Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish: A Review.

I have posted before about my nail woes — how they break, peel, and just annoy me to bits. I work at a convenience store, and I don't think that helps the matter. My hands are constantly in bleach water, and because I work with the public I use a ton of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Both of these dry my hands, and nails, out. No moisturizer has been able to fix this, and I don't believe that I am going to be able to find one that will. 

I have looked at this kit so many times, and I couldn't bring myself to buy it. It was $59.99 at my local Fred Meyer, and it seemed so expensive. I love having nice nails, but I haven't seen any reviews for diy gel nail polish and I tend to be rather inept when it comes to this sort of thing. There was a $10 off sale, and I decided to risk it. 

First off,  I truly recommend buying the kit, and not buying it piece by piece. I did the math, and I saved roughly $20. Not an enormous savings, but every bit counts. 

Secondly, it works wonders. Truly. I did this, while miserably sore (Zumba instructor training — there is a post coming!) and watching television late at night. It came out beautifully. It basically involves applying the base coat, putting it under the light, and then doing the same for each coat of polish thereafter. There is a finishing rub you use after to remove any tackiness. Just follow the instructions to the letter, and it will look incredible. 

I waited about a week to show you my nails, just because I wanted to give you a thorough review. Usually my nails are all chipped after about a day of work. I have had this on for two shifts and a week of pet-sitting and dishes. Lots of work! 

It is perfect! The tips are all covered, the polish is intact, and for some reason, the color doesn't look even in this photo. My nails look better in real life! 

The one caveat to this polish is that it lasts for two weeks, and the removal process is slightly more involved than normal polish (those who have had a gelish manicure are familiar with this.) You have to soak it off with a cotton ball and acetone for about ten minutes, to break down the polish. It really doesn't take to long. 

Ultimately, it was worth the money for me. It was an expensive initial investment, and the polishes are about $10 a piece, but I don't have to keep re-polishing my nails. Right now I'm working one full time job, one part time job, and going to school. I don't have a lot of spare time to keep re-polishing my nails, and I would rather be able to go out with my friends during the spare time I have. This polish allows me to look professional while only painting my nails twice a week. Awesome, no? 

ETA: I NO LONGER RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT. It was terrible to remove after the first time, and no longer stuck afterwards. I returned the kit, and got most of my money back. Not happy.