I know I know, I've been gone forever....shame on me, blah blah, lol. But I'm happy to report that my little one is about 6 months, and isn't quite so needy anymore. He actually takes some time to play by himself now, yay! So, hopefully that means more time for blogging and videos! One can dream, right?
Anyhoo, I collaborated with a good friend of mine, who's a licensed cosmetologist, to create a video on the application of Gelish Polish.
ShearUp.com was nice enough to provide us with all the Gelish Products. Please note that they are not compensating me for this blog or the video I created. The thing I loved the most was the LED Lamp. This lamp retails for $329.99 (I think...), and it is frickin' awesome. It really does cure the gel in seconds! More on that in a bit.
Here's the video:
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obm6XGtN-SI
What We Used:
Buffer (sorry, don't know the grit!)
Gelish PH Bond
Gelish Foundation Gel
Gelish Jet Set
Gelish Top Seal
Rubbing Alcohol
Gelish 6G LED Lamp
I know we could've fast-forwarded through all the curing and stuff, but I just wanted to show the entire manicure, in one cut, in real-time. Just to give you a sense of what it's really like. =) Sorry for the weird editing at the end!
Note: Cure times based on Gelish's LED Lamp.
Manicurist:
Denise
"D" Spot Salon
684 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(626) 695-6837
www.dspotsalon.com
I think she normally charges $35 for a Gelish manicure. =)
It was fun shooting the video with her, and I feel like I benefited from watching a professional apply Gelish. Apparently my manicures on my mom and friends look very amateurish compared to hers. But, then again...she IS a professional! LOL I definitely intend to try out her methods the next time I give someone a Gelish manicure. (Please note, I only give them to my mom and a few select friends/family...and I do it for free, hehe.) Things to do: Keep coats thin, cap the edges, make sure your whole hand is in the lamp. =)
Basically it's just large enough for one hand or foot to fit inside. The stand makes it tricky to put in your foot. With the basic UV lamp, you could just put your foot on the floor and slowly slide it in. With this, I kept it on the stand, so you had to slowly finesse your foot in. I didn't think about it at the time, but I guess removing the stand was a smarter idea, lol. Hindsight is 20/20?
There are three buttons on the back: 10 seconds, 20 seconds, & 30 seconds. Since this is made for the Gelish system, these are the only times you'll need. 10 seconds for the foundation gel, 30 seconds for each coat of polish, and 20 seconds for the top seal. And yes, it really does cure in those times (as seen on the video)!
Soooo....the good stuff: it cures your gels quickly and it's easy to use. The bad stuff: it costs $329.99. Now, as a layuser, I doubt I would spend the money on this when a regular UV lamp does the same for $55. It just does it slower....But, maybe if I were a professional, I would be more inclined to buy it. I think it would be pretty handy in a salon setting. You can easily finish one hand in 8 minutes, then work on the other hand with out worrying about the first hand hitting anything.
I haven't seen the lamp from the starter kit, so I'm not sure how it compares.
So yeah...just some final thoughts: Do I love my lamp? Hellz yeah....Would I recommend it? Um, only if you can afford it, or just really want it, lol, or work at a salon. =)
Here are some pics of recent Gel manicures:
Gelish:
This is one coat of Bella's Vampire & one coat of Vegas Nights. One coat of Bella's Vampire seems a little on the thin side....it shows how uneven my application is. I've worn two coats of Bella's Vampire, and it definitely hides my flaws. =)
Gelac:
This is a French mani I did using IBD's Gelac in Pink & White. Their formula is actually thinner than Gelish, so it definitely felt more like a polish. However, my white turned into cottage cheese, and it's only been....2 months? Not a happy camper about that. Price-wise, it's about $13 a bottle (versus Gelish's $17)...
Gelac:
This is the same manicure as above, however, I added some Konad lace to it. I can't remember which plate I used, so I'll update when I can. =) I basically did a top seal, then the stamp, then another top seal. This lasted for a nice long while...
**UPDATE: Check out my new Gelish Magneto Blog!
ShearUp.com is offering my readers a 10% discount if you use the Promo Code: PRINCESSTEA
(Please note that I don't receive anything if you use this promo code, it is strictly for your benefit.)
Disclaimer:
1. All the Gelish products in the video were provided by ShearUp.com as a gift. All other tools/products in the video are property of "D" Spot Salon. Anything else mentioned on the blog has been purchased by me (or someone in my family).
2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog.
3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used.
4. These are my honest opinions.
9 comments:
Hey great article.. just wanted to mention a huge postive with the lED lamp for anyone looking to buy but worrying about the large layout cost... LED bulbs have a longer life span i think its 58.000hrs (aprox 5 to 7 yrs!!!) where as UV light bulbs need changing every 3/4 months no matter how much you use them as they lose energy and efficiency from the minute you put them in your lamp. so the 300+ layout actually works out cheaper if you calculate what youll spend over 7 yrs in bulbs! xx
@Nail Artist Blog Wow! I didn't realize the UV bulbs burned out so quickly! Thanks for the info!
Thank you for the great reviews, pics, and your honesty.
I am wondering if the gellish light will work for CND products also. Do you know?
@De Yes, I know that the LED lamp will work for other brands such as CND and OPI. However, you might need to play with the cure times. And unfortunately the LED lamp only has 3 settings: 10s, 20s, and 30s. Hope this helps! And thanks for reading and commenting! =)
you don't answer the most important question - how long did the gelish mani last?
@Maryiane It lasts about 10 days without chipping. As a pedicure, it lasts about a month pretty nicely, and I just fill in the growth. =) Hope that helps!
What does the 6G 9G or18G stand for?
@stac Sorry for the slow reply! The 6G, 9G, 18G are the model numbers for the light. I believe they refer to how many bulbs there are. For instance, the 9G has 9 5-watt bulbs and the 18G one has 18 2-watt bulbs. Hope this helps! (And is even still applicable! LOL)
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