Your GTG's Gel Manicure Review

Welcome back my fabulous GTG followers!

I hope you all had a great week.

I'm so excited to be able to bring you today's post. If you're a girly girl like me you're going to love my review on gel manicures.

"So what exactly is a gel manicure," you're probably asking yourselves.

A gel manicure is a manicure performed with a gel based nail polish, which is cured under ultraviolet lights to set in the color.This was started a while back on acrylic nails, but now you can do them on your natural nails.The manicure promises a few things that regular and acrylic manicures don't deliver:

• A chip-free manicure (which lasts for 14 days)
• Smudge-free
• A mirror-like finish (always shiny; never dull)
• No damage to the natural nail
• Promotes growth

All of these things sound great on paper, but I'm a journalist, which simply means I'm skeptical about everything until I see it for myself.
Gel manicures have been all the rage in nail salons and spas for a few months now, and apparently people are responding well to this product because it's growing very fast. Just at my last nail appointment, my salon only had 5 colors to choose from--now, they have about 20 colors.

I have been dying to see if all its claims are real and I already love getting my hands and feet, so I was ready. And as much as I love manis and pedis, I equally hate seeing my nails chip on day 3.

So today I went in for my very first gel manicure and this is the real low down.

• For one, this service is substantially more costly. I don't have acrylic nails, so my manicures are typically $10, $ 12-13 if I want to get fancy with french tips. I ended up having to pay $25 for the gel one.I'm still not sure how I feel about the $15 increase--only time will tell. If it indeed lives up to the hype then it really is worth it because it'll be the almost the same amount as two back-to-back manicures.
• This was seriously the longest manicure of my life! It consisted of two coats just like a regular manicure, but they kept putting my hands under the UV lights, which by the way has to be hazardous to your skin. I literally felt discomfort when my skin felt too hot.
• Gel polishes are only for your hands, which means your hands and feet will never match! Even when you do your hands in a standard nail color like red or black--your nails will never be the same color because as we all well know different brands have different colors, so the shades are never the same :/ This might just be an issue for me because I am a stickler for matching nails.

Are you ready to see what the fuss is all about? Here are a few pictures of my gel manicure for you're viewing pleasure.

Day 1: On my way home from the nail salon



*** The manicure is shiny and in tact.

Day 1. Color: Passion

Still Day 1. After I did the dishes.

***still in tact and shiny. Yay!

So on day 1 so far so good. I don't really have anything else bad to say about this experience, but I will be updating this post with new pictures from days 7 and 14 to see if the manicure is chip free and shiny as it promises.

Wait...

Did I mention my hands are in a passion color, while my feet are in a watermelon color? So. not. cute.

Ok back to the review:

I'll also bring you a complete weigh-in analysis if indeed it is worth having to pay more for these manicures and if they are as great for your nails as it claims to be.

A couple of days ago, I had posted on my Facebook wall about how I was going to get my first Shellac gel mani and review it. 

***Sidenote: Shellac is a brand of gel polishes; it was one of the first ones to come forth with this innovation and a lot of salons carry this brand as a result, but with anything this new and powerful there are now many brands available.

A few friends commented on their experiences with this product, and I noticed there was a high concern on how to properly remove gel polishes. So as I waited for my nails to get done, I asked the manicurist how this polish is removed. She told me they had a special solution that removes it instantly and it's at no extra cost, but that you can also do it yourself at home using a nail filer to reduce the layers, and then you need to soak your hands in acetone for about 15 minutes. Sounds easy enough, but..

Later, when I got home I researched how to remove the polish and from what I read from people online, I'd recommend you go back to your salon and have a professional remove the color. I read about people who couldn't get it off and others who in trying to get it off peeled the layers from their own nails.

Another friend asked if the Axxium system, which is OPI's version of the gel system is the same as the gel system and it is-- main difference is that you can buy OPI's system and do your own gel nails at home. I think this is great for the person who has tried this product and loves it because in the long run it will be worth it, rather than going in for a $25 manicure every 14 days, however, you will also need to invest in a UV light set to cure in the gel, which can be pretty costly.

I still don't want to put my final two cents on this product until after the 14 day period, but I will say this much--don't just take my word for it if you want to try it, go for it and you be the judge.

Again, keep an eye out for the updates and complete analysis in another 14 days and as always I'll be back next week with a new topic. Hope you enjoy this post.

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in PINK. I believe that loving is the best calorie burner. I believe in french kissing. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."- The Fabulous Ms. A. Hepburn

UPDATE:

Hi dolls, as promised I am back with my update and complete review. 

It's officially day 6 and my index nail has a minor chip on it. In fact, the overall look of the manicure isn't very glamorous anymore.

Day 6: chipped index nail and not so shiny.

Now this is a drastic change from day 5 (just yesterday, Wednesday, February 2, 2011,) when the polish still appeared shiny and in tact, as you will see in the picture below.

Because of the chipping so early in the "14 days period," I guess I'll put this review to rest. I've also found out some salons charge as much as $5 to remove the gel polish.

I did like that the manicure stayed in perfect tact for at least 5 days and from the looks of it it still has a few more days to go before I'm forced to remove it.

Your-Go-to-Gal's Do's for Gel Manicures:

•  Research the salon you plan to get your nails and inquire about which gel polish brand they used. According to my manicure experience not all brands are created equal.
• Engage in inquisitive conversation with your manicurist. Make sure that when you walk away with your hands done that you don't feel confused.
• Apply a light coat of sunscreen on your hands (not on your nails) before the UV light process because regardless of how safe it claims to be, you will actually feel a burn. Better safe than sorry.
• Keep your receipt. In case of chipping before the 14 days, go back to your manicurist with your receipt with the date on it and ask if they can fix it for you at minimal or no charge.
• If you're not satisfied with your first experience with a gel manicure, try going to a different place and give it a second try if you feel it's worth the time and money.
• Enjoy getting pampered.

Please feel free to leave me any questions you might have and I'll be more than glad to answer them. Remember I'm not here to tell you what or what not to do, but I do like to share my experiences.

Keep an eye out for my new post coming this weekend!

Have a great day dolls!

-xO's