Showing posts with label Shellac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shellac. Show all posts
Monday, 28 January 2013
And my new favourite colour is...
(I paid £15 for mine in Boots. Delivery is £3 unless order over £25)
As you all no doubt know by now I am obsessed with Gel Nail Polish. I absolutely love adding to my collection and now do my own Gel Nail Polish Manicure at home.
I have three Sensationail colours now (pink chiffon and coral sunset are the others) and I absolutely love them.
As with all at home gel polishes, I find I have to redo them in around 7 days but I am hard on my nails, an excessive typer and cleaner, and I love a change within that time anyway! It's super easy to apply also.
I absolutely love this colour and have been getting nothing but compliments all day.
Next colour is going to be Sugar Plum I think!!
Saturday, 24 November 2012
So I thought I would give you a quick run down of how I remove my gel polish at home, without the need to go to a salon and pay for the service!
1. Get your Acetone ready (you can pick this up at boots for like £3)
2. Cut up tinfoil and kitchen roll, or cotton wool - your choice and have a nail file handy
3. File the posh gently to take off the top shine (not necessary but apparently makes it quicker)
4. Put some acetone on the kitchen roll and place it on top of your nail
5. Then wrap the nail and kitchen roll in tinfoil ensuring that the foil is wrapped around tightly
6. Repeat for all nails and leave on for 10 - 15 minutes.
7. Remove from nails and your nails should be clean, if not gently remove the rest with an orange stick (as long as you don't need to scrape - if you do - you need to soak for longer!)
End result is...
Nice gel polish free clean nails!
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Hey lovelies!!!
Hope your week is going well! I'm on the countdown to my holiday now - tres excited! 4 days until I'm in Egypt! Woo!
Anyway, you obviously now know that I'm obsessed with Gel Nail polish.
It started with Shellac. Ahhhh 2 weeks of beautifully polished nails. That are now long for the first time in my life, all because the polish acts like a protective layer on my nails stopping them from breaking. Result.
However, I'm moving to Manchester this month and that means I can no longer get my nails done as cheap. Booooo. Plus the experience I did have left a LOT to be desired for. I won't name names but a very poor salon experience.
So, cue the at home gel polish kit! What a life saver. I bought the red carpet manicure system because its pretty cheap and there are a good few American reviews out there (seems to be more popular there at the moment).
Sensationail (by Nailene) also do an at home kit too. Obviously I won't be buying the whole system as I love the red carpet manicure one, but because it's sold in Boots it's a lot easier to just buy a polish when passing.
Which is what I did.
And I'm so glad. This is my favourite at home gel polish so far. I love the colour and it applied so nicely. It has a finer brush than the rcm ones which means you can get right to the edge without accidentally catching your skin with polish!
I absolutely love it! And I am definitely getting more colours now! I just hope they bring out even more in time....
Hope your week is going well! I'm on the countdown to my holiday now - tres excited! 4 days until I'm in Egypt! Woo!
Anyway, you obviously now know that I'm obsessed with Gel Nail polish.
It started with Shellac. Ahhhh 2 weeks of beautifully polished nails. That are now long for the first time in my life, all because the polish acts like a protective layer on my nails stopping them from breaking. Result.
However, I'm moving to Manchester this month and that means I can no longer get my nails done as cheap. Booooo. Plus the experience I did have left a LOT to be desired for. I won't name names but a very poor salon experience.
So, cue the at home gel polish kit! What a life saver. I bought the red carpet manicure system because its pretty cheap and there are a good few American reviews out there (seems to be more popular there at the moment).
Sensationail (by Nailene) also do an at home kit too. Obviously I won't be buying the whole system as I love the red carpet manicure one, but because it's sold in Boots it's a lot easier to just buy a polish when passing.
Which is what I did.
And I'm so glad. This is my favourite at home gel polish so far. I love the colour and it applied so nicely. It has a finer brush than the rcm ones which means you can get right to the edge without accidentally catching your skin with polish!
I absolutely love it! And I am definitely getting more colours now! I just hope they bring out even more in time....
Saturday, 9 June 2012
The difficulty this time though was what colour to have - I mean the weather is vile so a summery one is out but then I didn't want a dark wintery one either!
So I opted for what I like to call 'Lady' nails!
A lovely French polish. It was a teeny bit more expensive but only by £3.
