Gel Nails ~ 14 Day Update

Time to do a little update on the Gel Nails.
You can check out my "tutorial" on the gel nail system I used, here.
I have to say that they were FANTASTIC, especially for the cruise!!
Here's a quick comparison of the 14 days.


From first glance, they appear lighter, which may be true, but that could 
also be the lighting of the picture. 

I felt that the shine really held up for the two weeks.
The edges were worn a bit, but no chips.  I also thought it was great,
 that I didn't break a nail either!
My nails always seem thin and brittle, which means they tend to break a lot.
In the close up, you can see nail growth, which is normal and good! 
Growing and not breaking! 
Now that's what I'm talking about!!

So, I wanted to re-do my nails, but I got called into work and when I work
 at the school cafeteria, it's a no nail polish rule.

This would be my first attempt at removing the gel nail polish.  I did my reading up on this, and I got out the cotton balls, foil and nail polish remover.
Putting the soaked cotton ball on each nail and wrapping them with foil, was harder than I thought it would be.  Sorry, no pics here of that.  

When I removed the foil and cotton balls, the polish was still on.  It doesn't come off like regular nail polish. I got my orange wood cuticle pusher and began "scraping".  Yep, I actually had to scrape it off.  It kinda just flaked off.  It was strange.  But it worked and I didn't feel like it affected my nails at all. 
It felt like some of the base coat was still on, so I used a 3-2-1 nail buffer to smooth it all out. Then they felt fine.

I worked for 3 days at the school and no broken nails. (yay!) 
So, then I was finally was able to re-paint my nails. I bought this sweet pink color. I was in the mood for spring! I did the whole system and was extremely pleased with them.
Then 2 days later....
this happend!
Are you kidding me???
Ugh! Nail Fail!
I think I know what happened.  For one, I was working at the apartments
and was heavily sanding cabinets and walls... yada yada yada...
Second, I did one thing different when I painted them.  I "capped" them differently. (Capping is basically painting the tip of the nail edge.)   

The very first time, I capped them before I painted the nail. This time, when I painted the pink I capped after I painted the nail. 

Look, at the picture closely.  Don't the ends appear a bit thicker? The thicker the polish the less it "cures".  I think I painted them too thick in general.
So, after that peel.  I decided to re-do all of my nails.
This time I just soaked them and scraped. It definitely was easier. They peeled more than flaked, I think because of the thickness of the polish.  

This time, I painted much quicker and thinner, and capped first. The results were much better!
Even after the nail fail, I am extremely happy with my nails.  I love that the polish doesn't come off easily.  I've continued to sand, paint, do dishes, clean house, type, etc. and no chips and no breaks.
Here's the quick compare again, I love it!
This make me smile!

Blessings,
Lori


17 comments

  1. I love to paint my nails but two days later they are all chipped and look horrible so this interests me! I am going to have to go check out the stuff you used! I am a busy mom of three and would love my nails to stay painted for 14 days and look like that! Thanks for sharing! Julia @ www.juliakendrick.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Julia! I'm so glad you stopped by! I'm pretty sold on these gel nails. It's just nice to have nails that look so good for so long! Let me know if you have any questions.
      Blessings!!

      Delete
  2. Humm, I've been looking at gel for my nails so this was interesting to me. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi DeeAnna! My pleasure. I appreciate you stopping by! Hope you try them! Blessings, Lori

      Delete
  3. I have been really wondering about this. I have wanted to try gel nails, but they are so costly (both at the salon and the do it yourself kits).

    Thank you so much for sharing your 2 cents!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Crystal! It is a bit of an investment, but I feel that it will pay for itself over time. I'm definitely keeping this up! I appreciate you stopping by! Blessings, Lori

      Delete
  4. Hi Julia, Like the other comments I would love to have nails that last 14 days. I'm definitely going to look up your post on how you did it. Love your blog.

    He is Risen! Happy Easter

    Anita aka Nit
    www.nitscreativecorner.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooppss! Sorry Lori. I mistakenly address you by Julia. Anita aka Nit

      Delete
    2. Hi Anita! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! The nails are getting easier and easier to do. I still love them, they aren't always perfect, but I LOVE the fact that they last!
      Blessings, Lori

      He is Risen, Indeed!! :)

      Delete
  5. I usually avoid painting my nails because in about 2.5 seconds, they are smudged or chipped. I'm impressed!! :)
    Shannon @ Sewing Barefoot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shannon! You should definitely try them! I'm still in awe of them! Thanks for stopping by.
      Blessings, Lori

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Kristin, go ahead take the plunge! I still love them! They don't always come out perfect, and I'm REALLY hard on my nails, so I've gotten a slight chip here and there. But to me they still look great at 2 weeks! Thanks for stopping by!
      Blessings,
      Lori

      Delete
  7. Thanks for the post. I get here Very helpful information. Loveeee gel nail polish. :)

    - Jane
    Gel nail polish kit

    ReplyDelete
  8. To get it off with out peeling you can use 100% acetone.You can get it at Sally's beauty supply for around $3.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are awesome! Let me know what you think!

09 10