At-Home Gel Manicure

 I love a good mani/pedi...I mean what girl doesn't?  When your fingers and toes are all dressed up, it doesn't matter what you're wearing or how your hair looks.  Okay, maybe that's not entirely true, but I do always feel a little fancier. 

My one really big problem with manicures?  They honestly never last more than a day, maybe two for me.  I can't get more than a two days with a salon manicure without it chipping either.  Drives me bananas. 

And I have tried all different brands and top coats, from the super cheap to the super expensive.  Nothing works.

Before we had kids and a much tighter budget, I would go to my local nail salon every two weeks for pink and white gels over acrylics, swoon.  But once I stopped bringing in the extra income, my pretty nails had to pay the price.  I have used the glue on ones from CVS for special events {and seriously get so many compliments over those} but I like a good color on my nails every once in a while.

Shellac and gel manicures started becoming really popular just a few years ago.  And while I would loved to have jumped on that train, they were still a little too pricey for my budget.

But when my bestie gave me an extra UV lamp she had, I started searching for a way to get the same results at home.  Since I'm trying to be budget friendly, I didn't just immediately click order on the Gelish sets you can find online {even those get great reviews}.  I still wanted to see if I could find something cheaper

Enter a quick little trip to Walgreens a few weeks ago where I stumbled upon this beauty.

Photo from Google Images

And at only $21 for the kit, I was sold!  I have used Kiss products before, and always loved the results.

However, if you are going to try this kit, make sure to follow Melissa's step by step tutorial on how to achieve the perfect at home gel mani.  The first time I did it, I followed the instructions on the box.  Most of them started peeling two days later because I was not careful.  When I followed Melissa's instructions, they lasted for NINE days!

Here is my gel mani when I first did it.

Here it is about five days later...still shiny and chip free.

Here is my mani the day I took the gel off...NINE days in. This is seriously unheard of for me. The only reason I took it off is because the nail growth was getting out of controls. It was still shiny and chip-free!

Overall, I'm super pleased with the results. The whole thing was inexpensive and lasts a long time. I also love that as soon as the polish is all cured, I can go right back to living life...no waiting for it to dry! I can't wait to pick up some more colors and try those as well! Also, I used the gel for a pedicure? And two weeks later we're still going strong!

Do you do your nails at home, or prefer to go to a salon?  Have you attempted a gel mani?  Let me know how it worked out!