Hoping that I don't get bored of this one! The pink I had last time got annoying and didn't last well either!!!
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Obviously though, with it lasting so long you need a colour that you won't get too bored with. Which is tough. I love dark colours for that, it is easier to get tired with bright colours.
Dark colours can also seem a bit out of place in these months. So this time I went for a nude. I wanted a little more character to it though so I had a shimmer put on top also.
The colour combination is cocoa and iced coral. I like the combination but I must say, I thought it would be more of a gold shimmer than the greeny tinge it has!! I still like it but I think I need to opt for a more gold shimmer next time!
There are loads of colour combinations online which are much more exciting which is great for a bit of variety!
What do you think?
Anyone else mix colours when having a gel manicure?
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
 |
| The Process |
 |
| Before |
 |
| After (No.1) |
 |
| After (No.2) |
As a lot of you will know, I've become addicted to getting a gel manicure. It has meant that my once short, uneven and downright nasty nails have actually grown without breaking off and look nice and neat for 2 weeks at a time.
The process involved is basically a gel base coat, 2 layers of gel polish and then a gel top coat. All cured under a 36watt UV lamp.
I really enjoy going and getting them done and my nail technician is both good and lovely and she only charges £15.
Now I know in the grand scheme of things £15 isn't that much, however I go every two weeks - therefore it ends up being £30/month. That's ok but I'm trying to save a deposit for a house so any chance I have to shave off the monthly outgoings is good to me.
So when KGB had a deal for a gel manicure set for £79 I thought why not and that I would have made my money back in a few months.
So firstly - the kit. It's by Gellure - one of the many at home manicure brands it's hard to find much out about. They have one video on YouTube and that is it. They sell through BodyReform.
When considering whether or not to purchase I had a look for some reviews and there weren't many, but the couple I found were positive.
So, usage then.
Not great. First thing to note is the lamp is 9 watt only. My heart literally sank when I saw this. I had attempted to contact them to ask on YouTube but hadn't had a reply and maybe I shouldn't have purchased on this basis but stupidly I assumed it could only be 36watt.
So obviously, curing time is longer. I can handle that. What I couldn't really stand was the fact the actual gel polish was a NIGHTMARE to apply and full of fibres!!! I couldn't believe it. So basically, I'd apply a layer or part of one and then the brush would pull it off with the next stroke. Painful.
Anyway, I applied a much thicker coat the second time and it made it a bit better but I'd say slightly uneven in terms of finish. Definitely not rivalling Shellac. Top coat on and cured and the result was as shown above (after no.1)
The random thumb picture is to demonstrate that curing won't work on thumbs unless you do them separately, as the cleanser you use at the end just dragged it back off!
I could see that within a day though it just wasn't going to last so I applied a further coat and top coat which resulted in after no.2. Which was a little dark but much better finish.
And now to wearability. My nails feel like paper again, despite the layers being as thick as when I have had Shellac. It's just not a strong and has resulted in 3 nail breaks. Unhappy times.
What I would say though is that aside from the broken nails it has lasted in terms of chips etc. I'm on day 13 today and it's still in tact, but it doesn't look as fresh or shiny as Shellac.
Overall thoughts?
Not the best quality. If you want a long lasting nail colour then this may be ok for you. If you want strength too, maybe not.
For me this wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, but it will do for emergencies - like if I can't make a nail appointment one week. I don't think though that I would recommend it.
The process involved is basically a gel base coat, 2 layers of gel polish and then a gel top coat. All cured under a 36watt UV lamp.
I really enjoy going and getting them done and my nail technician is both good and lovely and she only charges £15.
Now I know in the grand scheme of things £15 isn't that much, however I go every two weeks - therefore it ends up being £30/month. That's ok but I'm trying to save a deposit for a house so any chance I have to shave off the monthly outgoings is good to me.
So when KGB had a deal for a gel manicure set for £79 I thought why not and that I would have made my money back in a few months.
So firstly - the kit. It's by Gellure - one of the many at home manicure brands it's hard to find much out about. They have one video on YouTube and that is it. They sell through BodyReform.
When considering whether or not to purchase I had a look for some reviews and there weren't many, but the couple I found were positive.
So, usage then.
Not great. First thing to note is the lamp is 9 watt only. My heart literally sank when I saw this. I had attempted to contact them to ask on YouTube but hadn't had a reply and maybe I shouldn't have purchased on this basis but stupidly I assumed it could only be 36watt.
