Gel polish courses - worth it?

[ImmyGinny]

I have decided that after doing just acrylic for a while that I want to join the 'gel polish craze' as I know its becoming very popular. I have heard very mixed reviews about the leaders Shellac and Gellish.
Also i have seen that there are some very cheap pots of gel that come as a set, some for as little as £10 for a pack of 10 colours. Obviously I am aware that you get what you pay for but can you advise me on what these little cheap pots of gel are and how they are so different?
I have decided im going to attend a crash course on colour gel in the future so I get it right, does anyone know any in south wales?
Thanks

 

[sofia_sparkle]

Hiya
I'm one of the gelish people - I too am trained in acrylics but have basically let this slide to concentrate on normal mani/pedi and gelish, in my area this seems to be where my clients want to go.

All i can say to you is that i took a course in one of the cheaper systems, paid out to buy a colour range and the results were shocking, they didn't last any longer than a normal mani - the whole point of this system is that the client gets longevity from the product. I then went to Olympia and had a good look round, i had heard about gelish from this site and when i saw them they were so helpful. If i were you i would try to get to a show so you can really have a look at what's on offer, i know excel is on in a couple of weeks is a trek but may save you loads of pennies in the future!

Good luck with whichever one you go with xx

 

[MissLB]

ive just about finished training in acrylics with nail harmony and used their gelish products after doing my mani and pedi course with them, i have just done my gelish training and it was more then worth it as u may think u know what ur doing with just ur mani cert but with the training ur taught to use the products properly and see how to apply and sometimes u need to see it with ur own eyes rather then reading about it on here for example. i wouldnt invest in cheap courses or products. shellac and gelish are the brand leaders for a reason there good!! everyone has different experiences with different things hun some people like one thing some people like others. hths

 

[Lucybluebell]

I'm going to train in Shellac...from what I've learned on here it's number 1
And I imagine the cheap little pots of gel are just that and prob best to steer clear of them if you want to have happy clients who receive a quality service and therefore will return xx

 

[eskimonailtech]

I can't imagine getting mixed reviews from Shellac. Who would have anything bad to say about it? It's the most amazing product I've used in the last 5 years.

The problem with those cheap pots is that yes, you get what you pay for quality wise. But who knows what sort of dangerous ingredients have been put in there? If you have to ask what they are, DON'T BUY THEM!

 

[Carla0cuty]

Hi ImmyGinny,
I am currently doing a Mani/Pedi Course with Essential Nails and have invested in their new product Gelax which is another UV gel polish brand. I find it to be brilliant and nearly 2 weeks still shiny and no chips or smudges, and I am very rough handed with my 3 little kiddies. I find if you spend a bit more, you will be more relaxed using that product. I am very aware of the cheap Gel Polish brands for like under £3.00 from China/Hong Kong but not knowing what chemicals are actually in these I would not feel safe using these on myself, let alone my clients. If you go for a well known brand you are more likely to see better results than the cheap copy cats.
I have a few Harmony Gelish and CND Shellac and they are also good, yes price is hefty but you soon get that back.
Hope this is at all helpful, am only a newbie myself at this lol X

 

[Carla0cuty]

Forgot to say if you do find a course for gel polish in south wales let me know, I would love to learn how to use them correctly. I have just been using advice from friends but think it is always better to be shown and taught the best way to apply this for long last wear Xx

 

[ZoeBlack]

ImmyGinny & CarlaOcuty, I trained in South Wales (Gelish) if you call Harmony Uk they will give you details of the Educator, she's excellent
and I believe offers training in all the Harmony systems; I was already trained in hard Gels but found the Gelish training very valuable and absolutely love the product, so do my clients. HTH

 

[CazCardiff]

The Harmony Educator for Gelish in south Wales is Debbie Willis. She's in Bridgend and can be contacted on:01656 646700 or 07792 358060

Im doing my Gelish training with her on Tuesday, and although I've been using Gelish a while now, I know the training is going to be invaluable.

A few things to bear in mind.
Insurance: Most providers require you to have trained in the Gel polish if you offer it.
Also, by doing a "Generic" gel polish course, it wont necessarily cover you for insurance for using Gel polish such as Gelish. Only the cheapo brand that you use on your training.

But if this is what you're looking for, Salon West in south wales offer a generic gel polish course using their brand of gel polish.

xx

 

[albarn]

hi, i've been to salon west also to do the gel polish course, must say well worth the money only £50 and i received good training, i'm also going tues to do my acrylic training after having a bad experience doing my gel enhancements at a different training provider in cardiff.

 

[Bronzedgoddess]

I purchased my uv/led lamp yesterday along with uv polishes .. Will shellac products work with my existing lamp?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

 

[Lucybluebell]

I purchased my uv/led lamp yesterday along with uv polishes .. Will shellac products work with my existing lamp?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

You have to use the CND uv lamp for shellac