I’m not a fan of going to the nail salon. It’s just too much face to face time with someone I don’t know and who is also wearing a face mask. I don’t know why that bothers me, but my socially awkward, introverted self can’t handle small talk for that extensive amount of time. I still like to occasionally have nice nails though, so for Christmas one year, I got one of those gel manicure kits.
It’s from Sensationail. They are sold at most drug stores, Walmarts, Targets or at your favorite on-line retailer. There are also other brands, too, like Sally Hansen. I would suggest you choose your kit on what brand name your most comfortable with. As long as you have the LED light and the different required coats, you can mix and match nail colors from different brands.
The kits run around $50 and you can usually find a coupon for them on-line. In your kit you will get an LED light, a nail cleaning solution, a gel primer, a gel polish and a gel base and top coat and a little nail file and a cuticle torture device. Yes, it is a lot of steps, but it is the same amount of steps as at the salon and you get to do it in the comfort of your own home while watching Dance Moms. In total, it takes about 30 – 45 minutes.
I’m not going to go step by step because there are great directions in the box, but I do want to share some tips I’ve found that are helpful.
Rub some Aquaphor on the skin surrounding your nail before you start polishing. The biggest culprit for chipping nails is when the polish pulls away from where it leaked onto your skin. The Aquaphor will not allow the paint to attach to the skin, which means less chipping!
When you paint your nails, think of it like cutting in when you’re painting a room, except WAY smaller. You know that fine line you get when cut in perfectly? Not too high on the ceiling, not too low? That’s what you’re looking for on your nails, too. You want to push the paint toward the cuticle, but not touch the cuticle, get it?
So here’s how my nails started:
And here is the pretty coral/peach after:
The box will tell you the manicure should last up to 10 days, similar to the results you should get from the salon. I don’t know if I’m particularly tough on my nails, but mine lasts more like 3 days (whether I do it myself, or I go to the salon), which for me is about 2.5 days longer than just slapping on regular nail polish. It is worth it to me because you do end up with pretty, shiny nails that look a notch above slapping on regular nail polish. I also love that the polish is totally dry as soon as you finish the final step, so once you’re done, you can do whatever you want and not worry about whether or not the nails are dry yet. If I remember correctly, a gel manicure at my salon was $25 and the kit is supposed to be enough for about 10 manicures, so it is worth the investment if you look at it that way.
If you’re a nail person who doesn’t want to go to the salon every couple of weeks, I would recommend trying a kit. It would make a great Mother’s Day present!
