Mar 6, 2013
I love me a good manicure. Due to poor nutrition and sickness, my nails were never that great until I started on a good vitamin routine and was able to get better food into me. Manicures started off as a thing my Mom and I would do – get our nails done and go to lunch.
Really, what’s more perfect? My Mom is pretty awesome.
A traditional manicure would last me a few days before it would start to chip. For $10 at our local salon, it wasn't a bad deal but I don’t like the look of cracked, chipping polish. I don’t need to have manicured nails, I just don’t like chipped nails. I would prefer to have unpolished, wild nails than manicured chipped nails.
I knew some friends who got tips and fake nails – I never wanted to damage my nails and I also don’t like the fake look. Also, that box-cut French thing looks weird. Really, your fingers look chunky when you cut you nail right across and then add some white lines
What is it?
A gel manicure is basically a normal manicure but the polish is some type of chemical that dries under UV light to create a super-hard shell on your nail.
Manicure
After leaving my original nail salon due to poor service, I decided it was time to give the gel manicure a try. Here’s what I can tell you:
Critical – what is the cost? Where I am, a simple manicure costs $10. The gel manicure costs $30. However, I only have to get one every 2-3 weeks. Doing the math for a month, it would be $40 for a normal manicure and $45 for a gel (at most). The gel also looks better longer where I always have a few days of crappy nails with the simple manicure.
Sold!
My Experience
Basically, addicted. I am lucky, I live really close to a great nail salon where they do everything right.
Testing
I did tests – I took the polish off myself, I ripped off the polish, I tried two different manufactures of the polish and stopped using the gel.
Polish off: I have pure acetone and I soaked my nails. I learned I am not a professional and I thought my nails were totally damaged. Ended up, I just didn’t get all the polish off right. At the salon, they lightly file the polish and gently scrap it off rather than having you soak for 10 minutes unattended. This is the right way. I did it the wrong way. However, my nails were not damaged, just had all this stuff on them that made them look scratched.
I used both OPI and Shellac polishes. I like the Shellac better which is made by a company called CND. This might be more personal – I liked the colors better and when the OPI was removed, my nails looked a little more chipped than with the Shellac.
I took a break – first when I removed the polish on my own and later when I got a normal manicure. I really wanted to take more breaks because I think it’s supposed to be a good thing, but, I can’t. I love the gel look and nail strength.
Plus, I go to one of those places that will tell you if you need to take a break from something.
Do not rip off the gel no matter how tempting it is. It’s not good for your nails. For the sake of science, I did, though. I found it comes off a lot harder yet more as one piece than normal polish. I did note my nails were just fine under it.
Negatives
I do think that getting the gel makes me not relies how my nails are suppose to be. When I took a break, I thought my nails had become weaker – actually, it was just how they normally are. They aren't actually weak, but, the gel adds a lot of strength. It’s annoying to stop dong it.
If you have thin nails, this could be bad. They will scuff up your nails a bit to help the polish really stick. They are really good at it where I go, but, it is something that is done.
You can’t have your hands in water or doing a lot of stuff all the time. My Mom, for example, got a gel manicure and then cleaned the house and cooked Thanksgiving dinner – her nails did NOT hold up for Thanksgiving Day and she had to get her nails re-done.
You are stuck with a single polish color for three weeks. I mean, you could go get the polish off if you were unhappy. However, in general, you need to make sure you like the color. If you decided to do a bright orange and then you have a funeral to go to – that might bother you. Or not. I don’t know you and I don’t know your emotions. I normally do soft pinks and more natural tones, I was a little iffy about going dark and I can’t say I am 100% in love with my current nail color. For the next three-ish weeks, this is what I got.
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
Really, what’s more perfect? My Mom is pretty awesome.
A traditional manicure would last me a few days before it would start to chip. For $10 at our local salon, it wasn't a bad deal but I don’t like the look of cracked, chipping polish. I don’t need to have manicured nails, I just don’t like chipped nails. I would prefer to have unpolished, wild nails than manicured chipped nails.
