DIY: Gel Nail Comparison

Who doesn't love getting their nails done, right? I especially LOVE a good gel manicure, but I've finally decided that I am spending way too much money...so why not do it myself???

Last week, I was at the grocery store and while I was routinely browsing the nail polishes, I came across this Nutra Nail brand. It claims to work without a light, and it is supposed to last up to 2 weeks...plus it was on sale for $5 so I bought it.

It's a simple, three step process:

Step 1: Apply the activator to the nails of ONE hand, avoiding the cuticles. BUT, this has to be done quickly so it doesn't dry before the color is applied.
Step 2: QUICKLY apply the color onto the wet activator and swap the brushes between the color and the brush cleaner. (The cleaner is just acetone that dissolves the residue from the activator and the color mixture on the brush so it doesn't harden).
Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other hand.

My impression: LAME!! This was terrible! At first, I really liked how quickly it cured and how strong my nails felt. BUT, because I had to work so quickly, it was impossible to not get it on my cuticles which left a jagged edge. Also, my nails chipped a few hours later from simply folding laundry, and by the end of the day I had flaked it all off. I DO NOT recommend it.


Obviously from this point I realized that I needed to buckle down and buy a light. But, I still didn't want to spend a million dollars...So, I did a little research this morning regarding the best at-home gel polish manicures; (side note: during this internet browse, I came across my sister-in-law's blog and she had JUST put up a post about an Easy DIY Gel Manicure that was awesome). 

My next victim of this comparison is Sally Hansen's Salon Gel Polish. This kit was $65 and included a light, gel base coat, gel color, gel top coat, gel polish remover, and alcohol wipes.

Step 1: I "roughed" up my nails using a dremel, but a simple buffer should've been fine.
Step 2: I applied a thin layer of the gel base coat, then let it cure under the light for 60 seconds.
Step 3: I applied two layers of Calvin Klein's Crushed Rose polish and let them dry completely...(Another side note...I had NO IDEA you could use regular polish for the color until I read my sister-in-law's post!)

  

Step 4: I applied a thin layer of the gel top coat, then let it cure under the light for 2 minutes. 

Step 5: Wipe off the tacky residue on each nail using Isopropyl Alcohol.

My impression: I LOVE this! I did end up spending $65, but the fact that I can now have gel nails whenever I want, is more than worth it. Also, who knew you can use simple polish for the color??!!! AWESOME!

  

XOXO