t be disappointed if you buy this brand or this color.” — Linda Looking for other non-gel nail concealers and strengtheners with a “your nails but better” look? Check out this list, curated by the HuffPost Shopping team:AmazonAn under-$10 nail concealer that also strengthens brittle nailsIt’s loved by users with naturally “paper thin” nails, damage from acrylics or whose nails are becoming more textured and fragile with age, for being a one-and-done fix, with lasting power. You can choose from 12 shades.AmazonA "nail veil" that can reduce signs of aging on your nailsThe brand Londontown is perhaps best known for its milky Illuminating Nail Concealer, which is a longtime bestseller among HuffPost readers. But the nail care brand makes another home-run product: the Perfecting Nail Veil. At $20 a bottle, this “veil” can deliver both a high-shine sheen and some protection to your nails, so you can save money on manicures, try out a trend and help your nails stay healthy all in one product.The Nail Veil isn’t a brightener like the Nail Concealer, but instead offers a bit of color and focuses on providing nourishing ingredients for your nails like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs can gently exfoliate your skin (which includes your nails) and remove dead skin cells to promote cell turnover, which naturally slows as we age. So, using a product with AHAs on your nails like the Nail Veil can reduce your nails’ visible signs of aging. Plenty of reviewers also mention using this product while letting their nails grow out and heal from gel manicures. The Nail Veil comes in nine shades.ManicuristA range of French polishes that multiple HuffPosters own and loveThis line of five polishes has gained some fans, including BuzzFeed editorial VP Peggy Wang, who said, since purchasing a few months ago, “I’ve only gone a day without having [Manucurist] on my nails because I liked how my nails looked so much more with it on.”We found a second fan in our office, HuffPost breaking news reporter Lydia O’Connor. “I usually do two coats of the Active Glow in blueberry for a sheer but juicy berry hue, then add a layer of Active Shine for a little shimmer,” O’Connor said. (You can purchase these together in a duo.) “It’s the perfect amount of color and sparkle to feel like you’ve gotten a manicure without the hassle of trying to paint your nails perfectly with a regular opaque polish.”“It’s so light and subtle that I don’t have to be super careful about application. It takes me like 10 minutes to do three coats,” Wang said. “I have been keeping my polish on for about one and half to two weeks and it hasn’t chipped, but it wouldn’t be very visible even if it did.”