When I saw all of my friends getting gel nails done, I knew I wanted them, too. I never paint my nails because they always chip so quickly. But I also don’t really like going to the salon (or the salon prices). Gel nails are the perfect solution because they are supposed to last for up to 14 days. So I asked my husband to get me a gel nail set for Christmas. He did all of the research and ended up buying me the following:
- Salon Edge 36W UV Lamp
- Gelish Basix Kit (including cleanser, soak off remover, foundation base, top it off, PH bond, and cuticle oil)
- 4 different Gelish polish colors
Altogether I would say that he spent about $100 for the different pieces. A gel manicure runs around $25-30 so I would need to do them myself 4 times to come out ahead.
So how does it work? I was a little worried that I would not be able to pull it off myself because I have no real manicure experience. I hardly even paint my nails! I read on some forums that you shouldn’t even try it at home because it is too difficult. That wasn’t my experience at all. You do have to follow the instructions and it takes several layers to get everything set. In between each layer you put your hands under the UV light.
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The first time that I did it the gel polish never nicked or scratched but started to peel off of my nails after 4 days. I realized that I had put it on too heavy and there was some pooling around my cuticles.
The second time that I did it, I was more careful to only use thin layers of polish and Top It Off. I did them before I went to Vegas and 10 days later they still look like this:
I loved being able to do my nails before I left and not having to worry about them getting ruined while I was gone all week. I washed my hands constantly while I was in Vegas and rubbed them with lotions and antibacterial gel every couple of hours (the flu was going around!). At no point did it ever feel like the polish was lifting or moving on me.
If you are considering doing the gel nails yourself and do not mind spending the time, I would definitely recommend the Gelish line. Great products, pretty colors!
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