Well, I promised a lot of girls that I would report back on how I am getting on with Gelish.
I ordered my first couple of bottles from Amsterdam before the distribution was up and running in this country so had mine a few days earlier than the rest. I did my nails straight away, as you do, and to be honest the second hand was much better than the first!
Problems - there were'nt any really apart from me being moron and wiping the inhibitor layer off the colour with acetone
Once I realised that if you can soak it off with acetone then you can't wipe it with acetone!!!
Anyway completed first hand and it was ok. However! The second hand went on like a dream, no problems at all and 10 days later I have perfect nails, still shiny with no dulling on any of them. No chipping, which is amazing as my own nails are the thinest and will even bend backwards! They have ridges in them as well, due to old age I think, the Gelish covered these with no problems at all. If I do try to wear a colour on my natural nails it will only last a couple of days looking good and therefore if I am working with acetone and monomer there is just no point.
Tips for perfect application:- Apply thin coats, the first coat may look a bit streaky but the second coat will sort that out. The thin coats will cure properly without any chance of wrinkling down the sides or peeling from the natural nail, curing is the key to using this product. - Use a good UV lamp, I am going to get the LED UV lamp as soon as it is in stock, well worth the investment taking overall curing time from 16 minutes down to 4! The last tip would probably be to make sure that you don't get the foundation touching the skin as this could cause lifting or peeling, possibly. Oh and of course cap your free edges, although I didn't do that on a couple of my nails as they were too short and they are still fine.
I hope this helps the new Gelish users, unfortunately I cannot speak for Shellac as I haven't tried it yet due to me liking dark colours and there only being one in the range at the moment. Will maybe try it when the other colours arrive. Most people who know me on here know that I use many products, I like a bit of variety!
Whichever product brand you are using, and I do realise they are different from eachother, these new Gel Polishes are a must for any serious nail tech or manicurist. They are so easy to use and I mean really easy and they last far better than I expected them to in the respect of dulling due to the chemicals we use. Everyone should try them at least and see what you think for yourselves.