Let me first start off by saying I love love love getting my nails done. In fact, up until two years ago I had been getting my nails done every two weeks for ten years! That may sound crazy to some, but that truly was a guilty pleasure I wasn't willing to ever give up. Well that all changed after having my son, first of all, I just didn't have the time anymore and most importantly I had a hard time justifying the cost. I became extremely interested in finding good deals and figuring out how to stretch the dollar (you know like the crazy coupon ladies) but I just had no idea where to begin. Now, I know that Sally's and stores around the world just like it have the do-it yourself kits and packages in all things beauty but the nail world just didn't seem like the place that I would be able to see a great copy of the product for less than half the price; plus I am a horrible painter. I mean who really wants to give up those comfy lounge chairs, the big tv screen and that's right, 1.5 to 2 hours of uninterrupted "me" time!
Enter my best girlfriend in the whole entire world. About a year ago she opened my eyes to gel nail polish in the nail world and I was forever changed! I was an acrylic-aholic every 2 weeks I would get a fill in and every other visit was an all new set. A horrible routine for your nails, but I had a nervous habit of chewing on my nails as a kid and surprisingly enough the acrylic deterred me from chewing. (I digress) After making the switch to gel within the salon I saw a vast change in my nail, less breaking, less ridges, no dreaded grow out line from the acrylic, and most importantly it lasted longer and was a cheaper option. However with the pedicure I was spending anywhere from $75 to $120 (with tip) every 2.5-3 weeks.
While my bestie was going through college she discovered the Red Carpet Gel system at Ulta; this was my first DIY gel nail system I bought, and it changed my life. I then began looking for other systems and on a trip to Walmart I saw SensatioNail , a brand new Nailene line of amazing gel polish. So I decided to try it out. Fast forward to a year later and they have grown to numerous gorgeous colors and now a magnetize and french tip set. For roughly the last year I have been hand painting on the white tips for my gel nails which for me is ridiculously hard (remember I'm not the artist, especially not left handed). Now they have the perfect solution and I am so disappointed I never thought of this. If you check out the SensatioNail Website you can catch full tutorials and find stores that sell the product near you.
- Starter Kit- $49.95
- Nail polish- $11.99
- French polish kit- $14.99
- extra tips (100)- $6.99
I know you may be thinking $50.00 for a starter kit is a lot but it pays for itself over and over again. The average nail polish bottle gives you 50 manicures that's with two coats; obviously, depending on how thick you like your nails the most optimal your savings will be. Personally I like my nails almost as thick as acrylic so I'll say I only get 25 manicures. Even with those numbers, after your purchase of the starter kit (the light, gel polish, base, cleanser, and utensils) my manicures drop down to 2 dollars and pedicures are the same. Not to mention, any time I want to get crazy and go outside my norm of french I only pay 11.99 for a new color and that just added 25-50 more manicures to my collection!
I'm definitely not saying give up your "me" time especially if that is normally your escape. But what you could do to help spread the dollars that you are spending, is give yourself a fill in. Sometimes after getting a salon gel manicure, I give my self a fill in (if I get french or a color I have). Lasting me to the untrained eye at least a good 1-2 weeks! Another option is just buying yourself the starter kit and using it as your top coat on regular nail polish. I don't know one woman who doesn't want at least a top coat that actually protects the nail underneath and is dry instantly after curing! What are your thoughts on at-home gel systems?
