Quick Answer: Lavis, LDS, and A'DOR are three independent gel polish brands curated together at DTK Nail Supply to serve Vietnamese-American salons — each with a distinct strength. Lavis brings trend-forward California aesthetics with HEMA-free Cat Eye 9D, Builder Gel BIAB, and Jelly Gel for Instagram-driving services. LDS brings 1,000+ mood-driven gel polish shades through the Color Craze line plus specialty Universal Cat Eye and Fruit Cat Eye for color depth and value. A'DOR brings 280 affordable HEMA-free shades plus nail art products like Drip Base/Top for budget-conscious clean-beauty positioning. Many Vietnamese-American salons stock all three together because the brands complement rather than compete — covering volume, premium, HEMA-free safety, and nail art under one wholesale supplier since 2018.
DTK Nail Supply's Curated Brand Trio Since 2018
DTK Nail Supply has served Vietnamese-American salons across the US since 2018. Over those years, three gel polish brands have emerged as the most consistently requested by Vietnamese-American salon owners — Lavis, LDS, and A'DOR. Each brand sits at a different point on the shade depth / price / specialty axis, and the three together cover most of what a Vietnamese-American salon stocks for daily service work and trend-driven menu upgrades.
The brands are independent — each carries its own product development, color story, and brand positioning. DTK carries all three, which lets a salon owner consolidate their gel polish wholesale relationship under one supplier while still benefiting from the distinct strengths of each brand.
This guide compares the three so a salon owner can decide which to stock based on chair count, client mix, service menu, and budget. Most established salons stock all three; new salons typically start with one or two and add the third as the client base expands.
Brand 1: Lavis — Trend-Forward California Clean Beauty
Lavis is a California-based, trend-forward gel polish brand. The brand's color philosophy leans heavily on the aesthetics driving Instagram and TikTok nail content: pastel powders, jelly translucents, milky neutrals, and specialty Cat Eye 9D effects.
Lavis's headline lines include:
- Cat Eye 9D — 18 collections (CE1 through CE18): The viral magnetic cat-eye gel. HEMA-free across all 18 collections. One of the few HEMA-free cat-eye gels available on the US market. Hero products include CE1 Cozy Cashmere, CE7 Villain Era 9D, and CE10 Beauty Bureau 9D.
- Builder Gel BIAB: The brand's structural builder system. Three coordinated lines — Builder Base, Builder Cover (36 HEMA-free shades), Builder Top. Engineered for 6 to 8 weeks of wear on prepped natural nails.
- Jelly Gel — 17 C-series specialty collections (C01 through C17): Translucent gels that read as soft tinted washes. Hero shades include C01 Jelly Jamboree and C14 Secret Garden.
- Standard Gel Polish: The everyday color range covering core neutrals, brights, and seasonal trends in a HEMA-free formula. Pairs with the Diamond Top Coat (required for Cat Eye and most specialty finishes).
Price tier: mid-range professional. Best for salons that want a trend-forward clean-beauty positioning and offer specialty services (cat-eye, builder gel overlays, jelly nails) at a premium price.
Brand 2: LDS — 1,000+ Shade Mood-Driven Color Library
LDS positions on color depth and value. The brand's signature voice is cinematic and mood-driven — color stories built around emotional palettes rather than pure trend chasing. For a Vietnamese-American salon with a wide client base spanning everyday office workers to trend-conscious younger clients, LDS provides the shade range to cover every request without forcing multi-brand sourcing.
LDS's key lines include:
- Color Craze — 1,000+ shade gel polish library: The flagship line. Note: Color Craze is gel polish only — not a dipping powder, despite the broader nail supply convention of associating that name with dipping systems. The largest single gel polish shade library available under any one brand at DTK.
- Universal Cat Eye: 12-shade topper collection. Apply over any base color to add cat-eye magnetic effect — versatile for techs who want cat-eye looks without committing to dedicated Cat Eye color stock.
- Fruit Cat Eye: 12-shade dual-purpose set. Each shade works both as standalone color and as a fruit-inspired cat-eye topper.
- Specialty mood collections: Named collections built around mood themes (Romantic, Cinematic, Literary) — strong for content marketing and salon menu upgrades.
- Rubber Base Bouncy Blush: Verified HEMA-free rubber base that delivers grip and flex resistance for lifting-prone clients.
