Care Routine: Nails

This is the follow up post from my first Care Routine blogpost series. The first was Hair care and what I do to my hair to keep it healthy and looking good which can be found here:

http://bellezzaisbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/care-routine-hair.html

This one is all about my nails, how I care for them, what I do to them, and about my journey of growing them out. 

Firstly, I'll start with the journey of growing my nails out - as that's how I discovered these magical products that are now my holy grail products, and that I have repurchased several times and, shall continue to do so.  

It all started back in July 2012 when I went to a local salon to get acyrillic nails done for my holiday to Spain. But, they were the worst done ever! They looked awful! I wanted French manicure but the lady couldn't do that so I had them painted instead...it wasn't good at all! Even worse, when I soaked them off they were absolutely terrible; weak, brittle, breaking, ridgeds... 

I do believe that It is only due to these products that I have long nails now. 

Treatment

I have repurchased this Sally Hansen Maximum Strength countless times now! I have recommended it to several people and also blogged about it too. 

This was the first treatment I tried. Although, the first time I used it I didn't like it - only because I didn't use it properly! 

It's a weekly treatment and to use it, you apply 1-2 coats on bare nails on day one, then apply another coat ontop everyday for a week. It makes your nails really strong and hard, also I painted over the nail on the 7th day, it was so thick that it made them look like gel nails! 

The Sally Hansen is a deeper and more concentrated treatment then the Essie Millionails which I have moved onto now. I use this one now because I don't feel like my nails need such a deep treatment, they're strong on their own now and I just use the Essie to maintain that. 

To use it I apply 1-2 coats onto the bare nail as a base coat then apply a colour and then use it as a top coat as well. I find that it works really well on helping to maintain the nails strength but I wouldn't say it's as good a treatment as the Sally Hansen product. 

Sensationail Starter Kit: Review

This is my guide/review for the Sensationail French Manicure Gel Nail starter kit.

I have wanted this gel nail kit for quite sometime now, from when I first saw it many months ago in Boots. However, the price put me off, as it retails at £69.99 from Boots. 

For that price you do get quite a lot for your money. This is what you get in the kit:

Firstly the main products in the French Manicure kit you get:

- Gel Cleanser (which gets rid of any dirt on your nails before hand and also removes the moisture layer that curing causes at the end)

- Gel Primer (which primes for nails for the gel application) 

- Gel Base and Top Coat 

- White Gel Polish -> which is a bonus in this kit I got! 

- BabyDoll Pink Gel Polish 

As well as this you also get some application tools:

- Manicure Stick 

- Nail File

- Lint Free Pads (for use with the Gel Cleanser)

- White Nail Tips (you get a lot of these but I am yet to use them) 

As well as all this you get THE LED LAMP! 

Moving on the use of the kit....

Step One: 

Remove all traces of previous nail polish. 

Step Two:

File your nails to your desired shape, using the grey side of the nail and then GENTLY file the nail bed using the pink side of the file. 

Step Three:

Use the Gel Cleanser on one of the Lint Free Wipes. 

Step Four: 

Use the Gel Primper over the nail in order to prepare the nails for the gel. You have to wait for this to air dry: at least a minute for this to dry although it tells you to wait only 15 seconds.

Step Five:

This is the first step of the Gels! Very exciting! Now you apply the Gel Base Coat thinly over the nail BUT most importantly you have to not get it on the cuticle or the surrounding skin, because it will cure (harden) on the skin. After you've applied it you then have to cure it (harden it) under the LED lamp for 30 seconds. You press the white button on the lamp to do this and it will beep when 30 seconds is up!

Step Six: 

Next Is the Babydoll pink colour! Again just like the base coat you have to apply it thinly and careful not to touch the cuticle or the surrounding skin, but instead of 30 seconds you must wait 60s seconds. To do this you must press the button and wait for the light to turn itself off again (this means 60 seconds is up).

Step Seven:

Reapply the Babydoll pink colour as before, just to make it more opaque. 

Step Eight:

Apply the White Gel colour ontop of the pink at the tips, again thinly and for 60 seconds. At this point you can also use the White Tip Stickers but I am yet to try those yet.

Step Nine:

Reapply the White Gel Colour to the tips.

Step Ten:

Now you've finished apply the Top Coat and cure for 30 seconds. 

Step Eleven:

Use the Gel Cleanser and Lint Free Wipes to remove the moisture layer from the nails which is caused by curing. 

Et Volia you've finished! 

Optional: I applied Essie Appricot Nail Oil to my cuticles after application. 

The Result:

A beautiful Salon looking result! 

I am so happy and proud of the results I've achieved after my first attempt at using this kit! It really does look like it is professionally done, however I am not qualified in nails.

I really think this kit is worth the money! It's salon qualify and you can also use normal polish with it too if you: 

Do the first steps as normal - Paint on the base coat - cure as normal - apply polish colour - let it air dry - Paint on top coat - cure