Today during my drugstore rounds, I spotted new gel nail polish kits by Nailene. This is the first time I'm seeing true do-it-yourself gel nail polish.
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They offer a starter kit (large boxes in the photo above with the red nails on them) that contains an LED drying lamp to flash-cure your polish, a cleanser, primer, gel color, and then a base and top coat. You only have to buy this kit once, thankfully, because it's close to $60!
Next on the shelf (with the picture of the white nail on the box) is the essentials kit, which replenshes the cleanser, primer and base/top coat when you run out.
Finally, there are 12 shades (bottom row, small boxes in the picture above) that are supposed to last a full 2 weeks without chipping, peeling or fading.
The total range costs between $12 and $60.
Here are some pictures I took of the starter kit box:
Would you spend the $60 for this? Do you think it's worth it, or would you rather just go to the salon? Or use regular nail polish?
I bought it today...and am not 100% sold but I put it on my toes and it looks good, finishing my nails tomorrow and hoping they last on my vacation. I LOVE gel nails, but hate paying 40$ to get them done at the salon so yes if it works well then it is worth the 60$
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Let me know if it works out. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by this! I always wanted one of my very own nail drying lamps! Im getting this! :)-
ReplyDeleteBought this yesterday. I was willing to pay the money because I have had gel polish mani's done at the salon and LOVED them. This kit did not disappoint. The result is just like the salon, and they do last WAY longer than polish. Regular polish only last me about 2 days. This lasts about 7 days. The best way to describe it is a candy coating on your nail. I am so in love!
ReplyDeleteAuli, I think you've sold me. I want one!
ReplyDeleteI have personally spent 4 times this on gelish products (to get everything and a few colors). This is BY FAR a much better deal. The LED lamp itself is worth the $50 - $60 bucks. I have 2 of these kits and let me tell you, this stuff is FANTASTIC!! The reason I bought the second one was for a back up lamp in case the first one dies. I'm nervous that as the popularity of this spreads they will be harder to find and could potentially go up in price. Try it, I'm betting you will LOVE IT!! Don't have a profile so have to post anonymous..... Charlotte.... also check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sensationail.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteJudging by the number of comments so far, I would say you're probably right! I've been hearing nothing but great things about this. It sounds like a great alternative to the salon! :)
I am on my 3rd gel polish with Sensationail. I love it! Each application lasted the full 2 weeks without any chipping. The only reason I needed to change was due to nail growth at the cuticle. The only complaint I have is the removal process it takes much longer than the box says and does not come off easy at all. Still I think it is worth the time for 2 weeks of perfect nails!!
ReplyDeleteIt's Charlotte, the Anonymous post on 2/5 is correct, it is a challenge for some to get it off of their nails. I would suggest for those doing their first manicure to use the primer sparingly, and in a circular motion on the outside edges of the nail (see the complete instructions). I personally do not use the primer at all, the longest I have worn my manicure not using the primer is 7 days, but NOT because it chipped, but because I wanted to try another color. Take off is the only "negative" to the system.... in all reality, they have made a polish that stays on so well (primer the culprit) it NEVER comes off.... lol, but agreed well worth the hassle for 2 - 3 weeks of beautiful nails!!
ReplyDeleteHello, I have the Redcarpet kit which is very similar......use a round cotton pad cut in half ,dipped in pure acetone,place on a piece of foil and wrap around your nail for about 5min , this works perfect for me.Enjoy your nails.....(Jackie) I don't have an account as well.
ReplyDeleteI just had gel nails done professional this weekend for the first time and I spent $35. I then saw this in a Walmart ad and after doing some research it seems it is a great product.
ReplyDeleteAt Walmart it is $49.98 and right now on their Facebook page there is a $5 coupon on the starter kit!
Great deal! Great blog! I write a blog about saving, and finding deals at http://www.redberrydeals.com.
Thanks!
Holly
I think I am going to give this a try after reading all of the posts.
ReplyDeleteIs there a natural look or must you always put on a color?
ReplyDeleteOn the second day the polish a step so I redid it the next day. On the third day 3 of the fingers on my left hand did the same thing. The polish peeled off in one piece. On the plus side , it was easy to remove, and of course on the minus side , it lasted only 1 to 2 days on my nails.
ReplyDeleteLuv this! I used my sisters and had no chips for 19 days...removed due to nail growth!! It was hard to remove, I used foil method 10 minutes, but have been told to leave acetone on cotton wrapped in foil closer to 20 min, and just use primer on tips and around edges for easier removal. I loved that it stays shiny!!
ReplyDeleteCOULD SOMEONE PLS LET US KNW IF IT'S AS STRONG AS SALON GEL NAILS?? MY NAILS ARE BABY SOFT & MY JOB IS HARD ON MY HANDS, SO THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNW IF IT'S GONNA BE WORTH TO BUY...THX...
ReplyDeleteYes it really is. I have used it as well as the salon gel polish and am very pleased with the kit. I actually felt that my nails were harder after using the kit vs the salon. IT IS SO WORTH THE MONEY!
