Gel polish!

[Hairfairy1904]

Nail techs I need your help!

Probably going to get told off for this but I do my own gel nails. I'm a hairdresser and was paying £18 a time for my gels and they weren't lasting at all I used to get 4 days tops from my nails and always felt bad having to contact my beautician to pop back!
Obviously with all the shampooing I do my nails were lifting off a lot. I can not stand wearing gloves while shampooing it's just not the same.

I purchased the RCM (red carpet manicure) kit and have got on really well with it. Granted my nails last no longer than they did before but I never expected them too. At least this way if one lifts off I can just go home and re-apply that one nail.

I've got quite a few of the RCM polishes (I usually buy one everytime I'm in Sally's on VAT free!) they are about £10 each.

I was just wondering if anyone can reccomend any cheaper good quality polishes as I want a few new colours but £10 each is a lot at once.

Thankyou in advance

 

[Chickafish]

That's kinda tough. You already know why you were having lifting issues, and that's with a professional brand applied by a professional. The RCM one really isn't one a professional would use and the pricing is set where it's affordable to the non-professionals (even though it's sold at Sally's... but then again I have my own opinion of Sally's.) You won't find a good quality one that's cheap as well, I'm afraid. The cheapest you can go will be for some dodgy one off ebay that no one's even heard of, made in some unknown factory in the middle of nowhere. And with all brands, they'll only last as well as the person's care for them. They're not indestructible, so a little care has to go into them to make sure they last as long as they can.

 

[Hairfairy1904]

Thank you chickafish! I will probably just stick to stocking up at Sally's on vat free days! I don't want to go near the dodgy eBay polishes! I know my nails aren't indestructible and I care for them as much as I can without wearing gloves. I apply cream as much as possible and use cuticle oil to keep them flexible.
Thankyou for your advice

 

[lorrained]

I would say minimum price for a gel polish is £10, iv bought cheaper ones from china but they chipped like nail polish, look on Beverly beaute, they sell most gel polish brands, they are in America takes about 7 days for delivery and good prices.

 

[Biljana]

Thank you chickafish! I will probably just stick to stocking up at Sally's on vat free days! I don't want to go near the dodgy eBay polishes! I know my nails aren't indestructible and I care for them as much as I can without wearing gloves. I apply cream as much as possible and use cuticle oil to keep them flexible.
Thankyou for your advice

Not everyones nails are suited to gel polish. Being a stylist I can almost guarantee that you need a stronger product such as a hard gel or acrylic. You get what you pay for, right?
As far as buying from another country it isn't recommend as it can be considered illegal because it is a chemical and you run into the risk of having the customs seize your order and pay fines on top.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Miss Sylk]

My hairdresser clients can only get away with acrylic on the base then gel over x

 

[KHS]

I feel your pain! I've tried everything on my nails and they didn't last 5 minutes. Finally found a system that suits me, never have any trouble with Gellux - they last, don't chip...unless I catch them on the teeth of the foil cutter lol apart from that I get 2 weeks from them before they look all grown out

 

[Chickafish]

Thank you chickafish! I will probably just stick to stocking up at Sally's on vat free days! I don't want to go near the dodgy eBay polishes! I know my nails aren't indestructible and I care for them as much as I can without wearing gloves. I apply cream as much as possible and use cuticle oil to keep them flexible.
Thankyou for your advice

At least you're not blaming the product! I understand not wanting to wear gloves. That's why my Shellac never lasts longer than a few days... haha