*This blog post contains affiliate links*
You know that feeling when you’ve had your nails done and you can’t stop gesticulating with your hands?
You can’t? Let me try to explain.
Over the years I’d had my nails done a handful of times, always bright acrylics that were far too long and inconvenient. For a long time I worked in a stockroom, the long nails were perfect for tearing through the polythene bags that garments came in, but were no use when it came to tagging products.
I always found that when I’d had my nails done, I’d tap on tables, waggle my fingers more than is really necessary and really just marvel at the slimming effect of the nails.
I didn’t find acrylic nails to be sustainable, they can be pretty damaging if they’re applied wrong, or removed using the wrong tools – and so any time I got my acrylics removed I’d suffer with sensitive and paper-thin nails for weeks and swear I’d never get them done again.
And so the cycle continued.
I managed to begin growing my nails and stop my habit of biting and picking at any one which grew past the length of my fingertip.
Last year, I began booking in for gel nails – they’re far healthier for the nail and can help to reinforce the nail from damage. Multiple lockdowns and general insecurity over the safety of public spaces and salons meant that having gel manicures became cumbersome and inconvenient.
Have you ever tried washing your hair with nails that are beginning to lift from the cuticle?
The last set of gel nails I got were a week before Christmas, unfortunately I always found that after two weeks the polish would begin to crack and lift – due to lockdowns I had to resort to peeling off the gel layers and using a normal polish in its place. The problem with this was that the normal polish, even when using highly rated brands such as Sally Hansen only lasted a couple of days at most.
When browsing LOOKFANTASIC I came across the brand Le Mini Macaron, their gel polish range comes in the cutest colours and UV lights are designed just like their namesake.
As with my previous orders with LOOKFANTASTIC, it’s always such an easy shopping process with super quick shipping and I was able to compare different colours and reviews to make sure I was buying the correct product.
I do rave about the Le Mini Macaron brand, but it’s important to remember that the gel manicure won’t last you as long as a salon one – but for someone who only got a maximum of a fortnight each time from a gel polish, it suits me fine.
The model I went for was the Gel Manicure Kit in Rum Raisin, the kit came with everything you need for the perfect at-home manicure:
1x LED Lamp
1x Rum Raisin Gel Polish
10x Remover Pads
1x Orange Stick
1x Nail File
Le Mini Macaron have really nailed it in creating the perfect nail makeover..
Follow my step-by-step guide to create an easy and striking look.
Step 1
Using the nail file, make sure your nails are all an even length with no sharp edges and smoothed off. With the orange stick, push cuticles back gently – cuticles will easily push back to give more nail space
Step 2
Use the nail file to buff nails and remove ridges, swipe with a nail polish remover to ensure no oils are left on the nails to ensure the best possible adherence.
Step 3
With your gel polish of choice, gently drag against the rim of the polish bottle to remove as much of the polish as you can. Apply a very thin layer of polish to your nail, you want this to be a very sheer coverage as the gel needs to properly cure.
Step 4
Place nail inside the LED lamp and activate for 30 seconds, repeat this process again for a full coverage look.
TOP TIP: You can purchase additional products to elevate your nail look such as glitters and stickers.
Step 5
To remove your gel manicure, use your nail file to buff the shiny layer off the top of each nail – this breaks the gel polish up in order for the remover pads to work. Tear open one of your Gel Remover Pads and slide your finger in. I can use two or three of these for a full removal – however if you’re in a rush you can use more.
Do you think you would like to try doing your own gels?
Remember you can save 20% on your orders at LOOKFANTASTIC using my affiliate code LFTFLUCYMCOUAT!