So obviously, curing time is longer. I can handle that. What I couldn't really stand was the fact the actual gel polish was a NIGHTMARE to apply and full of fibres!!! I couldn't believe it. So basically, I'd apply a layer or part of one and then the brush would pull it off with the next stroke. Painful.
Anyway, I applied a much thicker coat the second time and it made it a bit better but I'd say slightly uneven in terms of finish. Definitely not rivalling Shellac. Top coat on and cured and the result was as shown above (after no.1)
The random thumb picture is to demonstrate that curing won't work on thumbs unless you do them separately, as the cleanser you use at the end just dragged it back off!
I could see that within a day though it just wasn't going to last so I applied a further coat and top coat which resulted in after no.2. Which was a little dark but much better finish.
And now to wearability. My nails feel like paper again, despite the layers being as thick as when I have had Shellac. It's just not a strong and has resulted in 3 nail breaks. Unhappy times.
What I would say though is that aside from the broken nails it has lasted in terms of chips etc. I'm on day 13 today and it's still in tact, but it doesn't look as fresh or shiny as Shellac.
Overall thoughts?
Not the best quality. If you want a long lasting nail colour then this may be ok for you. If you want strength too, maybe not.
For me this wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, but it will do for emergencies - like if I can't make a nail appointment one week. I don't think though that I would recommend it.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
OK, so I have literally walked in the house, got the MacBook out and started taking pictures. This is all because i want to share with you my love of Shellac!
Seriously, it is just divine. This is my 4th manicure using it and I seriously wouldn't stop now. It's just amazing. My nails look nicer, it lasts for 2 weeks at least and it is just divine.
In particular, today's colour - Hot Chillis. How fit. haha. I hardly say that now but today it is warranted.
Eeek amazingness!! I want this colour forever!
It's the perfect combination between red and pink and will go with pretty much everything. I am sure there will be a few raised eyebrows at work next week but ah well - it's going to be there for 2 weeks so may as well get used to it!!
Anyway, what I wanted to say really was for anyone thinking of trying Shellac just go for it. I was hesitant at first and I am so glad I have now used it. It is amazing. It lasts and rarely chips. (I think that is due to the solar oil also). I could go for 3 weeks without changing but the grow out is too much!
My nails have never been as nice or long naturally and it is all down to this!!
Does anyone else get this done and share the love!?
Seriously, it is just divine. This is my 4th manicure using it and I seriously wouldn't stop now. It's just amazing. My nails look nicer, it lasts for 2 weeks at least and it is just divine.
In particular, today's colour - Hot Chillis. How fit. haha. I hardly say that now but today it is warranted.
It's the perfect combination between red and pink and will go with pretty much everything. I am sure there will be a few raised eyebrows at work next week but ah well - it's going to be there for 2 weeks so may as well get used to it!!
Anyway, what I wanted to say really was for anyone thinking of trying Shellac just go for it. I was hesitant at first and I am so glad I have now used it. It is amazing. It lasts and rarely chips. (I think that is due to the solar oil also). I could go for 3 weeks without changing but the grow out is too much!
My nails have never been as nice or long naturally and it is all down to this!!
Does anyone else get this done and share the love!?
Sunday, 18 March 2012
So off I went to the salon on Saturday to get my nails done again. I was very excited with it being the second time I have ever had Shellac done.
My previous colour was growing out and I couldn't wait for a change.
I went with the intention of going lighter this time, but as soon as I was shown this colour I couldn't resist.
I must say, given that the colour I had on my toes was near enough the same - it felt like fate!
I absolutely love this colour, it pretty much goes with everything and what you can see here is that it has a shimmer in it which is just so pretty.
Now I promised you an update before I changed my colour so here are my nails at 11 days...
As you can see my nails had grown quite a lot and I desperately needed to sort out my thumb nail. Which we did by using some nail glue before adding the shellac polish when putting the new colour on.
All in all though I think not bad at all considering it had been on for 11 days. I am almost certain that I would have made it to 14 days without any further chips - which is good because it makes the treatment totally worth while.
In terms of the thumb - that was just bad luck. In all honesty, for me I am already a convert and addicted because usually all my nails do this and whilst they grow quickly, they usually break as quick, so I am definitely excited to see how my nails are after a couple more weeks!
