Review Detail
5.0 5 0.5
Overall rating
5.0
Price
5.0
Quality
5.0
Effectiveness
5.0
Ok so first off, I've never had any kind of gel on my nails before.. One - because I have good strong nails by themselves, so I never saw the need. And two - because I never felt like I had a big enough occasion that would justify the cost of getting gel nails done at the salon.
So when I got the mail from Lori/Beautybulletin that I have been chosen to test this home gel nail kit, I was super excited & a little nervous at the same time.
The SensatioNail starter kit (which we received) comes with all the essentials that you need to get yourself started, including the LED lamp & one colour polish.
When I first saw the size of the top&base coat and colour bottles in the kit, I was a little disappointed, thinking they must be test sizes. But the instructions said that you would be able to do 10 full manicures with them. And while doing my first mani with it, I saw that you really only need a little of the product for it to go a long way (without being skimpy).
I also like the fact that you're able to buy the different colour polishes individually, in double the size (20 applications). And you have the option to top up your essentials (gel cleanser, primer, top&base coat, manicure stick, buffer & lint-free wipes) with the essentials kit.
Application of the product, eventhough it was my first time, was really easy and relatively quick. And I'm sure that each time you use it, it will go even quicker & smoother, as with anything you get more 'practiced' at.
I would definitely recommend watching the little tutorial videos on the SensatioNail website before doing this manicure for yourself at home. They are very helpful and immediately put my mind to ease.
I'm a very 'hands on' person, using my hands a lot everyday, which means that nail polish on my finger nails usually don't last very long. With this sensational mani, my nails stayed perfect the whole 2 weeks. No chips, beautifully shiny & I could easily have kept it on for another week, if it wasn't for my nail growth ('naked' nail starting to show at the base of the nail).
Removing the gel polish - understandably - takes a little longer than with normal nail polish. And they also have a removal kit that you can purchase separately, which works really well and would be my first choice for easy removal. Alternatively, you can soak your nails in acetone for 10-15 min and use an orange stick to lift the polish off your nails.
Good tips for removal are to make sure you buff through the top (clear) coat of your mani, so the acetone can reach and 'soften' the gel polish layers below. I also recommend applying petroleum jelly to the area around your nails, finger tips & cuticles to minimise the drying effects of the acetone.
Apart from this being an amazing product in its own right, the pricing structure contributes to making this a worthwhile purchase!
The recommended retail price of the starter kit is R995-00, from which you will get 10 full manicures (an average of 20 weeks' worth), costing u R99-50 a mani. Which is a whole lot less than the average R250-R300 you would pay at the salon for your gel nail application.
If you then purchase an essentials kit R289-00 and another gel colour R159-00, which will give you another 20 full manicures (40 weeks ie. the rest of the year), your manicures work out to only R22-40 a pop!
All in all, I LOVE this product and will definitely be stocking up on many more of the other colours!! And Christmas being just around the corner.. hint... hint... ;)
Have a look at the step-by-step photos I took while doing my first SensatioNail gel polish mani, uploaded on my Beautybulletin profile. And I will also be uploading a video review with more thoughts on the product.
So when I got the mail from Lori/Beautybulletin that I have been chosen to test this home gel nail kit, I was super excited & a little nervous at the same time.
The SensatioNail starter kit (which we received) comes with all the essentials that you need to get yourself started, including the LED lamp & one colour polish.
When I first saw the size of the top&base coat and colour bottles in the kit, I was a little disappointed, thinking they must be test sizes. But the instructions said that you would be able to do 10 full manicures with them. And while doing my first mani with it, I saw that you really only need a little of the product for it to go a long way (without being skimpy).
I also like the fact that you're able to buy the different colour polishes individually, in double the size (20 applications). And you have the option to top up your essentials (gel cleanser, primer, top&base coat, manicure stick, buffer & lint-free wipes) with the essentials kit.
Application of the product, eventhough it was my first time, was really easy and relatively quick. And I'm sure that each time you use it, it will go even quicker & smoother, as with anything you get more 'practiced' at.
I would definitely recommend watching the little tutorial videos on the SensatioNail website before doing this manicure for yourself at home. They are very helpful and immediately put my mind to ease.
I'm a very 'hands on' person, using my hands a lot everyday, which means that nail polish on my finger nails usually don't last very long. With this sensational mani, my nails stayed perfect the whole 2 weeks. No chips, beautifully shiny & I could easily have kept it on for another week, if it wasn't for my nail growth ('naked' nail starting to show at the base of the nail).
Removing the gel polish - understandably - takes a little longer than with normal nail polish. And they also have a removal kit that you can purchase separately, which works really well and would be my first choice for easy removal. Alternatively, you can soak your nails in acetone for 10-15 min and use an orange stick to lift the polish off your nails.
Good tips for removal are to make sure you buff through the top (clear) coat of your mani, so the acetone can reach and 'soften' the gel polish layers below. I also recommend applying petroleum jelly to the area around your nails, finger tips & cuticles to minimise the drying effects of the acetone.
Apart from this being an amazing product in its own right, the pricing structure contributes to making this a worthwhile purchase!
The recommended retail price of the starter kit is R995-00, from which you will get 10 full manicures (an average of 20 weeks' worth), costing u R99-50 a mani. Which is a whole lot less than the average R250-R300 you would pay at the salon for your gel nail application.
If you then purchase an essentials kit R289-00 and another gel colour R159-00, which will give you another 20 full manicures (40 weeks ie. the rest of the year), your manicures work out to only R22-40 a pop!
All in all, I LOVE this product and will definitely be stocking up on many more of the other colours!! And Christmas being just around the corner.. hint... hint... ;)
Have a look at the step-by-step photos I took while doing my first SensatioNail gel polish mani, uploaded on my Beautybulletin profile. And I will also be uploading a video review with more thoughts on the product.
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