I knew some friends who got tips and fake nails – I never wanted to damage my nails and I also don’t like the fake look. Also, that box-cut French thing looks weird. Really, your fingers look chunky when you cut you nail right across and then add some white lines
What is it?
A gel manicure is basically a normal manicure but the polish is some type of chemical that dries under UV light to create a super-hard shell on your nail.
Manicure
After leaving my original nail salon due to poor service, I decided it was time to give the gel manicure a try. Here’s what I can tell you:
- Do your research.
- Know your nails.
- Find the right place to go.
- Check the manufactures website.
- Read the horror stories.
Critical – what is the cost? Where I am, a simple manicure costs $10. The gel manicure costs $30. However, I only have to get one every 2-3 weeks. Doing the math for a month, it would be $40 for a normal manicure and $45 for a gel (at most). The gel also looks better longer where I always have a few days of crappy nails with the simple manicure.
Sold!
My Experience
 |
| At about 3.5 weeks |
- Getting it done: Painless. Normal manicure process, but, you put your hands under UV lights rather than a dryer. It was so hard to convince myself they were dry since I am use to drying for 15 minutes and then doing the dainty I-can’t-touch-anything hand dance for an hour after.
- First impressions: I did feel as if my nails were a little thicker or heavier. Stronger, even. The polish makes it possible to open a can of cat food without batting an eye – normally, this would break or weaken a nail.
- Love: A week later, my nails still look salon perfect. I can get 2-3 weeks out of my nails. Granted, toward the end they might chip a little and you do see new nail growth. If your nails grow really fast, you’ll know it. I never had to get my nails clipped until I started doing gel manicures.
Testing
I did tests – I took the polish off myself, I ripped off the polish, I tried two different manufactures of the polish and stopped using the gel.
Polish off: I have pure acetone and I soaked my nails. I learned I am not a professional and I thought my nails were totally damaged. Ended up, I just didn’t get all the polish off right. At the salon, they lightly file the polish and gently scrap it off rather than having you soak for 10 minutes unattended. This is the right way. I did it the wrong way. However, my nails were not damaged, just had all this stuff on them that made them look scratched.
I used both OPI and Shellac polishes. I like the Shellac better which is made by a company called CND. This might be more personal – I liked the colors better and when the OPI was removed, my nails looked a little more chipped than with the Shellac.
I took a break – first when I removed the polish on my own and later when I got a normal manicure. I really wanted to take more breaks because I think it’s supposed to be a good thing, but, I can’t. I love the gel look and nail strength.
Plus, I go to one of those places that will tell you if you need to take a break from something.
Do not rip off the gel no matter how tempting it is. It’s not good for your nails. For the sake of science, I did, though. I found it comes off a lot harder yet more as one piece than normal polish. I did note my nails were just fine under it.
Negatives
I do think that getting the gel makes me not relies how my nails are suppose to be. When I took a break, I thought my nails had become weaker – actually, it was just how they normally are. They aren't actually weak, but, the gel adds a lot of strength. It’s annoying to stop dong it.
If you have thin nails, this could be bad. They will scuff up your nails a bit to help the polish really stick. They are really good at it where I go, but, it is something that is done.
 |
| Hand models always hold stuff - this is my coffee mug |
You can’t have your hands in water or doing a lot of stuff all the time. My Mom, for example, got a gel manicure and then cleaned the house and cooked Thanksgiving dinner – her nails did NOT hold up for Thanksgiving Day and she had to get her nails re-done.
You are stuck with a single polish color for three weeks. I mean, you could go get the polish off if you were unhappy. However, in general, you need to make sure you like the color. If you decided to do a bright orange and then you have a funeral to go to – that might bother you. Or not. I don’t know you and I don’t know your emotions. I normally do soft pinks and more natural tones, I was a little iffy about going dark and I can’t say I am 100% in love with my current nail color. For the next three-ish weeks, this is what I got.
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment