At-Home Gel Nail Kit

Never underestimate a fresh pair of painted nails. There is something so special about having a nice manicure. We use our hands all the time, especially when talking. I feel happier and confident when my nails are spot on because I know people look (whether they admit it or not). Occasionally going out on a girls date is fun to go to the nail salon, but the upkeep of going every two weeks is just insane. Now that I am about to be a mom, I know time will be limited and adjusting to new monthly expenditures will be a thing. I thought an at home-gel nail kit would be the best solution because I can get a nice thick coating that won’t chip off so quickly.. WIN-WIN. I still get to have my nails done and it pays for itself the first time you give yourself a new coat of paint. Another bonus I have noticed...if you mess up one of the nails all you have to do is find a five minute window in your day to paint it at home. No more driving to the salon for a fix.

After looking around on Amazon and reading many reviews I decided to go with the Modelones Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit.

What you get:

• 6w LED foldable nail dryer w/USB port charger

• 6 Gels in mini bottles

• Base and Top Coat polish

• Portable nail gel kit for travel (12 piece set)

The entire kit is $35.99 with Amazon prime. The kit was backordered (due to popular demand) when I ordered so I took longer than the 2-day prime. Definitely worth the wait.

The process:

• Clean nails, push back cuticles, trim nail surface and file nails

• Apply base coat nail polish and cure under the UV lamp

• Apply a thin coat of color and cure under the UV lamp (repeat this step as many times as you like depending on the depth of color you’d like)

• Apply top coat and cure under the UV lamp

My thoughts:

• First time application I used thicker layers on the color coat. This took longer to dry under the UV lamp.

• Keep paint on the nail as best as you can. If a little gets on the side skin next to your nail, it will eventually bubble

• Attempt not to touch or hit anything with your nails until the top coat has been applied and dried once

For an at home-gel nail kit the wear and tear has been great. So far I’ve been able to get about a week and a half stretch with the paint before a few nails start to bubble. Disclaimer: I haven’t fully perfected painting the sides of the nails without getting it on some of my skin. Once I can tackle this skill I’m sure they will last as long as salon nails. The gel has been holding up solid. No chipping in between applications.

Overall I highly recommend this gel-kit to anyone who is sick of going to the salon regularly and constantly shelling out the expense of $30-40 per manicure. Remember this kit is $35.99 and will pay for itself with one gel manicure at home. It’s worth a try in my opinion. I have tried a powder kit at home (that was disastrous). The gel-kit is definitely a better solution. Now you just need a glass of wine, your favorite Netflix show and your nail kit. Enjoy your self-care time.