Gelish Soak Off Gel Colour : How to DIY and Review

You will need:

- Nail trimmer 

- Nail file

- Cotton wipes

- Gelish Mini Basix Kit $39.95 which contains PH Bond, Foundation, Top it Off and Nourish - which are the curing base and top coats, it also contains a mini Gelish Cleanser and mini Gelish artificial nail remover.

- A Gelish mini Gel colour $19.95 each 

- Gelish Mini Pro LED Curing Light $59.95

Gelish products are available from Hairhouse Warehouse www.hairhousewarehouse.com.au

D.I.Y:

Preparation:

Your nails need to be fully prepped, take your time and push back your cuticles and then buff, file and shape.

Tips:

- Wash your hands with an anit-bacterial soap prior to starting your Gelish mani at home, just to kill any nasty germs lurking about.

- Do one hand from step 1-6 at a time, it is just easier so your not fiddling around with sticky nails.

- Always remove with the method specified (I will do another post on this!) Do not peel off gel or shellac polish, it will ruin your nails and make them very weak and horrible.

- In between each layer your nails will be tacky and sticky, so don't go cooking dinner or going to the toilet.

Step 1.

Apply the PH Bond to your nails, this takes any oil off your nails so the Gelish products have a clean base to adhese too. This is the only step which you do not need to cure with the LED light.

Step 2.

Apply a thin and even layer of Gelish Foundation which is basically a base coat. 

Step 3.

Using the LED Light cure the Gelish Foundation layer, I do my four fingers first and then my thumb second - 45 seconds for each. It is just more comfortable than trying to shove your whole hand in at once. The LED lamp automatically switches off after 45 seconds, to let you know to start the next step.

TIP: When your nails are under the LED LAMP keep your fingers very still and flat as the lamp will heat the polish and it can have some movement and slip around making it uneven if you are wiggling about.

Step 4.

Apply your Gelish colour, making sure you are painting thin and even layers. This will help your nails look neat and not lumpy.It is better to do more thin layers than fewer thick layers. Gelish colours are all different some need 2 coats some need 3, cure with the LED light in between each layer.

Step 5.

Apply a very very thin layer of Gelish Top it off all over your nails, making sure you cover the whole nail and cure under the LED light If you don't cover the entire nail - or where ever the colour is it won't cure and will rub off.

Step 6.

Put a little bit of the Nail cleanser on a cotton wipe and rub and clean your nails and TA-DA! Your nails are dry and ready to go - no waiting around waving your hands in the air waiting for hours till your polish dries.

Gelish Soak off Gel Colour in 'Silver Sand'

REVIEW:

I had the opportunity to test out the Gelish range prior to launch, and I love this product. It is fantastic for busy people who don't have time to wait around for nail polish to dry for hours. The main difference is that Gelish have 72 colours to choose from! That is more than most regular nail polish lines and by far the biggest range of at home gel or shellac colours available. Like all polish ranges there are amazing colours and there are dud colours, my advice would be to do a google image search of the colour on someones nails before buying it just to make sure you like it.

Although the initial outlay of $39.95 + $59.95 + $29.95 may seem like a lot of money, if you have a Gel Mani at a salon prices vary between $50-$70 so after buying the kit and using it 2 times at home you have already saved money rather than if you were getting it done at a salon.

Gelish claims to last up to 3 weeks on the nail, but that depends on if your nails grow super fast or not - I personally have left my Gelish mani on up to 10 days and then I need to take it off because my nail it has grown out too far. Gelish will definately not chip, but if you are a picker try not to peel them off this will really damage your nail. The removal method suggested by Gelish leave your natural nail un-harmed.

I'm slowly building my gelish collection so far I have 'Up in the blue' which is a cool powder blueish-lilac, 'Silver Sand' an irredescent silver glitter with large and small speckles and a clear base and 'Sheer Simple' a beautiful pink based nude - all of which I LOVE!