Monday 24 June 2013

Review of Gel Nail Polish

In my 'Nailed it! (or not...) post, I made a resolution to take better care of my nails. I am happy to announce that I am finally trying to keep my promise!

Last week it was my Mum's birthday party (post about that coming up soon!) and, as a treat for both of us, my Dad treated us to having our nails done. My Mum has been having gel polish applied every 4 weeks for about a year now and swears by it so I was really excited when she announced I was having mine done.


For anyone who doesn't know, here are some points about gel polish:

1. It lasts up to 4 weeks

2. It applies the same as any other nail polish

3. It is dried by a UV light

4. It takes longer than normal nail polish

5. It is removed by soaking the nails in special remover, covering in foil for half an hour or so and then scraping off with a special scraper

6. The particular salon I went to charged £15 for a clean set and £20 for removal of the former polish and a clean set- this will vary from salon to salon but from what I have found this is pretty standard price.

It wasn't a full on manicure, they just filed them and tidied up my cuticles but that's all I wanted really. 

I went for a light pink colour to match the rest of my outfit.

 
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So now I've had the polish on for over a week and it's still holding up pretty strong. A few chips here and there but that is most likely down to me rather than the quality of the polish. It dried almost immediately and feels so much stronger than normal nail polish. Once you've had it done a few times, your nails will begin to strengthen in response to the strength of the polish and it's stopped me from biting them which is a complete result for me. 

From now on it will cost £20 per time. Seems expensive, but when you break it down it's actually good value for money. It lasts longer, it barely chips, it strengthens your nails, it stops all of the biters from biting them and, it doesn't prevent or hinder their growth. 

If you haven't tried it then I recommend you do, even if it's just for a one off cheeky treat!

The brand of polish the beautician used on me was Opi Gel Colour but you can get a gel manicure from Nails Inc and other nail brands as well. There are also some home kits you can buy, but from what I've seen they are pretty pricey- good value in the long run, but a hefty one off price. 

If you aren't totally sold then Barry M have a range of gel effect nail paints that you could try out called 'Gelly Hi-Shine' which are only £3.99. Personally, I haven't tried them but if any of you have, let me know what they are like! 

The only downside to this type of polish is it's a complete pain to remove if you don't want a new set. I'm sure you can just go back to your salon and ask for it to be removed, but, as with acrylics, your nails do look a bit of a sorry sight afterwards and you have to pay for removal- only about a fiver or so but still.  

Have you used Gel polish before? Would you recommend it too?

Have a lovely day everyone! 




3 comments:

  1. I haven't tried the gel nail polishes before, but I have tried shellac and I love it. The color usually lasts for 3 weeks without chipping.

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    Replies
    1. Ohhhh haven't tried that yet, I shall give it a go! Thanks for the comment- following you now :)

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  2. thank you for reading it!

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