Road test: At home gel nails
FROM shellac to acrylics to nail art, nail polish is having a moment. But can you really achieve salon-worthy nails yourself? We road test two products that claim you can.
FROM shellac to acrylics to nail art, nail polish is definitely having a moment.
But can you achieve salon-worthy nails at home? We road test two new products on the market which claim you can:
SALLY HANSEN GEL MANICURE KIT
What it says:
“Sally Hansen are taking the manicurist out of the equation and putting professional results at your fingertips with the new Salon GelPolish. A unique system that equips you with everything you need to replicate a state-of-the-art gel manicure. Delivering mirror shine, no dry time and chip-free wear for up to 14 days, this easy-to-apply system makes you your own manicurist at a fraction of the price.”
The verdict:
The kit is certainly easy to use, but be warned: doing nails like this at home is time consuming. You need to do a base coat, two polish coats, and a top coat, and you have to stick your nails under the LED light between coats to achieve that gel-like look. A plus for this particular kit is that you can LED four fingers at once, then your thumb, so it makes it a little quicker than other brands available. I loved the look of my nails after I had finished painting them, but the cleanser pad, which you use at the end to remove any excess oily residue, took the shine off. A huge gel colour range is available with this kit, which claims chip-free wear for up to 14 days — mine lasted for seven, which isn’t bad considering normal polish usually chips within a day.
The details:
The starter kit is available at Priceline stores nationwide and at Priceline.com.au for $99.95. More: http://au.sallyhansen.com/
ESSENCE GEL NAILS AT HOME
What it says:
“Do it yourself at home: with the essence gel nails at home, you can easily conjure up stylish and trendy gel nails in the comfort of your own home. All those well-known nail polish problems are finally over, no more chipping or scratches. Instead, you can now look forward to long-lasting, shiny gel nails that can be removed by simply peeling them off!”
The verdict:
The unique thing about this gel kit is that it is USB operated — so, it’s powered by your computer or laptop, or you have to use an adaptor if you want to run it from a normal power plug. This means the kit is super portable — but is potentially dangerous if you’re prone to spilling polish over keyboards! I personally found the top coat gel polish very sticky and difficult to paint on, and it looked a little lumpy in places. As with the Sally Hansen kit, your layers of painting are broken up by time under the LED lamp, and you have to do it finger by finger which is a time-consuming process. My polish started to peel off after four days, but the kit says it can last up to ten — and yes, the polish does actually peel off, so no nail polish remover required.
The details:
Products all sold separately at Target across Australia and in select Priceline stores. LED lamp $35.95, Cleanser and Primer $4.60 each, Base Coat and Top Coat $5.50 each. More: www.essence.eu/au/home/
Do you have a product you’d like to submit for review? Send the details to roadtest@news.com.au