Nail Envy-Sensationail Gel Polish

Just to warn you,this is a long post. Most of my posts will be to be honest. I don't do short and sweet!

I always have been envious of girls who had beautiful nails. I was one of those nasty nail biters so mine were never long enough for any sort of manicure to look even half decent. When I started flying, I had to take more care of my nails due to grooming regulations and the fact that my hands would always be on show. And as a makeup artist, nobody wants to see icky fingers near their face or in their wedding pics as I glam up the bride, so I tried to take care of my bitten horrible nails as best I could.

After many attempts to stop biting my nails with various products, I finally found something that worked for me. Gel polish.

It all started whilst going through my usual landing routine in Orlando. Land-Hotel-Shower-Mani/Pedi-Quick snoop in Sephora-Bar-Bed. Every time I had a trip to Orlando I treated myself to a nice manicure or pedicure and if it was near payday,both. It was here that I discovered Shellac. A gel polish hybrid that promised 3 weeks of shiny chip free colour. The nail tech said it would even help me to stop biting my nails and mine would grow,protected by the polish. 
To cut a long story short, it worked. My red glossy nails looked far too pretty to bite and from that day on my fingers haven't been anywhere near my mouth.  Lets just say I got a little addicted. My addiction was starting to cost me a lot of dosh and it was on another trip to Orlando last Summer (I was the Orlando queen for a good 6 months) that I found the Nailene Sensationail Gel Polish System. An at home gel polish kit. Now I always think these sorts of things can be one way or the other, really really good or really really bad. At $60 I was hoping really really good. Usually I'd look up reviews before I'd buy anything like that, but before I even had time to think about it, I'd already bought the kit and 4 boxes of Lucky Charms.

Pink Chiffon Sensationail Starter Set

Products included in Starter Set

LED Lamp

You get everything you need in the box to do your own gel polish at home.From the LED lamp to primer and lint free wipes and as mine was a starter kit, I got a colour aswell, Pink Chiffon. A failsafe soft pink.

Following the instructions was easy and before I knew it, I'd gel polished my own nails. I was pretty darn impressed. My nails were an opaque,glossy shade of pink. It had taken me all of 20 mins. The real test was to see how long they would last. Nailene claim up to 2 weeks wear. They lasted the flight home and I got a good 9 days before my nails started to chip or lift near the cuticle.

When I bought the kit last year, The Sensationail range had a small selection of colours, 15 at the very most.Now they have over 60. In the UK the colours are quite expensive at £10 a bottle but if you keep your eye on the Sensational UK Facebook and twitter pages, they frequently post discount codes or special offers on colours and starter kits.

I'm really glad I bought the starter kit. The mini bottles that you get with it have lasted me the longest time,I've only needed to top up the cleanser and top and base coat. I've also bought a whole host of other colours and the french manicure kit which i'm going to do a separate review on.

I have saved so much money doing my nails myself. That being said I still like to treat myself every once in a while and get them done at the salon. The only issue I have is the removal of the polish. It's not easy. Shellac and Gelish polishes seem to come off a hell of a lot easier than Sensationail polishes. I use the foil and acetone method, which works but it take about 15 mins to soak off the gel and even then theres still remnants on my nails, which I usually just file off as I cant be bothered soaking them again. I'm a bad girl I know.

I tried applying normal nail polish in between the base an top coat to see if it would work, and for me it did. I didn't get a full 14 day wear but more that what I would have got if I had have just worn the polish alone. Glitter mixed in with the base and top coat works wonderfully if you want a full on glittery hand or accent nail. If you're going to use your own polish then make sure each layer has fully dried before putting your top coat of gel polish. if its not dried fully, when you apply the gel top coat and cure it under the lamp, it causes the normal polish underneath to ripple. I've yet to try the lamp with other brands of gel polishes but I've heard it works with Gelish polishes. 

Coral Sunset with flash

Coral Sunset without flash

Starter set polish compared to full size polish

Advice I would give, would be to ensure you put on thin coats of polish, 'cap' the nail by running a litle bit of the polish along the free edge of your nail and take the time to clean up any polish on your cuticles or on the skin around your nail. This will help it last longer and prevent it from lifting around the edges of your nails. Also if your nails are short and don't go over the tops of your fingers, the gel polish wont last as long as you can't effectively cap the nail.

You can but Sensationail Products and the Starter kit form their website or Asda, Boots and Gordons chemists.

I love gel polishes. It's great no having to touch up your nails and be touch dry as soon as they're cured.The lamp is big enough to hold toes so you can happily gelify your tootsies too ;) Perfect for holidays! Plus if you paint over the polish with a normal polish, it goes on so much nicer as you have such a smooth base to begin with. What are your thoughts on Gel polishes? Let me know in the comments below!

Sorry for rambling but I just had so much to say!

H xx