I had my first gel manicure the other day and I was initially pleased as punch with it. “This is absolutely brilliant,” I thought. “Why would you ever have your nails any other way?”
And the answer is, because you will get utterly sick of it and the colour and the rather “heavy” feel of it on your nails within three days but rather resent wasting £23 on having it done and then a further £6 to have it removed.
So hurrah, then, for TopShop gel nail colours, where you apply a base coat, the colour, then a top coat and it’s pretty much as good as gel except you can get it off in the peace and quiet of your own home without needing a jackhammer.
I haven’t actually tried this yet, but most things that TopShop beauty do are good – there is no reason to think this will be otherwise.
I discovered gel manicures a few years ago and like you thought they were the best thing ever. I only had them done probably 3 x a year but now avoid them as once the varnish has been hacked off they left my nails really thin and I have a phobia of thin nails and nails coming off, is that really weird of me? My two teenage daughters will love these though so they will be going in their Christmas Stockings! Thanks for the tip. They are obsessed with nails and anything that has TOP SHOP on it!!!
No Sarah I don’t think you’re being weird, I think gel is probably quite bad for your nails.
My sister in law gets her nails done using something called SNS – it’s meant to be thinner and stronger than gel / shellac.
I keep meaning to get mine done but have accidentally bought a new nail varnish from Chanel. So I’ll try that out first.
Yes, I too had my first gel manicure and was over the moon for 3 days…then decided the colour was vile and unbearable…so never again…so I treated myself to some spiffy colours from Essie and Opi and am happy again.
I recently tried some stick on nails from Boots as I was going to a party and I don’t like the ‘heavy’ feel of Gel and they were brilliant! They were a brand called Kiss nails and just stuck on with some double sided pads and you could cut them and file them (I like my nails quite short) – they lasted for 3 days and then I just peeled them off and there is no damage to my nails. I’m really cak-handed at painting nails so this works for me really well, and it was only £6.
My nails are really bendy and weak so even gel chips really quickly. The only think more annoying than having spent +£20 on gel and deciding three days later you don’t like the colour, is getting chips in it three days later. I reverted to going to a quick and dirty nail place for a weekly re-paint, which only costs a fiver.
Rimmel do the gel lite now too and that’s available in boots. Great plum colour available and very shiny. Survived removing a car seat cover that was covered in sick and the subsequent hosedown in Milton!
I only ever have the gel nails on my toes, and they last for about 6-8 weeks before something needs to be done. However, I fell for the advertising and bought the Nails Inc Spray On nail polish and base/top coat – this is a warning to all, DO NOT BUY THIS. It’s probably the worst product I’ve ever bought, and that’s saying something. It doesn’t come off your skin as claimed, but happily disappears from your nails within 12 hours. It is an absolutely ridiculous product, and their customer care line gives zero shits. It’s seriously awful.
I get Shellac nail polish when I’m going on holiday, I usually get a French manicure, then I don’t tire of it. Long term, it’s really bad for your nails I can attest to this.
I have shellac/gel equivalents on toenails only all year round. They have ruined my hand nails which were weak to start with so I’ll never use any kind of gel manicure on my hands again.
I was going to suggest Nail Inc Gel effect as really good. I have also bought the spray can but not used it yet so thanks for the warning I’ll give it s go anyway. It will give the lads at work a laugh if nothing else
Glad you mentioned the heavy feel because no one else seems to notice this and my friends think I’m mad. I’m always aware of it on my nails, and then I’ll pick it off which is REALLY bad for them!
yes exactly, so much better to have something less permanent that you can easily and quickly get off with varnish remover. other people are not so neurotic about their nails of course, and those are gel fanatics x