Why have we resorted to this?
So in 2020, the world shut down. Everyone had to do EVERYTHING for themselves. This included head to toe beauty regimens. So we are talking lashes, eyebrows, nails, waxing, and pedicures. People came out the pandemic full beauticians. Of course, companies saw this and capitalized on the DIY trends.
Save The Coin
When the pandemic was finally slightly over and everything gradually opened back up, everyone ran back to their regular go-to people. This time, more aware of the cost and thinking more about the unknowns, quite a bit of people stayed DIYing as much as they could.
The amount of money you save is incredible. At the salon, you are going to spend a minimum of $90.00! No, that doesn’t seem like a whole lot but every two weeks and….you do the math.
What are the choices?
Between poly gel, dip powder, hard gel, soft gel, and gel tips the options are endless. You still have your basic acrylic application as well. So with so many options and choices, you can definitely find the best option for you. For me, I use regular gel polish and i will also add the gel tips to spruce up the look also.
Kiara Sky Gelly Tips
Kiara Sky is a well-known nail brand. Rightfully so, because they have a huge range of quality products! It was one of the first gel tip kits I bought and let me tell you! I struggled immensely, and I am just being honest. The learning curve definitely took a little bit longer for me to grasp and the curing light that came with it made it harder.
Now I bought my kit two years ago, they do sell a different lamp now that has a sensor and I am sure made the process easier. The picture above is the exact kit I received and again, once I got the hang of applying them, I was really excited about the results! This kit retails for 109.99 and has several different nail shapes to offer.
- Long Coffin
- Medium Coffin
- Medium Stiletto
- Medium Almond
- Medium Square
- Short Square
- Short Medium
- Short Coffin
- Short Stiletto
- Short Almond
What’s In The Kit
- Prep (15 ml)
- Primer (15 ml)
- Builder (15 ml)
- Top Coat (15 ml)
- Gelly Tips of Selected Shape (500 pcs)
- Beyond Pro Flash Cure LED Lamp
Beetles Gel Nail Extension Kit
Now this kit is very much similar to the Kiara Sky kit mentioned above and is just as awesome! The biggest thing is the jump in price with the Beetles Gel Kit coming in at only 24.99. Yes!!! 24.99! I was blown away by the price and not only that, it is really really good quality as well. You would think because of the price the quality of the product would not stand next to Kiara Sky but it definitely contends.
My favorite thing about this kit is the lamp. So much easier to cure with because of the button location. You would think it did not matter, oh but it does! Especially when you are trying to hold a nail down in place and not let it move so it doesn’t cure crooked.
What’s Included
- UV LED Nail Lamp
- 2 In 1 Base Gel & Nail Gel
- 240pcs Nail Tips
- Nail File
- Nail Tips Clipper
Good Old Gel Nail Polish
We all know how to use gel polish but what I like about this one is the fact that it is a solid gel polish you apply with a brush. When I tell you it’s easier than those polish bottle brushes, I mean it! They are really creamy and the coverage is amazing. This cube holds 21 colors and is incredibly easy to store. I prefer this over the brushes any day. Again, just my opinion but I have this thing where I hate when things don’t look perfect and I will peel it off so this helps with that complex(perfectionism).
Last But Not Least
This one makes for a good overlay but is also used for extensions. I use this to harden my weak nails ad to keep them from breaking. The self leveling formula is a life saver and it is not as hard as it looks. If I give you advice on anything and you take none of it, take this. GET THIS IN NUDE OR LIGHT PINK STARTING OUT. Why? Because it helps you learn to keep the gel off of your cuticle.
The clear can not be seen and just when you think you got is squared away and you cure it, the lifting will commence. So, this one is my go to and I really do like the formula for this. There are several other brands that make hard gel so you don’t have to just stick to this one.
