Gel nail polish kits

[MELSMICE]

I have my SIL's name for Christmas. She would like a gel nail polish kit. She mentioned that they had them at Target but I can't seem to find it online.

Does anyone have one or can anyone recommend one. I found some on the Ulta site, but I'm really not sure what is a good one. I'd like one that contains a few colors of polish or I'd like to be able to buy a few bottles of the gel polish.

 

[okeydokey]

My Mom bought a kit from QVC and said the polish peels off her fingers in just a few days.

I have been doing the Shellac at home for a couple of years, but I buy the actual shellac from Amazon (maybe 15 a bottle) and I bought the UV light at Sallys for about $50.

 

[WDmommyof4]

I got one of these kits from a blogging conference I went to and it looks amazing for a day and then starts getting cracks in it and chips off a bit at a time. I would make sure to find some reviews on consumer sites before you spend any money on one.

 

[MELSMICE]

Thank you.

I'm not familiar with the gel polish or the shellac. How does it all work? I don't want to pay a ton of money & then not have it work any better than regular nail polish.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

How much do you want to spend? I love CND and Gelish brand gel nail polish, but they are pricey. Does she have a UV or LED light? I used to buy mine off Amazon but I have found a nail supply store in town that sells to the public and is more convenient and a little cheaper.

 

[MELSMICE]

How much do you want to spend? I love CND and Gelish brand gel nail polish, but they are pricey. Does she have a UV or LED light? I used to buy mine off Amazon but I have found a nail supply store in town that sells to the public and is more convenient and a little cheaper.

Our budget is $150, but I'd go as far as to spend about 1/2 or a little more of the budget on the nail kit or supplies to make a nail kit & then get her something else.

We do have a Sally's in our area so I might be able to get the lamp, etc. from there. I just know nothing about the gel polish/manicures, etc. I use Revlon Color Stay polish myself when I paint my nails.

 

[momto3pirates]

I have the Couture gel polish set and I love it. There is definately a learning curve when you first start using it. If you don't get the gel really thin and even, you end up with lumps in the set polish. Also you have to wrap the polish around the tip of the nail or it will peel. It is much faster than regular polish once you get the hang of it, though. No waiting for polish to set.

 

[okeydokey]

Our budget is $150, but I'd go as far as to spend about 1/2 or a little more of the budget on the nail kit or supplies to make a nail kit & then get her something else.

We do have a Sally's in our area so I might be able to get the lamp, etc. from there. I just know nothing about the gel polish/manicures, etc. I use Revlon Color Stay polish myself when I paint my nails.

That should be plenty.

With most brands including CDN Shellac, you will need a bottle of base coat, a top coat and then a color. You also need the UV Light. Check out amazon for CND Shellac. Colors are about 15 each and the light will be 50-60.

 

[Kimberle]

My Mom bought a kit from QVC and said the polish peels off her fingers in just a few days.

I have been doing the Shellac at home for a couple of years, but I buy the actual shellac from Amazon (maybe 15 a bottle) and I bought the UV light at Sallys for about $50.

I saw a demo for a gel kit on qvc a few weeks ago. The gel lady must of had 22 cups of espresso before she started. Any way, she "painted" the models hands, put it in the light thing, and after it "dryed", proceeded to dunk all FIVE fingers in a jar full of marbles. The kicker, only FOUR fingers were in the dryer. The thumb would not fit. I'm convinced she painted water on the nails, not polish. The color of the nails never changed during the demo.
Shame on qvc...

 

[tinatark]

I would get either the CND or the OPI product. They're what the professionals use.

 

[MELSMICE]

Thanks for the input & suggestions, everyone.

 

[dumplebugs]

Look for Sensationail at Walmart. The starter kits costs $50 and comes with a light. They have 2 different colors to choose from. Then other polishes are about $10. They boast they last up to 2 weeks, but mine last about 1 week. Before I could'nt go 24 hours with regular polish. I actually have to cut my nails now because they grow so well. Check out their website.

 

[3smithboys]

I bought the OPI gelshine at Sephora, and I really like it a lot.

 

[SarahandPaul]

My husband bought me this light off Amazon for my birthday last year: Thermal Spa 49135 Professional U/V Gel Light Nail Dryer.
Then he got the base coat, top coat and couple colors at Sally's (Gelish brand). The polishes run about $15 per bottle, but Sally's does run sales. Recently they had one where if you bought two colors, you get a free top coat. The bottles seem small but I have done many manicures without running out of anything.
I love it! He bought me a light pink and a light pink with glitter to start. I definitely needed to work on my technique and was glad to have lighter shades to perfect my skills! My first few trials peeled after just a few days, but now they will easily go two weeks without any peeling. Just like the salon without spending $25 a visit!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

This site might be helpful:
http://forum.purseblog.com/nail-care-reference-library/soak-off-gel-information-for-beginners-729204.html

 

[MELSMICE]

This site might be helpful:
http://forum.purseblog.com/nail-care-reference-library/soak-off-gel-information-for-beginners-729204.html

Thank you!