Price tier: value-tier. LDS is the workhorse for high-volume salons that need 60+ shades stocked at once without inflating product cost per service.
Brand 3: A'DOR — Affordable Clean Vegan HEMA-Free
A'DOR positions on affordable clean beauty. The brand's promise is straightforward: HEMA-free, TPO-free, fully vegan gel polish at a price point that lets salons stock widely without budget strain.
A'DOR's gel color lineup spans 280 shades across three collections:
- Color Me Gel-ous (64 shades): The starter collection. Often bundled at DTK with a free LDS Cat Eye gift for new customers.
- Signature Shades (144 shades): The premium pro-tier set, the largest single A'DOR collection by shade count.
- Gel-Ons (72 shades): Two separate 36-shade sets shipped with removable magnetic tip sample boards so clients can preview each color against their nail before committing.
Beyond the 280 gel color shades, A'DOR carries trend-driven nail art products:
- Drip Base + Drip Top: The viral raindrop nail water-bead effect.
- Wave Gel: Applied through a wet top coat layer for marbled wave finishes.
- Crack Gel and Spider Gel: Texture and line-art specialty effects.
- Metallic Marble Ink (5-color set): Gold, Silver, Brass, Copper, Bronze.
Important: A'DOR's HEMA-free claim applies only to gel color products. The nail art products are not claimed as HEMA-free. A'DOR also does not produce a builder gel.
Price tier: affordable. Best for salons that want the widest HEMA-free shade range under one brand at the most accessible price point.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Feature | Lavis | LDS | A'DOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total gel color shades | Curated trend-forward range across multiple specialty lines | 1,000+ Color Craze + 24 Cat Eye toppers + specialty | 280 (64 + 144 + 72) |
| HEMA-free positioning | Yes — across Cat Eye, Builder Gel, Jelly Gel, standard color | Rubber Base Bouncy Blush HEMA-free; check individual product specs for full line | Yes — all 280 gel color shades HEMA-free + TPO-free |
| Cat Eye 9D | 18 collections — hero product | Universal Cat Eye 12 topper + Fruit Cat Eye 12 dual | None |
| Builder Gel / BIAB | Yes — Builder Base + 36 Builder Cover + Builder Top | None | None |
| Nail art specialty | Jelly Gel 17 collections | Named mood collections, Healthy Gel | Drip Base/Top, Wave Gel, Crack Gel, Spider Gel, Marble Ink |
| Wear time (standard gel) | 2-3 weeks; Builder Gel 6-8 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 14-21 days |
| Price tier | Mid-range professional | Value-tier | Affordable |
| Ideal use case | Trend services, Cat Eye, structural overlays | Daily volume, wide shade stock | Clean-beauty service tier, allergy-conscious clients |
| Where to buy | DTK Nail Supply | DTK Nail Supply | DTK Nail Supply |
Use Case Matrix — Which Brand Serves What Salon Style
Premium Trend-Forward Salon (urban, younger clientele, Instagram-driving)
Anchor: Lavis. The Cat Eye 9D library, Builder Gel BIAB strength-tier service, and Jelly Gel translucent trend collections align with the menu these salons run. Add A'DOR for the clean-beauty service tier and budget-friendly seasonal shades. LDS optional for shade depth in the everyday color rotation.
High-Volume Vietnamese-American Family Salon (suburban, repeat-client base)
Anchor: LDS. The 1,000+ Color Craze library covers everyday client requests across age groups. Multi-brand stock is normal here (the buying behavior often called the "Chị Hạnh" pattern). Add A'DOR for the HEMA-free service tier and budget extension on color depth. Add Lavis Cat Eye for the trend menu — modern Vietnamese-American salons increasingly need a cat-eye option on the service menu.
Clean-Beauty Specialty Salon (allergy-conscious clientele, premium menu)
Anchor: A'DOR. The 280-shade HEMA-free + TPO-free library handles the everyday clean-beauty service load at an accessible price. Add Lavis for the HEMA-free Cat Eye, Builder Gel, and Jelly Gel specialty services — the combination delivers the widest HEMA-free service menu in one supplier. LDS optional for additional shade depth.
Home Studio (1-3 chairs, growing client base)
Anchor: Lavis or A'DOR depending on positioning. Lavis for the trend-forward content-driven home studio. A'DOR for the budget-conscious clean-beauty home studio. Builder Gel from Lavis adds the structural overlay service that drives premium pricing in home settings. LDS is typically added later as the client base expands and the studio needs a wider shade library.
