Mission: Gel Nail Polish

With my job I can NOT have FAKE nails (all of you know I love anything Fake and have had fake nails since I was 13 years old :) ha ha) For the past 2 years I have hated having stubs for nails. What I hated even more than having stubby nails, is having stubby nails that chip in ONE DAY!!!! Can we say: White Trash!?!?! I have tried a million ways to avoid this problem. Nothing works. My good friend, Melina, had some rockin' nail polish and I was totally digin' it! She said it was "Gel Polish". What, the heck, is gel polish? Well over the next months "Gel Polish" was a buzz word! I was hearing people talk about it left and right.

There can't be a beauty treatment I haven't tried at least once.

Mission:accepted!

I had to research my assignment...

Here is the skinny on "Gel Polish".
1. Can last over 2 weeks!
2. Doesn't damage your real nails
3. Shinny for the full 2 or more weeks
4. you soak it off to have it redone
5. The price is around $30 (may be cheaper to not have manicure with it)
6. It takes a little longer than a regular manicure
7. not as many color choices (but there is an OPI version & it is becoming so popular that will change)
8. You get to leave the nail salon with completely dry nail polish
9. Great alternative to acrylic
10. Normally it is not done on the feet (nail polish always lasts a long time on the toes anyway)


I had been dying to get it for the last couple of months but hadn't been able to find a minute to get it done between work, work, work & a social life. Finally... I entered the nail salon


I choose "You Don't Know Jacques" by OPI AXXIUM because I knew I loved that shade in their normal nail polish. The Gel is in a little pot not a normal nail polish bottle and has a much thicker consistency. (note: this color turned out a little lighter than the original nail polish)
Bellow are my nails before she started.....

Manicure Time at the Nails Boutique & Spa in Long Beach. click here to read their Yelp reviews...

After the manicure came a clear gel base. I was instructed to place my hand under the light for a few minutes.

Then the first coat of the AXXIUM Gel Polish was painted on the with another bake under the UV light....

Coat #2 & the light (you can see why it took longer than expected)

Then a clear top coat... of course, don't forget the light...

Little wipe with alcohol and .....

And I was done!!! Plus instead of a hand massage I got a shoulder massage (now that was the best part!!!!)

It has been a week since I got it done and my nails still look great! I have a horrible job for having pretty hands... all the spray tanning solution, lash tint, wax & glue guns.... but I think this is the answer for me. I can now have nice nails for a couple weeks with out having to have FAKE nails or chipped polish! Thank you Melina for filling me in and I hope this blog filled a couple more people in!!!!

Mission: Complete

Lindsay