Beauty Note: To Gel or Not to Gel
This past weekend I headed to the nail salon with my roommate for a mani-pedi. I don't get my nails done very often because I prefer to do a color change every few days and enjoy painting them myself so this was a treat. When we arrived I selected my color (cherry red) and she, instead of doing the same, informed me she would be getting a gel manicure. I was curious because I had seen the finished product, but never seen it applied. I watched as the manicurist applied layers to my roommate's nails and had her place her hands under a blue light in-between each. She repeated this several times and then it was done. They looked beautiful and promised to remain that way for up to 2-3 weeks. This sounded almost too good to be true so I decided to do a little research on these gel nails...
First, I learned that there are two different kinds of gel nails. The first is the one my roommate opted for. This was a light cured gel. It is a premixed gel that is applied to your nail and then cured using an ultra violet light. Now growing up in a beach town and seeing first hand...
Read the rest of my post by clicking here!
XO Lauren
Source: TheBeautyDepartment.com
Photo: Spencer Higgins
24 comments
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I think gel nails look gorge, but I don't get them because I change my nail color so often! Check out my ocean ombre nails: http://eyeblinkfashion.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/tutorial-ocean-ombre-nails/
- Cher
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I get gel nail extensions done and they are amazing.. they are so convenient and never chip.. they are light on the nails as well.. i m addicted... i get french ones done and sometimes with a polish.. they look totally perfect.. but nails need a break after sometime...
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I'm a bit skeptic of these since I work in a warehouse at Cat, the oils always tend to break down my manicures/acrylics. It doesn't matter what I get done or how long it is promised to last, the oil I have to deal with does not ever allow me to keep a pretty manicure, it is usually ruined in 1-4 days.
My pedicures I do myself last for weeks, even months though. 
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Looks like I have a gel mani in my future! The only thing I'm really worried about is them chipping.. which is a problem I have with a normal color anyway!
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I have resine on my nails. Its like the Gel but without the UV. ITs amazing but I feel my nails need a break every couple of months
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Gel manis are cool...they last for a long time, but they are a pain in the ass to take off...but if you're going on vacation for a little while I highly recommend it because it doesn't chip or peel so no worries.
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I had these done for a wedding. I wasn't aware of the second method which I wish I was because that sound much better for the skin the the UV light. However, I have to say mine did not last two weeks. I guess with all the prepping and all the travel my nails chipped and started peel within a week of being done. I was pleased with the result, how the nails looked, however I didn't feel that the value was shown well in the week they barely survired.
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My friend does them from home and has every colour imagineable. In Australia you can get it done for $15 same as a regular mani. I too worry about the UV effects though.
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I got the gel nail polish done a few weeks ago at a salon and I absolutely did not like it. I don't recommend it at all. The manicure looked nice for about a week than the sides began to lift and they started to looked tacky. The removal process alone was a nightmare and having them half on and half off was super annoying. I spent double the price of a normal manicure and I would have just rather gotten my nails done twice in that time.
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I have been getting shellac nails probably once a month for the past year, I LOVE it! Depending on the salon, is can only be a couple dollars more than a normal manicure. I don't have any time to do my own nails, and I hate how quickly it will chip. The gel nails are amazing, plus, if you are like me, they are great for helping your nails to grow and become thicker/stronger. The salon by my house just got a bunch new colors in and I have neon pick right now. I think they are great and recommend them to every girl I talk to!!!
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I live in Cleveland and the salon I go to has 46 different colors of the gel polish. I absolutely love the fact that the polish lasts for 3 weeks! Also the fact that you can walk out of the salon without waiting for your nails to dry is amazing. I will say though, that having the same polish on for 3 weeks can get boring. I like changing my polish frequently so I dont get the gel often. I would recommend it to anyone too, my nails look and feel more healthy than with reqular polish.
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I actually tried the gel-nails, and I just can´t decide wether it´s NO or GO. They looked great and lasted for almost three weeks. For me, having thin and fragile nails, it´s was great not having to worry about chipped nails and damage control. They felt so strong! I could do anything, from the dishehs to work out. They stood the test! However (the downside), they were almost impossible to get off, and yeah, pieces of my own nails came off with it. So therefore, I´m torn!
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My boss had hers done and ripped several off also and pulled most of her pinky fingernail off with it while riding her horse. They are pretty but thinking about how much money is lost by going back every few weeks to get them done.
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My friend's sister owns a UV-light lamp and those nail-polishes and she made us a gel-manicure. It lasted...um...a day. But it wasn't our or her fault, the base was useless. So, after a few days, I tried once more. But again-one day. Few days ago I said 'okay, I'll give it a last try' . I picked lovely fuchsia pink, skipped the base and the manicure lasted....2 days! I have no idea why, but after that, my nails are much much weaker, nail plate is kind of rough(?), chipped. Her nails looked lovely and they lasted long, but only because she had acryllic gel nails or something like that. So, to sum up, I do not recommend!
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I tried the gel mani and my real nails were placed under the uv light, but mine only lasted for a couple of days. After that they started to chip, I don't recommend them. But I would like to try the Shellac, it seems to be a better choice.
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Thanks for the post!!! I've been really curious about the gel manicures. I've heard they were pretty cool, but I didn't know about difficulty in removing.
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I have tried gels twice now and I love it! The polish really does stay put with the gel overlay. I like to keep my nails very short and neutral, so I got a french manicure with a gel overlay and it lasted for almost 3 weeks! It looked shiny and fabulous right up until the 3rd week, than it chipped a little here and there.
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I've had a shellac mani. I love that you can leave the salon and not worry abou messing up your nails because are already dry. Mine lasted 2 weeks, cost almost $30. I liked it but I wouldn't get this type of mani all the time...I want another one soon since newer colors have come out. -
well, i tried them and they actually looked really nice and they remained 2 weeks . i bought a kitt with the gel and a gel activator from walmart, they are easy to apply and for me i diddn't have any trouble removing them, i have a simple way that actually works for me because i don't have time to go to the salon . i really liked them
samah xoxo
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Not for me! I don't even use top coat so that my polish will chip after a few days and I have a reason to use a new color. I have too much fun changing colors too much to get something that would be the same for weeks!
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What a coincidence.....I've booked in to have a gel manicure next week. Will let you know how it goes:)
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The gel nails look awesome! I might have to try them when I get my nails done some time:) Thanks Lauren!
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