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There is nothing more polished-looking than clean, varnished nails. Working and having small children means that regular trips to the nail salon form the basis of a good dream, but there are lasting at-home options that don’t cost the world.

Red Carpet Manicure's gel manicure kit (€80) allows you to create a professional-looking manicure at home. It takes a while to perfect a finish that lasts up to two weeks, but it is a really excellent kit. However, if like me you have a penchant for peeling off your gel manicure, there are a number of more "nail-bed friendly" options.

CND Vinlyux (€11.95) is a range of nail polishes that increase in durability over time with exposure to UV light. It is claimed that they last up to seven days, chip-free. Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel (€9.99) is a similar product that is meant to last 14 days. Both polishes have a definite edge over regular polishes and are brilliant for that quick nail-polish fix. Plus, they can be removed with regular nail polish remover.

Essence Express Dry Drops (€2.49) are fantastic for speeding up the drying process of a manicure. A drop on each nail, and within a minute your polish is dry, with no smudges.

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