I got a $110 gel manicure and compared it to a $38 at-home kit. The price difference is clear, but so were the results.

• I tried a $38 gel-manicure kit and compared it to my usual $110 professional gel set.

• In a time crunch, I could see why the at-home kit could be useful, but it's a lot of work.

• For quality alone, I'd rather pay nearly three times as much to get my nails done professionally.

I get my nails done about once a month, which can certainly dig into my budget, so I'm always looking for money-saving hacks.

My standard structured-gel manicure costs $110, and I wanted to see if a $38 at-home polish kit could come close to the professional results.

I compared the manicures based on their application processes, aesthetics, longevity, and nail health upon removal.

Here's how they stacked up.

The at-home kit took some effort.

I'm not too experienced with applying gel polish, so the Le Mini Macaron at-home kit took me about an hour.

I started with cuticle and nail prep before applying two coats of polish and curing each individual nail under the UV lamp.

I'm used to lengthy nail appointments, so I wasn't surprised or bothered by the amount of time this took — especially since I could do it from the comfort of my home.

I was much more relaxed during the professional manicure, even if it took longer.

My structured manicure took a total of two hours and involved cuticle and nail prep, three coats of gel polish, and nail art. It didn't feel that long, but I also had to travel 20 to 30 minutes to my nail tech and back.

Similar to the at-home manicure, the first coat of polish was a thin layer followed by a thicker one. However, in this case, the layers built up the apex of my natural nail to hopefully avoid long-term breakage.

Gel can sometimes be tricky to work with and even cause allergic reactions if applied improperly, so I was able to relax much more during the professional manicure.

I went with a very simple set at home.

My at-home kit came with nail stickers, but I chose to stick with a uniform light blue on every nail.

Although it was simple, the polish still had that authentic, shiny gel look. I liked how it had a fresh salon-quality feel, too.

I let the nail artist work their magic on the design.

For my structured manicure, I went for a gaudy look with gold chrome powder and colorful gemstones.

This added to the length of the appointment and took creative collaboration between me and my nail tech during the appointment, but I loved it.

The flashy mani was definitely more up my alley, but I could see both manicures being great fits for different occasions.

My at-home set started to chip fairly quickly.

The one major downside of my at-home manicure was its longevity.

The kit says that the polish can last up to 14 days, but I used it ahead of a trip to Mexico and noticed chips early in my travels. In the end, I noticed imperfections appearing within five days.

Luckily, the kit's mini lamp is small enough for travel and allowed me to do immediate touch-ups on chips. Some of my cover-ups came out bumpy from the uneven layering, but it wasn't an all-around awful look.

A structured manicure's strong suit is longevity.

Structured manicures are supposed to last three to four weeks, and mine made it the full four while staying mostly intact.

Although there was obvious nail growth and a handful of gems fell off, the polish didn't chip at all.

Removing my gel at home was simple.

Le Mini Macaron's at-home kit came with gel-removal packets for each nail.

I thoroughly loved the user-friendly design of the removal process. I just inserted each nail into a packet, wrapped it tightly around my finger, and waited as the liquid broke down the polish.

Although there were some bits left over that I had to file off, it was refreshing not to have to go to a salon to properly remove gel polish.

After, I thought my nails looked a little thinner and felt more malleable than before.

I think my nails looked better after the structured manicure.

I knew I'd have to go to a salon to remove my structured manicure, especially due to the 3D gel and gemstones. The removal took about 45 minutes and cost $15 — raising the total cost of the experience to $125.

When my manicure was removed, I noticed the tips of my nails looked thin. However, the majority of them seemed stronger and healthier than after I used the at-home kit.

Despite the price tag, I ultimately preferred the structured manicure.

Le Mini Macaron's at-home gel kit was super user-friendly. The directions were clear and easy to follow, making an expensive experience more accessible.

Plus, you can use the kit again and again, making it an even better value for future manicures.

However, overall, I prefer a professional structured manicure for its longevity and nail-health benefits.

Paying nearly three times more for the professional application, builder gel, nail art, and removal was worth it to me.

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