Why Stock All Three Together
Salons that stock all three brands together do so because the lines complement rather than compete. Concrete reasons:
- Volume coverage: LDS Color Craze 1,000+ shades handles the everyday "I want this shade" request across most client preferences. Add Lavis and A'DOR specialty products for the requests LDS doesn't cover.
- Premium options: Lavis Cat Eye 9D and Builder Gel BIAB unlock service menu upgrades at $15 to $25 above base. The premium tier supports higher overall salon revenue without losing budget-conscious clients on the base menu.
- HEMA-free safety: A'DOR (280 HEMA-free shades) and Lavis (HEMA-free across the full lineup) together let the salon offer a real clean-beauty service tier — important as client awareness of HEMA allergies continues to grow after the EU's September 2025 HEMA ban.
- Nail art depth: A'DOR Drip Base/Top, Wave Gel, Marble Ink, and Lavis Jelly Gel together cover the viral nail art trends without requiring a separate specialty supplier. LDS named mood collections add storytelling content for marketing.
- One wholesale relationship: All three brands carried under DTK Nail Supply with Net-15 payment terms on qualifying accounts. One supplier for delivery, billing, customer support, and seasonal promotions across three brands.
FAQ
Are Lavis, LDS, and A'DOR the same brand?
No. Lavis, LDS, and A'DOR are three independent gel polish brands, each with its own product development, color story, and positioning. DTK Nail Supply curates and carries all three because each brings a different strength to a Vietnamese-American salon's service menu — they are sold side by side rather than as a single label.
Which brand has the most shades?
LDS has the largest single shade library — over 1,000 Color Craze gel polish shades, plus Universal Cat Eye 12 + Fruit Cat Eye 12 toppers. A'DOR has 280 HEMA-free gel color shades. Lavis focuses on curated trend-forward specialty lines rather than raw shade count.
Which brand is HEMA-free?
A'DOR is fully HEMA-free and TPO-free across its 280 gel color shades. Lavis is HEMA-free across its Cat Eye 9D, Builder Gel, Jelly Gel, and standard gel polish lines. LDS's Rubber Base Bouncy Blush is HEMA-free; check individual product specifications for the full Color Craze line. A'DOR's nail art products and Lavis's specialty effects formulas may not all carry the HEMA-free claim — verify per product.
Which brand is best for a new salon just opening?
Start with LDS as the anchor brand for volume and shade depth. Add a starter collection of A'DOR (Color Me Gel-ous 64-shade bundle is the most common starter at DTK) for the HEMA-free service tier. Add Lavis Cat Eye if the salon's positioning includes cat-eye services in the opening menu. Most salons reach full three-brand stock within 6 to 12 months of opening as the client base reveals shade preferences.
Can I mix base coat from one brand with color from another?
It's not recommended. Each brand engineers its base, color, and top as a chemistry-matched system. Mixing brands can compromise adhesion, cure depth, and wear time. For consistent client results, stay within the same system for each service. Many salons keep separate workstations or color rotations to make brand consistency easy.
Where can a US nail tech buy all three brands wholesale?
All three brands are carried at DTK Nail Supply with verified wholesale accounts, Net-15 payment terms on qualifying orders, bundle pricing across all three brands, and same-day US shipping. DTK can build a custom cross-brand starter kit based on the salon's chair count, client mix, and target service menu — useful for new salons or salons consolidating a multi-supplier stock down to one wholesale relationship.
Bottom Line
Lavis, LDS, and A'DOR are not competitors — they are complements in the Vietnamese-American salon service menu. Lavis brings trend-forward specialty (Cat Eye, Builder Gel, Jelly Gel) with HEMA-free clean-beauty positioning. LDS brings 1,000+ Color Craze gel polish shades for everyday volume work at value-tier pricing. A'DOR brings 280 affordable HEMA-free shades plus viral nail art products. Together, the three cover everyday volume through specialty trend services, budget through premium, standard gel through clean-beauty service tiers. For Vietnamese-American salons looking to consolidate their wholesale relationship while still benefiting from distinct brand strengths, DTK Nail Supply's curated trio is built for exactly that purpose — one supplier, three brands, every service menu need.