Do acrylic nails need a UV or LED lamp?

No. Acrylic air-sets through a chemical reaction between the liquid monomer and the polymer powder, so no lamp is needed. Set time depends on the brand and the room: a warm room or a dry bead sets faster, a cool room or a wet bead sets slower. A top coat at the end may need its own cure, depending on the product you choose.

What is the difference between EMA and MMA monomer?

EMA (ethyl methacrylate) is the liquid the brands on this page use, and several of them, including Kiara Sky, V Beauty Pure and LAVIS, state that their liquid is MMA-free. Every professional monomer has a scent, even low-odor ones, so work with good ventilation. Our blog post on EMA vs MMA covers the chemistry in more detail.

Can the same powder be used for acrylic and dip?

Only when the jar is made for both. LAVIS, LDS, Gelixir, DND Dap and Kiara Sky All-In-One powders are labelled as acrylic and dip powders, so one shade can go on with dip liquids for short natural nails or with EMA monomer and an acrylic brush for harder, longer sculpted nails. Dedicated sculpting powders such as CND Perfect Color and Young Nails are made for liquid and powder work only.

Why is my acrylic lifting or turning yellow?

Lifting usually comes from prep or placement: a nail that was not cleaned, buffed and dehydrated, product flooded near the cuticle, a bead that was too wet or too dry, or a free edge left uncapped. Yellowing is linked to the liquid and the environment, so use a non-yellowing monomer, keep brushes clean, avoid heat from heavy filing, store liquid sealed and out of sunlight, and finish with a UV-protective top coat.

Acrylic Nails – Powder, Monomer & Nail Kits | DTK Nail Supply

Q: Can I use one brand of liquid with another brand of powder?

Several brands say their liquid works with most professional acrylic powders, and Kiara Sky says its EMA monomer works with any acrylic powder. Each brand still describes its own liquid as the best match for its own powder, and V Beauty Pure notes that consistency and colour clarity are best inside one system. If a set behaves oddly, return to a matched powder and liquid first.

Acrylic nail supplies in one grid: more than 2,000 acrylic and acrylic-and-dip powders from LAVIS, Mia Secret, CND, Young Nails, Chaun Legend and Kiara Sky, with EMA liquid, primers and brushes to match, plus free shipping on qualifying orders.

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What this acrylic page holds

Acrylic nails come from two parts: a polymer powder and a liquid monomer. Dip the brush in the liquid, touch it to the powder, and the two form a bead that you place, sculpt and leave to set by chemical reaction, with no LED or UV lamp. Everything on this page is built around that bead: the powders, the liquid that wets them, the prep and primer that make them stick, and the brushes that carry them.

The grid mixes two kinds of powder. Some jars are dedicated acrylic or sculpting powders, made to be worked with liquid only. Others are two-in-one jars labelled for acrylic and dip, so one colour can go on as a sculpted overlay or as a dip manicure. Dip-only systems are covered on their own dip powder hub by brand; this page stays with liquid and powder work: overlays, full sets, fills, sculpted extensions, pink and white, encapsulation and 3D art.

Acrylic powder brands at DTK

LAVIS acrylic colour powder

LAVIS colour powders are two-in-one acrylic and dip jars in 1 oz and 1.5 oz, with more than 200 numbered shades, made in the USA. LAVIS describes them for extensions, nail carving, French work and 3D art, with a non-yellowing finish. The clear, pink, white and cover shades sit in a separate LAVIS clear and cover range, including a 12 oz Crystal Clear jar for busy benches. LAVIS EMA liquid is listed from 8 oz up to a 1 gallon bulk size.

V Beauty Pure acrylic system

V Beauty Pure sells a full acrylic system: 1.5 oz Acrylic System jars in clear, cover and colour, 0.5 oz pigment jars, EMA liquid in 8 oz and 32 oz, a nail prep dehydrator and Super Bond, an acid-free primer. The brand describes its powder as ultra-fine and self-leveling with a medium set time, and its monomer as low odor, MMA-free and non-yellowing.

Chaun Legend acrylic powder

Chaun Legend acrylic powder comes in 80 colours in 1 oz and 2 oz jars. The brand describes a smooth, non-marbling finish with a balanced drying time, and the same collection carries the LGND 100% Kolinsky acrylic brushes in sizes from #8 to #18.

CND Perfect Color sculpt powder

CND Perfect Color Sculpt Powder is made to pair with CND Retention+ Sculpting Liquid. Clear, the pink sheers, opaques and colours come in 3.7 oz, and several sheers plus Pure White Opaque also come in 32 oz for high-volume benches.

Young Nails acrylic powder

Young Nails powders come in 45 g jars across the Core and Speed lines, alongside Young Nails liquid monomer in 6 oz and 32 oz and Protein Bond, a keratin primer in 0.25 oz and 0.5 oz.

Mia Secret acrylic system

Mia Secret offers clear and cover acrylic powders, with shades such as Pink offered in 1, 2, 4 and 8 oz jars, liquid monomer in 8, 16 and 32 oz, the XTRABOND acid-free primer, a nail prep dehydrator and ready-made acrylic kits.

Kiara Sky All-In-One powder

The Kiara Sky All-In-One collection has more than 100 multi-functional 2 oz powders that work as dip, acrylic, 3D designs and sugar effects. Kiara Sky recommends pairing them with its EMA liquid monomer, sold here in 16 oz, which the brand lists as MMA-free and HEMA-free with a low odor.

Tony Ly acrylic colour powder

Tony Ly colour powders are numbered 1 oz jars, a wide palette for colour acrylic and nail art at a single size.

The grid also carries DND and DC acrylic and dip jars, with their own DND acrylic and dip page, Gelixir and LDS acrylic and dip colours, SNS Basics, and Entity sculpting powder in a 5 lb bucket with Entity sculpting liquid in 32 oz and 128 oz.

How to choose an acrylic powder

You sculpt pink and white or full sets every day: start with clear, cover and pink jars in the largest size you will finish, such as CND sheers or Pure White Opaque in 32 oz, Mia Secret 4 oz or 8 oz jars, or the LAVIS 12 oz Crystal Clear.
You want one jar for both acrylic and dip: pick a two-in-one line such as LAVIS, LDS or Kiara Sky All-In-One, so a single shade covers both services.
You build colour sets and nail art: numbered colour ranges such as LAVIS, Chaun Legend or Tony Ly give the widest choice per order.
You prefer one brand from prep to finish: V Beauty Pure, Mia Secret, Young Nails and CND each have powder, liquid and primer under one name.
You are setting up a first acrylic station: a ready-made kit, such as the Mia Secret or V Beauty Pure kits, puts powders together in one order.

Powder, liquid and primer by brand

Brand	Powder sizes	Matching liquid	Prep and primer
Mia Secret	Up to 8 oz on shades such as Pink	Liquid monomer 8, 16, 32 oz	Nail Prep dehydrator, XTRABOND acid-free primer
V Beauty Pure	1.5 oz, pigments 0.5 oz	EMA liquid 8, 32 oz	Dehydrator, Super Bond acid-free primer
Young Nails	45 g	Liquid monomer 6, 32 oz	Protein Bond keratin primer
CND	3.7 oz; 32 oz on several sheers and Pure White	Retention+ Sculpting Liquid	CND primer and prep
Kiara Sky	2 oz All-In-One	EMA liquid monomer 16 oz	No acrylic primer listed
LAVIS	1, 1.5 and 12 oz	EMA liquid 8 oz to 1 gallon	LAVIS acid-free dehydrator

Stock moves fast on liquids and large jars, so check each listing before you plan a restock around it.

The liquid: why EMA matters

Most liquids listed here are labelled EMA (ethyl methacrylate), and several brands state theirs is MMA-free, including Kiara Sky, V Beauty Pure and LAVIS. Each brand describes its own liquid as the best match for its own powder, and several say it also works with other professional acrylic powders; consistency and colour clarity are most predictable inside one system. All professional monomers carry a scent even when labelled low odor, so work with good ventilation. The full range of liquids, primers and dehydrators is gathered in liquid monomer and nail prep.

Prep and primer before the first bead

Retention starts before any powder touches the nail. The brands here follow the same order: push back the cuticle, shape and remove the shine, cleanse, dehydrate, then apply a thin coat of primer. The primers listed in this range are acid-free or non-acid formulas that air-dry in seconds, with no lamp. V Beauty Pure places its Super Bond after the dehydrator, and Chaun Legend advises keeping its primer off the skin. Lifting can come from this stage: a nail that was not cleaned or buffed well, or product flooded near the cuticle.

How an acrylic set goes on

Prep: cuticle work, shape, buff, cleanse, dehydrate and prime, as above.
Pour: a small amount of liquid into a clean dappen dish.
Pick up the bead: dip the brush in the liquid, then touch the powder to form a bead.
Place and sculpt: set the bead on the nail and sculpt it to shape and thickness, keeping product from flooding the cuticle.
Let it self-level and set: acrylic air-sets through the reaction between liquid and powder.
File and finish: once hard, file and buff, cap the free edge, and finish with a top coat.

Pro tip: a runny or dry bead usually comes down to the liquid-to-powder ratio. Too runny means too much liquid on the brush or a warm room; too dry means too little liquid or a very absorbent powder. Smaller beads give more control while you adjust.

Brushes and bench accessories

An acrylic brush carries the bead, so its belly size sets how much product you pick up. For longer sculpted nails, the usual range is a size 10 to 20 brush used with EMA liquid. The acrylic brush range includes Kolinsky and crystal handle brushes in sizes from #10 up, and the Chaun Legend collection adds its own Kolinsky sizes. Lint-free wipes, edge cutters and other bench pieces sit in acrylic accessories.

Fixing common acrylic problems

Sets too fast: the room is warm or there is too little liquid in the bead.
Sets too slow: the room is cool or the bead is too wet.
Lifting: recheck prep, keep product off the cuticle, keep the ratio neither too wet nor too dry, and cap the free edge.
Yellowing: use a non-yellowing monomer, keep brushes clean, avoid heat from heavy filing, store liquid sealed and away from sunlight, and finish with a UV-protective top coat.

Acrylic, dip or both

Dip suits short natural nails: powder plus a liquid system, no lamp. When the same powder goes on with EMA monomer and an acrylic brush, it builds harder and can carry length, which is why the two-in-one jars here are labelled for both. If a client wants a lighter, odor-free alternative to powder and liquid, builder gel is the other route, compared in our acrylic vs builder gel guide below.

Storing powder and liquid

Keep powder jars tightly closed and away from heat and sunlight so the texture stays consistent. Keep monomer sealed in a cool, dry, dark place; light and air can thicken or discolor it over time. Pour only a small amount into the dappen dish at a time.