I am usually not a manicure girl, but I recently gave in to the gel manicure fad and decided to try it out for myself. Advertised as being a technological breakthrough for nails, gel manicures are special in that a gel formula is applied to the nails which are then are cured under UV light. They are supposed to last longer than regular manicures.
My experience getting my first gel manicure was fun. I decided to go on a whim right after work after having thought to myself that I hadn’t had any polish on my nails in a while. After waiting not more than 5 minutes, the manicurist brought me over to have a seat at her table. She then brought over a little black machine which was the source of the UV light. After the usual manicure ritual, she started applying the base coat to my nails. The base coat did not feel any different from normal base coats. Next I was asked to place my right hand underneath the bright blue light in the machine. Once I placed my hand there, a digital timer appeared on the top of the machine which counted down from 30 seconds. While the light was curing my right hand, the manicurist did the same thing to my left hand. While we were waiting for that hand to cure, she applied one coat of the color I wanted to my right hand, we cured it, did the left hand, and so forth. A finishing coat was also applied. All of the coats were especially made to be cured under the UV light, so getting it done at the salon would be convenient for those who don’t get manicures frequently. But if you do get manicures frequently, the at-home kit, including the machine (which has an LED light source and is supposed to work just as well) is sold at Sephora and costs $159. The cost of the service at the salon was $27 (not including tip) which isn’t bad for something that is supposed to last you up to a month. The service was extremely fast. I was done in 30 minutes and my nails were completely dry. The finish is very glossy.
Here is a picture of my nails when I first got them done.
Here is a picture of my nails exactly one month afterwards. As you can see, the polished has come off from the cuticle area. However, the polish at the tips still remained in tact.
Would I recommend this service? Yes, I would definitely recommend it for those who want something that is long-lasting. And for sure for girls who don’t usually get manicures and just want to splurge on some special pampering once in a while. However, I would not recommend gel polish to those who like to change their colors every week. If you do like to change it up frequently, I would buy the at-home kit from Sephora and just do it yourself. The LED light from the at-home machine is also supposed to be a safer alternative to UV light (the same light used in tanning salons). Whatever your preference may be, I really love the super glossy finish of gel nail polishes.
Pantra Y has 15 post(s) on RTR On Campus