DeleteTHX. CJ.. YES, I AGREE PRODUCT REVIEW BY REAL PEOPLE USERS ARE DA BEST.. HAVE A GOOD DAY ALL... aLOha'z, "T" ;)
ReplyDeleteI do not like this as much as the shellac i have gotten at salons, but btw it does work okay with a uv light but not quite as well. I bought the whole uv system on amazon for same price - it's much bigger and i can do my hands and feet at the same time. however i prefer the environmentally friendly aspect of the led light, I do not like how small it is and my gel chips off in the first couple days, so i am not terribly impressed but going to keep at it and assume "user error"
ReplyDeletei purchased this recently and LOVE it! It has lasted twice as long as shellac on me. i got the scarlet red kit, i haven't used that color yet but the pink lasted over 2 weeks for me and looked great. the only problem i ran into is the dark blue polish doesn't last more than a few hours. I tried it on both me and my sisters nails and it started chipping and bubbling after a few hours. aside from that i am in love with this kit and think everyone should own one!!
ReplyDeleteBought it yesterday! Great product! My nails look as good they do with the salon doing them!
ReplyDeletewhere do you buy supplies like cleanser, primer, new nail polish &gel base
ReplyDeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteCVS sells the supplies also. Or any other store that sells the initial kit will have them also.
I bought this product 3 1/2weeks ago. I love it! If you follow the directions (use an acetone soak for 15min. it took 10 for me) to remove the old gel and remove with an orange wood stick, the results are like the salon. At $35-$40 a pop, I have made my money back with a beautiful result...I get to do it again for free!
ReplyDeletethis stuff works wonderful, I stopped using nail polish years ago because it wouldn't take on, this stuff stays on!!! LOVE IT!!!Finally something that works!
ReplyDeleteso it's different then the uv light? Led light? what's the difference? I want this but I've always heard it's the uv light that really makes a manipedi last.
ReplyDeleteI am not so sure i want to buy it because i have gone to the nail salon to get the gel mani and i took it off and it destroys my nails.I guess i have to get acetone soak and do as the Anonymous says.I want this but i am not sure if it will be the same as the salon does it.can someone please tell me.Thank you.(Anonymous number 2)
ReplyDeleteLove love love this....worth every penny!! FYI.. It's $49 at Walmart. Colors to refill are $10.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS!!!!! My nails are super soft (from having gel nails from salon)and I've gotten CND Shellac and O.P.I Axxium on my nails when I tried growing them without gel nails...its EXPENSIVE and because I have a tendancy to pick at my nails, it makes it worse...I looked into it and finally purchased the kit at CVS (had lots of coupons)and a couple of colors...I was in love from the moment I did my thumbs...lol If your nails are soft..expect for them to stay soft until it grows out...My first manicure lasted me 7 days, it chipped a couple of times but I touched it up..it was due to me picking at them (can't help it)..I did the foil removal and it took me 20 minutes..I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to do gel manicures and don't mind doing them at home..It will pay for itself by the second application...I have lots more to say about it but I don't wanna over do it :)
ReplyDeleteI also recommend checking out their facebook page...it has helpful tips from real users..I'm on there A LOT
Enjoy
Ivy
Ivy
I am on my second go round of using this kit and it's safe to say I'm obsessed! It definitely takes some practice to learn how to get it right but it definitely stays on well with no chipping. I personally do my thumbs separately and do the same for 60 seconds but not at the same time as my other nails. Use 100% acetone with a cotton ball and wrap tin foil around for about 10 minutes and it comes right off. I'd recommend to ANYONE!
ReplyDeleteOk I was wondering about that, o didn't do it yet, but the thumbs don't fit. So do u do your thumbs first?
DeleteI bought the kit with "raspberry wine" color. I did my toes in that color and it has lasted a week so far and love the glossy shine. The following day did my nails and my daughter's nails in "amber lights" for a natural look and both of us have experienced the polish just lifting off. I don't know if its user error or color or what. Definitely will keep doing my toes.....if anyone knows what could be wrong please let me know....thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnother happy customer. I bought a second kit because the first works so well I didn't want to risk the LED lamp dying or becoming hard to find. :-> I used the fushia color (very pretty) and it latest 2 weeks, then the 2nd time I used the coral color (gorgeous) and it latest for 3 (yes 3) weeks with no chipping. If it weren't for the new nail growth necessitating a change I could see not ever having to remove it. As it is I cut most of the tips off as my nails grew (I prefer a shorter, sporty look) so most of the area with primer as a base was cut off at the tip of the nail. It is a challenge to remove, but if I only have to deal with the acetone once every 2-3 weeks I'm good! I also plan to give my nails a rest in between, so for me it will be polish (and leave on for 2-3 weeks) remove polish and let nails breath for a week or so, then redo.
ReplyDeleteTry this on your toes, I did and it lasted over a month! because your toe nails grow slower and dont get the beat up your hands get it will last for weeks, I only had to take it off cause I stubbed my toe pretty bad and actually chipped my toenail itself. AS a bonus it is on so long that by the time I changed it most peeled right off easily and I only used acetone on my big toes!
