I really love having my nails done but struggle with the cost. A gel manicure costs at least $30+ and that definitely adds up if you get them regularly. I’ve tried doing my own nails at home but I either smudge them before they dry or the regular polish chips within a day. Earlier in the month I started looking into at home gel manicure kits and here’s what I’ve found…
There are a lot of options! Amazon has SO many, most are just the LED light, and few are kits, which is what I recommend, as they come with all of the products you need for the manicure. Ulta is my goto beauty store and they only carry Red Carpet Manicure. The reviews are really good, there is a high volume of them and the majority positive. I did google a bit and Red Carpet Manicure came up a lot and the other popular one with good reviews was the Gelish Manicure Kit. Ultimately I decided on the Red Carpet Manicure Pro 45 kit. To be honest, I had some Ulta gift cards, and that and the reviews really sold me.
I’ve given myself a manicure three times now and here are my tips. First and foremost I recommend reading the instructions and following them step by step at least the first time. There are a lot of them and you don’t want to miss one! Next, make sure you spend time prepping your nails. Removing any old polish, filing, buffing…all of that. It helps the polish attach to the nail for a longer lasting manicure, and isn’t that the point? Finally, the first couple of times take a LONG time. Even doing it a few times it still is taking me at least 45 minutes.
Overall I really like this kit. There is a learning curve and you have to be very careful about getting each of the polishes (bonding coat, base coat, polish, top coat) only on the actual nail. Otherwise if a little gets on your skin, once it dries it can cause the gel to lift up and peel or chip – this has been the trickiest part for me. I also understand I am not a professional nail technician so I’m ok if my nails don’t look 100% perfect. I think I do a good enough job and would much rather have that than pay someone every time! Right now I’m getting at least a week’s wear out of each manicure which is pretty normal for me. I know most people get at least two weeks with a gel manicure but with the amount of dishes, cleaning, typing, working out I do, that’s the norm for me.
What are your thoughts on at home gel manicures? Have you considered doing them yourself? Let me know in the comments!