When I get my nails done, I don’t ask for gel polish. Truthfully, I don’t want to spend $50 on a manicure! But if I can have a DIY gel polish kit at home that I can use anytime I want… Yes, please!
I got my hands on the NaiLuv Gel Polish Starter Kit to see what all the hype was about gel nail polish. The kit comes with a cute heart-shaped LED lamp unit, a bonder, base/top coat, cleanser, gel polish remover, and one gel nail polish. (Mine came with “Pucker Up,” a beautiful nude/pink shade.) Here’s how I did it:
First, I prepped my nails by using a buffing tool (also in the kit) to buff the shine and unevenness out of my nails. Then I applied a layer of the bonder, waited for it to dry for about 20 seconds, and proceeded to apply a layer of the base/top coat and cured my nails under the LED lamp. Once that was done, I applied a coat of the color and put my hands back under the lamp. I repeated this step to get a nice, rich color. Then I applied another coat of the base/top coat and cured under the lamp, (each time I put my hands under the lamp, it only took 30-45 seconds to cure them, no biggie) and at this point, the process was pretty much over. All that was left was to wipe my nails down with the cleanser. (There’s a sticky film left on your nails after you apply your last layer, so the cleanser takes it off.) Once I was done wiping my nails down, I took a close look at my nails and was so impressed by how they turned out! I had a clean, perfectly polished, and extremely glossy set of nails. The shine was really the best part: I’m always complaining that my nails don’t shine enough, even after a healthy dose of top coat. And, by the way, I’m writing this review four days after I used the kit… And my nails are still just as shiny as day one!! I can’t say enough about the glossy finish on these nails; just perfect!
Head over to www.nailuvpolish.com to see your choices of kits and colors, including their newest collection: Mr. Valentine!!
3 comments
SarahE says:
Jan 7, 2013
They look so good and the color is super cute too!! Please do another update to let us know how long it lasted and whether it caused any damage to your nails etc. I’m truly hopeless when it comes to nails, I can’t remember a single occasion where I didn’t streak, chip, dent or scratch my nail polish within the first 10mins of putting it on. I’m using stick on nails at the moment but I’d love to give this a try.
Teni Panosian says:
Jan 7, 2013
I’m with you– my manicures never last more than a couple days… By day 2 I already have chipped polish! And I’m not a delicate person, haha, I do a lot with my hands, so I’m surprised this stuff stayed on! I’ll update in the comments in about a week and let you how it’s lasted
SarahE says:
Jan 7, 2013
hahaa, I hear you
Thanks Teni, that would be much appreciated 