What do you think this time ladies of the colour? Anyone else a recent Shellac convert!?
My previous colour was growing out and I couldn't wait for a change.
I went with the intention of going lighter this time, but as soon as I was shown this colour I couldn't resist.
I must say, given that the colour I had on my toes was near enough the same - it felt like fate!
I absolutely love this colour, it pretty much goes with everything and what you can see here is that it has a shimmer in it which is just so pretty.
Now I promised you an update before I changed my colour so here are my nails at 11 days...
As you can see my nails had grown quite a lot and I desperately needed to sort out my thumb nail. Which we did by using some nail glue before adding the shellac polish when putting the new colour on.
All in all though I think not bad at all considering it had been on for 11 days. I am almost certain that I would have made it to 14 days without any further chips - which is good because it makes the treatment totally worth while.
In terms of the thumb - that was just bad luck. In all honesty, for me I am already a convert and addicted because usually all my nails do this and whilst they grow quickly, they usually break as quick, so I am definitely excited to see how my nails are after a couple more weeks!
What do you think this time ladies of the colour? Anyone else a recent Shellac convert!?
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
So, as promised, here are my nails 7 days on from being done...
I've been using my solar oil twice daily and on the whole, aside from grow out I think they have faired pretty well, although I did chip my right thumb when I got to work this morning. I basically caught it against the hard buckle on my bag but head on. If it had been my own nail I'm sure it would have just snapped off, so in a way a chip isn't that much of a prob. That said, technically I should have 7 days left.
The chip is desperately trying to peel down my thumb nail but as its not come off completely I've tried to almost press it back to the shape of my nail. It seems to be working, for now...
I'm still really happy about these though. Primarily, I got them done so my nails will grown underneath which is working so far.
In terms of the look I'm still getting compliments and my nails still look shiny and neat on my other fingers.
Unless things go horribly wrong I'll update again on saturday before I get them done again which will be 11 days.
Back to the solar oil...
I've been using my solar oil twice daily and on the whole, aside from grow out I think they have faired pretty well, although I did chip my right thumb when I got to work this morning. I basically caught it against the hard buckle on my bag but head on. If it had been my own nail I'm sure it would have just snapped off, so in a way a chip isn't that much of a prob. That said, technically I should have 7 days left.
The chip is desperately trying to peel down my thumb nail but as its not come off completely I've tried to almost press it back to the shape of my nail. It seems to be working, for now...
I'm still really happy about these though. Primarily, I got them done so my nails will grown underneath which is working so far.
In terms of the look I'm still getting compliments and my nails still look shiny and neat on my other fingers.
Unless things go horribly wrong I'll update again on saturday before I get them done again which will be 11 days.
Back to the solar oil...
Sunday, 11 March 2012
So I had my first Shellac Manicure on Tuesday. My sister has been having it done for a few months now and I have intended to - only hadn't got around to it.
For those of you that don't know, Shellac is a "power polish" which has the ease of nail polish with the performance of gels. It should last around 14 days and (provided professionally removed) should not damage nails. You apply a base coat and dry under UV lamp, two coats of polish and two times dried under lamp and a final top coat also dried under UV lamp. I'd say it takes around an hour.
So whilst I was off work on holiday before my trip to Amsterdam (which by the way was amazing!) I nipped to a local salon and paid £15 for this lovely job...
For those of you that don't know, Shellac is a "power polish" which has the ease of nail polish with the performance of gels. It should last around 14 days and (provided professionally removed) should not damage nails. You apply a base coat and dry under UV lamp, two coats of polish and two times dried under lamp and a final top coat also dried under UV lamp. I'd say it takes around an hour.
So whilst I was off work on holiday before my trip to Amsterdam (which by the way was amazing!) I nipped to a local salon and paid £15 for this lovely job...
I so love them!! Sadly, I had got my nails a little longer than this pre-manicure but two broke the day before (typical) so the lady tidied them up so that they should grow into a nice shape.
Today is Sunday and I am 5 days in with no chips so far - there is a little bit of grow out but not so as you would notice. They aren't quite as shiny now, but definitely not dull either. I will do a 7 day picture update, but I am getting them done next saturday so that will be the 11th day - which I will photograph too but you will have to wait until next time for the full 14 day update.
I am already excited for my next colour - I suppose that is the only draw back - you can get a little bored of the same colour for so long!
What do you think ladies? Do any of you have this done?
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