I Always Get Compliments on My Nails Thanks to This Lamp That Gives Me Salon-Quality Gel Manicures at Home

Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

It saves me so much time and money.

Over the course of my six-year beauty career, I’ve tested hundreds, if not thousands, of products. My twin sister, in taking my recommendations, has tried a substantial slew of my favorites. Among them, she says this SUNUV 48-Watt UV LED Nail Lamp is the best beauty purchase she’s ever made. I share her enthusiasm for this lamp; she and I have both gifted it to friends, who have since joined our little LED light fan club. Considering the amount you’ll save on salon visits, the lamp is an excellent value for money — and even more so right now, as it’s on a limited time sale.

Indistinguishable from the lamps you’d see at a professional nail salon, this one emits high-powered UV and LED light to cure, i.e. harden, gel polish into its final, glossy form. It works with all gel polishes (I’ve had success with an array of brands) and delivers long-lasting, professional-level gel manicures that stay chip-free for up to two weeks.

Shop now: $40 (Originally $50); amazon.com

This lamp is a breeze to use. It’s equipped with a built-in sensor, which turns the curing light on by simply placing your hand in the device. Remove your digits, and it turns off. No fiddly switches here because wet nails, already vulnerable to smearing, needn’t incur extra risk. Adding to the ease of use is a large LED screen, which displays a curing countdown from either 60 or 99 seconds by way of two simple buttons or an auto sensor.

Marketed as a professional, salon-grade product, it emits a powerful 48 watts of both UV and LED light. One shopper, a nail technician in training, calls this lamp “high quality,” adding that it cures poly gel, hard gel, and gel polish “perfectly.”

I’d tried countless other curing lamps — each of which fell short of my gleaming, salon-quality expectations — before I found this fantastic LED lamp. I learned the hard way that not all curing lights are not created equal: Many models lack ample wattage, leaving a goopy, bubbly mess on your hands. But this one cures more quickly than any other I’ve tried; my gel polish solidifies in 60 seconds — salon speed.

Despite its pro-grade nature, the SUN UV LED 48-Watt Lamp is as beginner friendly as they come. Even my sister, who hadn’t tried DIY gels prior to purchasing the lamp, scored glossy, longwearing results her first time (albeit with a bit of nail prep guidance from yours truly). Instead of sitting in salons for hours on end, she and I have ‘nail nights’ over FaceTime. It’s a fun experience that requires zero travel, no appointment booking, and much less money than I’d otherwise spend at a salon.

My lamp has been kicking for over two years now  with the same gusto as the day I bought it. It’s certainly well-loved, and it shows: Its exterior, once a bright, gleaming white, is streaked with errors from my painting practice; its surface is as sticky as a frat house basement, too, as I’ve been using it with hard gel lately. And still, this lamp has yet to let me down. Though I don’t need to buy a new one, I’m tempted to stock up and gift the light to (more) friends; particularly those who’ve complimented my gels over time.

If you’re searching for a beginner-friendly, pro-grade curing lamp, make a beeline for this one from SUNUV — and quickly, while it’s still on sale.

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.