ReplyDeleteThis polish is great, just tested it out as far as 10 days and it still looked great. I got tired of the color before it wore out, but for anyone who is not certain, I am telling you this is a great product. I have done my nails about 4 times since I got it and I absolutely love it. For those who worry about them being messed up because you are extremely hard on your nails, don't worry. I am so rough on my nails, it didn't even phase them. Take a chance and try it, I guarantee if you do everything like the instructions say, you will not regret paying the 60 dollar one time fee of the start up kit.
ReplyDeleteI have been using this for a couple of months. I don't remove it at the end of two weeks but rather I file it down to reduce the thickness and then reapply to fill the growth area at the cuticle and get a nice overall look. I can do this several times. I have even changed colors doing this although sometimes the other color shows if you look at the ends of the nails.
ReplyDeleteI also use chapstick on my skin before doing the application to protect it from errant polish
For removal it is very important to file off the shine before using the remover. This will greatly improve the speed of removal.
Thank You all for your research :) I saw this product a few months ago but have not tried it yet. Today while shopping the drug stores I noticed a "gel Polish" that does not require a light and cost less, seems it has three steps (the same as my salon did) and they sell a remover, I am searching for there review also. Now of all of the comments and questions the only one I have not seen answered is about the "lifting" I had salon gel/shellac(brand name) polish for over a year, when I asked how come sometimes they lifted I was told it was all in the application, if the Technician gets the polish too close to the cuticle it does not "seal" at the edges allowing water to get in-between your nail and the gel separating them. My Mother remedies this by having the Tech run an orange stick around the area kind of tampering the gel, I guess. Anyway it technique seems to have helped her with the "lift".
ReplyDeleteLots of words sorry, Carri
ps I'll be checking back here in hopes of the other review and maybe a comparison of the 2 products. Light or No Light
I tried it and love it. Will be doing my nails from now on. I would recommend this product to everyone!
ReplyDeleteI've never had my nails done professioally just wondering if it will harm your nails I have healthy nails always done my own at home careful about damanaging them
ReplyDeleteI have found the product works great with there nail polishes. However I have not had the same results with there "French Tip Manicure" set. I have never been able to keep the white tips from chipping for more than three days.
ReplyDeleteLong ago I did acrylic nails, more recently gels, then I tries these, I am not impressed. They have a tenancy to really damage your nails by over drying as they cannot be filled..Also people the LED lights save power but cure faster because they produce MORE UV rays than the standard lamps, so put sunscreen on your hands and wipe nails only with acetone before applying any nail product.
ReplyDeleteJust bought this kit from walmart as well, it was 50 bucks. also bought the starter kit and 3 colors to go with the pink that my kit came with. total I spent 50 for the lamp, 20 for the starter kit, and 21 for the 3 additional colors!! Walmart had them on sale for 6.95. I'm still yet to try it because I just got mine done at the salon 5 days ago. walmart also had the pure acetone for 2 bucks and the little metal scraper tool for 10. I'm a sucker for my nails so of course got those as well! Can't wait to try it! I have learned that if you use a nail fail to remove the top layer of your gel nail polish then soak it almost instantly starts to bubble and you can use the tool to scrap it right off!
ReplyDeleteSensatioNail gel nail kit what a perfect kit only cost £60.00 from Asda and worth every penny, everything you need to get started, it really does give you the best looking nails, my nails are very week and split but with gel polish on they have become long and strong with the polish on however when the polsh comes off they are just as weak, so straight back on with the polish after giving my nails a little oil to nurish them and they do last 2 weeks as long as you are a bit careful if you can use rubber gloves for cleaning and washing up then they will last 2 weeks at least. I am delighted with this kit and have 3 different colours and looking for more. Don't be put off by the fact that the kit is so cheap and that the UV lamp looks a bit like a toy, as it really does do what it says on the box.
ReplyDeleteI purchased it today from Wal-Mart for $49.98.
ReplyDeleteI purchase the kit as well because I found myself spending more on gel polish at the salon than getting a full set. I need to know where I'm going wrong with this kit because it's taking forever to dry? But the color is still as beautiful as if I went to the salon.
ReplyDeletesorry had 2 lamps sent now,,,, polish firstly didnt set with first lamp, was sent a second with lots of hassle,,, thought ok but within 24 hrs ( no exercise or work ) chipped nails... not at all happy with this product, no use asking for money back, bought starter kit and various nail polishes , so not cheap, my opinion might as well of thrown my money down the drain, im sure this post will probably be deleted, but if a hand full of people read this then my job will be done.... SPREAD THE WORD. does NOT do what it says ...
ReplyDeleteMy friend had this kit and let me apply the wine colour that came with it. She said it was a bit tricky at first and encouraged me to try a lighter shade (or just go clear). But I love the darker colors and was very careful. The edges aren't perfect, but it still looks FABULOUS. I accidentally sliced a bit off while cutting onions, but that's the only way anything has come off LOL. Super shiny 5 days so far. I will be getting this kit as soon as possible. Hunting coupons as I type...
ReplyDelete