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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Current obsession: gel mani

Gel manicure!  Like whoa, why didn't I try this sooner?  Saturday I went to a new salon by me for a polish change and pedi when I got enticed to try the gel manicure that's all the rage.  After all, they were offering 20 percent off all services, so I might as well take advantage of a gel mani for $16 when it was regularly $20.  That was my reasoning anyway.

Essentially the gel mani is applied the same way as a traditional mani.  A base, color and top coat are applied with a few minutes spent under UV light in between each layer.  Nails emerge completely dry and shinny, so you don't have to worry about smudging them while digging for your keys in your purse.  Major plus!  I can't tell you how many times I'm ruined a mani or pedi before I even got to my car in the parking lot. 

The allure of the gel mani is that your nails will remain chip-free with a high shine for up to 2 weeks or more.  So far so good!  It's been a few days and they look exactly as they did when I left the salon.  I went with a light pink, natural color:

I've read some cons about this new mani, though.  I've read you may have to go to the salon to properly soak the polish off because regular polish remover won't work.  Also, apparently you have to be weary of salons offering fake gel manicures.  There is no drilling or harsh buffing required to prep the nail, so if the salon starts to do so, you know something in the milk ain't clean.  Run. 

I think this gel manicure is a great idea if you plan to go on vacay and don't want to have to bother with nail upkeep.  I don't think I'll be getting a gel mani done frequently because I am a biatch on a budget (so should have named my blog that instead), and I've got to cut corners where I can.  Typically that means painting my own nails from the comfort of my couch.  But for special occasions, I might just have to splurge.
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9 comments:

  1. LOVE LOVE LOVE! You and I are too alike! HAHA I just got a gel manicure for the first time last Thursday, actually blogged about it too! Almost a week later, it is still perfectly in tact! I'm in love!

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  2. Oh wow I could definitely use that! I just don't have time to be doing and re-doing my nails all the time...

    K.

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  3. I've been dying to try this! I usually do my nails on my couch as well (I actually like doing them myself), but I've heard such enticing things about the gel mani that I'm gonna make it happen soon.

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  4. This post made me sad. I used to get my nails done all the time pre-babies. Now I'm jealous. :)

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  5. I might have to try that! I heard some news story where they said, "Gel manicures can lead to cancer!" and after listening more... it was that the UV light is the same as tanning beds and can lead to cancer. (well no shit sherlock!) I just couldn't believe they over exaggerated it by claiming that it's the gel manicure. Very misleading...

    I'm due for a mani/pedi for sure! What salon did you go to? There's a new salon down the street from where I work in North Dallas off the Dallas Tollway that's offering 30% off services right now... I just may have to go!

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  6. Ok, I swear. I think about something and BAM! You blog about it. Seriously, a friend was just telling me that I need to try this! ANd whoa, you try and blog. Now ... I just gotta find a salon in CC that does it!

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  7. I love the gel manicures! I actually got one back in November when I went on vacation because I didn't want to have to worry about my nails chipping. It lasted the whole time and I loved it! Taking it off is definitely a pain though.

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  8. I'm on my 3rd gel manicure and I love it. It definitely doesn't last 2 weeks on me though...more like a week and a half. I've had it done 2 different places so I don't think it's anything they're doing...I think I must be really hard on my nails or something. I was all jazzed up in the beginning though when a friend told me it lasted 3 weeks for her! :)

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  9. So how did the gel manicure hold up? Did it ruin your nails when you took it off? Was it hard to take off on your own? Thanks for sharing this. New follower, not sure if I already commented and told you that. My goal is 50 followers soon, and more comments. Blogging is a challenge :)
    http://forpinkssake.blogspot.com/

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