Sunday, 9 November 2014

I'm back, this time with Gel nails

I've had another break away from the blog,  not intentional just life and work getting in the way. I've not posted in a while but I've still painted my nails, I've just not recorded or photographed them,

So to ease back into this I've got a short post for you all. I've had a Sensationail starter kit for several months now and I'm starting to build up a small collection of LED Gel polishes. I've not stuck with the Sensationalnail brand, I have polishes from Bluesky, Fuse, and Red Carpet.

The difficult part of gel nails is deciding what colour to have on my nails for 2 weeks! To any polish lover, choosing what colour to have for one or two days is a hard enough task but to wear just one colour for two weeks is just soo hard!

During a food shop one random weekday, I spotted Elegant Touch Lux Gel and though I'd try it and give it a go. I picked out a neutral soft gray called Respect. A perfect shade to wear for a week or so.

The box includes instructions, which is like a little 'how to guide' and teeny tiny 4.5ml bottle. I've noticed that most GEL polish bottles are small, this might be because you only need to apply thin layers but it does feel that you don't get too much for your money.

Gel nails Linziino

So  I've prepped my nails by pushing back and tidied my cuticles, filed, shaped and lightly buffed my nails and applied a nail dehydrator. The last part is essential to stop lifting and keep the gel polish in place.

I carefully applied a thin layer of base coat and cured under my LED lamp for 30 seconds. Then a thin layer of Elegant Touch, Lux Gel Respect making sure not to flood my cuticles or to touch any skin. I then lightly brushed over the nail tips to cap the colour and cured under the lamp for 60 seconds. I did another two layers of colour as the polish (curing for 60 seconds each time) as the color very light I wanted to ensure I had an solid colour. I finished off with a clear top top and cured for 30 seconds.

Gel nails Linziino

One base layer, three layers of colour and with a top coat the nail surface gets sticky so using a lint free wipe and an alcohol spray I removed the tacky layer and generously applied some cuticle oil to help my nails look their best for longer.

Two weeks later and the polish is still going strong, no chips and no lifting. A small bit of tip wear but not as much as I was expecting. I have regrowth which it driving me nuts and I'm bored of the colour on my nails after wearing it for two weeks. I'm impressed on how well this little polish has done.

Gel nails Linziino

Gel nails Linziino

Gel nails Linziino

Gel nails Linziino