Beetles GEL Has a New Formula? A Full Swatch Party (and Ingredient Reality Check)

Grab your snacks and popcorn because we are doing a full swatch party with Beetles gel nail kits. This haul was heavy on cute packaging and overflowing accessories, but the big story is the “new formula” claim and what showed up when the bottles and ingredients were inspected.

I am going to keep it real: some base and top coat options are labeled with a HEMA alternative, but some glitter and specialty items still appear to include HEMA-related ingredients. So if you are sensitive, this matters. If you are not, you still get helpful swatch notes on pigmentation, opacity, brush behavior, and magnetic effects.

Table of Contents

• The Big Heart Box: What Comes Inside (Plus the Ingredient Transparency)
• Swatch Notes: Valentine Heart Colors, Coverage, and Buildability
• Smaller Heart Box: Same Theme, More Budget-Friendly
• Beetles Cat Eye Glint: 10 Magnetic Shades With a “Light Show” Effect
• Winter Fantasy (30 Colors): The Coverage and Pigment Test
• “Almost Okay,” “Urban Solitude,” and Pro-Grade Gel Art Paints
• Taste of Spring: Bakery-Themed Packaging That Still Comes With Real Supplies
• So In Love Glitter Topcoat Kit: Pretty, But Not HEMA-Free (FYI)
• So… Is the New Beetles Formula Worth It?
• FAQ
• Final Thoughts

The Big Heart Box: What Comes Inside (Plus the Ingredient Transparency)

The first thing that hit me was the packaging. The “big heart” box is literally heavy, and it opens up into multiple trays with a mix of gel products, nail art items, and tools. It is the kind of gift box you want to keep, not throw away.

Highlights from the big heart kit

• Gel polishes in a Valentine pink and red range
• Base coat and top coat (labeled as having a HEMA alternative)
• Glitter top coat and specialty items like foil gel and gel art polish
• Cuticle oil with a charm pouch setup
• Tools and accessories including dual-ended cuticle tools, a nail art brush set, tweezers, and a heart magnet system
• Tip nails and press-ons with heart cutouts
• Nail stand pieces and nail art stickers

Now for the part that changes how you should think about “HEMA-free.” When the back-of-box ingredient info was checked, the base coat and top coat were described as having a HEMA alternative. But the glitter top coat and some other gel art items appeared to still contain HEMA or HEMA-related ingredients.

If you have ever had a reaction to Beetles before, the safest move is simple: do not use it again. For anyone who is extremely sensitive, treat these products like chemistry, not like candy. Nail products are still chemical systems, even when the marketing is cute.

Practical tip: do your own ingredient check on the exact kit you buy. Labels and ingredient lists can vary by product line.

Swatch Notes: Valentine Heart Colors, Coverage, and Buildability

These swatches focused on Valentine vibes, but they also show you how the formulas behave. A lot of the pink and red shades were smooth and easy to work with, and many looked great after one to two coats depending on opacity.

What stood out while swatching

• Opacity and smoothness: several colors looked rich and pigmented, with good coverage quickly
• Two coats deepen the color: the jelly and sheer shades especially benefited from a second layer
• Brush behavior: the base coat brush felt nice; the top coat brush could be a little larger for bigger nail areas, but it was precise
• Glitter top coat: hearts can be “swirled” or arranged before curing for a decorative look
• Specialty gel art polish: the white gel art option was usable for fine lines, but the pigmentation was not my favorite compared to other whites

And yes, the heart magnet effect was attempted. It does take practice, and the strength of the magnet tool matters. The effect is there, just do not expect it to behave like a magic trick on the first try.

Smaller Heart Box: Same Theme, More Budget-Friendly

The smaller version of the heart packaging was more economical. It still included a very similar gel color lineup and core base and top coats, but with fewer “extra” pieces.

Big difference: the smaller set gave fewer accessories overall, while the big one included more tools, lamp options, and extra nail elements like tip nails, press-ons, and more styling goodies.

Beetles Cat Eye Glint: 10 Magnetic Shades With a “Light Show” Effect

The Cat Eye Glint kit is a different vibe. You get 10 colors with magnetic cat-eye particles. The fun part is that the effect is visible in bright studio lighting and becomes extra dramatic with a flash or strong angle movement.

Swatch highlights

• Viscosity: these magnetic gels had the kind of thickness I like, not watery
• Magnetic particles: the particles looked fine and evenly distributed
• Gold and steel tones: the gold shade was gorgeous, and the steel with an iridescent undertone had that “premium sparkle” energy
• Sheer jelly look: one color was more syrupy and sheer, but still showed the magnetic effect
• Movement matters: you need to pick up the nail and angle it to see the full cat-eye line and shimmer

One shade became my favorite while testing in different light. It was gray-ish with an iridescent shift that my camera struggled to capture, but it was absolutely the “wow” moment.

Winter Fantasy (30 Colors): The Coverage and Pigment Test

Next up was the Winter Fantasy kit with 30 colors. The packaging felt more “up in their game” compared to older Beetles styles, with a swatch chart and a stand that makes organization easier.

