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Original poster

Home nail gel kits

49 replies

rockybalboa · 19/04/2015 15:28

I miss having gel nails but since moving house and giving up work I can't afford it. Gelish used to last me 2 weeks, Bio Sculpture 3-4 weeks. My home manicure with Seche Vite base and top coats lasts 4 days tops and I'd like a bit more longevity. Does anyone have personal experience of any of the home gel kits and can make recommendations or ones to avoid? I assume the kits you get at home are the 2 min curing time ones rather than the faster new ones in some salons?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

chocolateyy · 20/04/2015 19:35

Hi MiloCat, I use a sanitiser first, and give my nails a light buff first, so the base coat has something to adhere to. (make sure you don't have any dust left on your nails, or you'll get lumpy bits!)

Then you'll need your base coat, 2 or 3 coats of colour, then your top coat. After you're done you need finishing wipe (or just rubbing alcohol) to get rid of the tackiness.

I use CND base & top coat. And I get my colours from e-bay (Bluesky or the like) and I've never had any issues at all.

Remember to get your acetone too for removal

MiloCat · 20/04/2015 19:49

Great, thanks chocolateyy. Where can I get the sanitiser, finishing wipes and acetone from? eBay?

stoopstofolly · 20/04/2015 19:50

I use sensationail- using the standard gel I get about10 days good wear out of them, which is only a few days less that I used to get with the salon application. However my new discovery is sensationail gel nail shields. You stick them over clean smooth nails (no need to buff and scratch your nails) and then do the gel manicure over the top. Then, to take off, you just soak your hands in water for about 10 mins, get some tweezers and they just peel off. No soaking. No ruined nails. I get one weeks wear out of them instead if 2, but it's a full week with no chips or lifting, which is better than normal polish, and my nails are much stronger because of the gel polish.

IfYoureHappyAndYouKnowIt · 20/04/2015 20:35

Blimey I just watched the shield video. Amazing.

IfYoureHappyAndYouKnowIt · 20/04/2015 20:45

I must say .. I think that the Sensationail stuff is pretty much the same as a salon treatment. I've not noticed a difference.

itsbetterthanabox · 20/04/2015 23:24

Reactions are cumulative due to overexposure. You may be fine now but that doesn't mean it will last.
I'd be wary of any nail tech using bluesky. It's not a pro brand and its a dodgy rip off. You sure they are qualified?

Original poster

rockybalboa · 21/04/2015 11:43

Now ordered so I will report back next week once I've manicured and seen how it lasts! My Seche Vite topped (and based) nails are chipping at a rapid rate so I really hope this work!

OP posts:

passmethewineplease · 21/04/2015 17:18

itsbetter actually BS was actually at The Beauty Show which shows that it is rebuilding its rep. Granted they got off to bad start but they aren't the devil as some nail techs make them out to be. I know loads who use it and get zero complaints.

chocolateyy · 21/04/2015 20:47

Sorry Milocat, yes, just from e-bay. Or, if you have a friend with a Sally's card? Their own brand stuff is pretty decent.

MiloCat · 22/04/2015 11:25

Thanks :).

Original poster

rockybalboa · 23/04/2015 21:51

Well the kit arrived and like an excited child I just had to try it out tonight. Very easy and straightforward so v pleased. Now just to see whether I capped them all properly and how long they will last. And then order a load of Bluesky polish so I don't get stuck with scarlet for ever! I shall scour eBay for the acetone remover and tool too.

OP posts:

Imwoodword · 24/04/2015 12:49

My lamp came yesterday, so have just done mine for the first time too! Quite pleased with them, look good even if I so say so myself

passmethewineplease · 25/04/2015 14:02

Rocky are you on FB? There's a FB page for BlueSky. I find it great for looking at the colour on nails before ordering as sometimes the pictures aren't a true respresintive.

Itwontletmenamechange · 25/04/2015 20:51

Anyone tried the sensationail peel off base coat things?

Itwontletmenamechange · 25/04/2015 20:51

Ignore me, just seen above!

Original poster

rockybalboa · 27/04/2015 12:40

Thanks Passme. I will check that out as the coral I ordered looks a tad more luminous than I had expected!

Nails holding up well. I did chip the end of one but I don't think I had capped it properly. Took 5 mins to whip the lamp out and fix it though.

OP posts:

Mercedes519 · 27/04/2015 13:59

I got the Sensationail kit before christmas and really like it.

The thing that has made the difference for me is the Easy-Off base coat from them. I was really struggling to remove it when it had grown out (plus side - they lasted two weeks!) even by soaking for about 20 minutes.

The Easy-off comes off soooo much easier - still requires soaking but comes off much more cleanly and still didn't chip.

Am tempted to buy the one finger lamp though - have you seen them? Useful for touch-ups...

MiloCat · 27/04/2015 14:19

Can anyone recommend a coral Bluesky polish please?

Imwoodword · 27/04/2015 20:20

**
www.amazon.co.uk/Best-BlueSky-Addicted-Summer-coral-Soak-Polish/dp/B00LQUBA6G or [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Gel-Polish-Number-A74/dp/B00IBKY5LQ

Imwoodword · 27/04/2015 20:21

Argh, phone gone mad for links, but Summer Coral (Amazon exclusive) or A74 milocat

BelindaAllWorkedOut · 27/04/2015 21:00

mercedes - so the easy off base gel doesn't affect the durability of the mani? I just redid mine, and removing the polish took ages. Admittedly, it was mainly as I had just put one mani over another, so there were lots of layers, but still... However, I'm finding these SensatioNail manis almost bullet proof, and that's the main attraction for me, so I don't want to compromise that aspect.

Mercedes519 · 27/04/2015 21:05

It hasn't seemed to but I've only done it twice but both times they grew out so it was a good 10 days of polish. I had a couple of chips where I'd actually split the nail but I had the same thing with the normal base coat as if you break the nail the polish will chip! I was just knackering my nails trying to get the stuff off so it out me off wearing it.

Reading the reviews I can see it has been a problem for some people but it also seems to be whether you use the primer or not as to whether it comes off.

BelindaAllWorkedOut · 28/04/2015 20:06

Excellent, sounds like something that might work well for me. Thanks, Mercedes.

Original poster

rockybalboa · 16/05/2015 23:31

Just reporting back to say that I am now on my third lot of nails after buying the Sensationail kit and am very happy with my kit. I got some Bluesky polish and today realised that the trick with them is 3 thin coats. Two thicker coats cracked with a sort of crazy effect. i'm getting better at capping too and actually they look pretty darn professional now even if I say so myself. I tend not to remove and then polish again in one go because I rarely have a spare full hour. I struggle to get both hands wrapped in foil to remove at the same time so do one hand at a time with 15 mins each so I still have a free hand (not terribly good at sitting still) and then paint the next day which again takes about half an hour. Ordered some more Bluesky colours today (including the Summer Coral!). It's quite hard not to change the polish more often than strictly necessary just because I can! And I love being able to fix one nail if I have an incident.

OP posts:

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