This set included base and top coats, plus a cuticle oil. It is also where the HEMA alternative claims were heavily emphasized across the lineup.

Swatch results that matter

• One coat coverage for many shades: multiple colors looked fully opaque after one coat
• Blues were especially true: you could tell some of these were designed to deliver an actual navy blue tone, not a teal-leaning “almost” shade
• Dark colors may want two coats: especially for deeper greens and near-black shades, a second coat helps intensity
• Self-leveling effect: lines reduced as the gel settled, and the finish looked consistent
• Glitter toppers: the glitter shades were good as standalone sparkle or as layering toppers

Also, bottle size was noted. The Winter Fantasy colors were 10 ml each, which is not tiny but it is not full-size like some of the bigger kits either. You are getting a lot of shade variety, so it makes sense.

“Almost Okay,” “Urban Solitude,” and Pro-Grade Gel Art Paints

Beetles also sent pro-style gel art paint kits, and the brand leaned hard into the aesthetic theme with names and moods. These include “almost okay,” “urban solitude,” and more, with matching polish and art paint systems.

What I noticed about the pro art paints

• Thicker paint consistency: made it easier to do crisp lines for nail art
• Seal and clean: once it dries/cures, it cleans up well and does not look like it bleeds into everything
• Gold and silver performance: silver seemed to have more shimmer impact than the gold in this test
• Brush options: the included liner brush setup is useful, but nail art tools always take personal preference into account

Important: gel art paints were also part of the ingredient conversation. The ingredient checks indicated that not everything is HEMA-free in every product type. So if you buy “HEMA-free” kits, make sure you check both the polish system and the art paints.

Taste of Spring: Bakery-Themed Packaging That Still Comes With Real Supplies

Then came the “Taste of Spring” set, which looks like a cute bakery box. Inside, there was a full unboxing setup with gel polishes, base and top coats, cuticle oil, a nail lamp, and a bunch of accessories.

There was also handmade soap and desk-style toppers that looked almost like tiny napkin sheets (which was honestly adorable, and also made me briefly think it was something else at first).

Included nail art and styling extras

• nail art brush kit with cute themed handles
• rhinestone glue and cuticle oil charms
• silicone molds for gel builder shapes
• press-on French tips in a pastel palette
• tips in almond-short styling with a large piece count and multiple sizes

And then there was the part that made me side-eye the marketing slightly: the packaging claimed HEMA-free with an asterisk, but the ingredient list still showed HEMA in at least some gel components (especially specialty items like glitter or certain adhesives). The “asterisk meaning” sounded like “we do not intentionally add HEMA,” but the actual ingredient list still included it in specific items.

That is why the ingredient check matters. If you are buying for sensitivity reasons, do not buy based only on the headline claim.

So In Love Glitter Topcoat Kit: Pretty, But Not HEMA-Free (FYI)

The “So In Love” glitter topcoat kit is exactly what you think: glitter top gels with charm elements and a magnet system. The ingredient check for this kit indicated it is not HEMA-free, so this one is especially important to flag for anyone with sensitivity concerns.

Glitter top gel swatch impressions

• Heart glitter toppers: very cute layered over other colors
• Lip and opalescent glitter options: shifting sparkle effects that can turn a nude or pastel into something fun
• Some containers have less “visible” glitter: a few jars had smaller amounts of glitter pieces, meaning you may need to pick through them for the best look
• Gunmetal moody shade: surprising in the best way, with a wearable dark shimmer

If you want a quick rule: glitter top gels are not always the safest bet for “HEMA-free” shopping, because specialty particles and adhesives often include different ingredients.

So… Is the New Beetles Formula Worth It?

This is the million dollar question, and it comes with a messy answer, because Beetles has different product lines and different ingredient profiles inside the same “kit” concept.

Here is the balanced take based on the experience shared:

• Performance: many colors looked high quality for the price, with great pigment and smooth self-leveling behavior
• Aesthetics: the packaging and accessories are honestly top-tier gift-able bundles
• Ingredient reality: base coats and top coats may use HEMA alternatives in some kits, but some specialty items still show HEMA-related ingredients
• Sensitivity: if you have reacted to Beetles before, do not gamble again
• Reformulation question: the SDS updates and transparency are a step forward, but you still need to check the exact item list

If you are not sensitive, the swatches suggest the newer formulas perform well and look polished. If you are sensitive, you need to treat every kit component as separate: base, polish, top, glitter, art paint, and adhesives.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

If your goal is a cute Valentine or pastel nail moment, these Beetles kits deliver in both pigment and presentation. The formulas feel smoother and more “serious” than the super-cheap era of gel products, at least based on the swatch behavior here.

But if your goal is safety due to sensitivity, do not buy only based on a headline label. Check the exact ingredient list for the base coat, top coat, glitter top coat, gel art polish, and any adhesives included in the kit.

Pink and red are always in style to me, and these bundles make it easy to create looks quickly, especially with the magnets, toppers, and accessories built right in.