Gel Nails- Cured!

I spend a lot of time doing things that aren't so nail-friendly- pottery is the biggie.  I can spend several hours with my hands covered in wet clay, washing or rinsing them often, not to mention hitting my nails with all kinds of tools and such.  What begins as a beautiful, fresh manicure usually ends up looking like a terrible mess.

Then I was introduced to the wonderful world of gel polish!  I ended up picking up a starter kit at ::cough::cough:: Wally World, which was super affordable.  I gave it a shot, and was pleased with the results.  It was durable, long lasting, and was dry as soon as I took my hand out of the light.  I later ordered a few more of the Gelish colors: Snow Bunny and Bronzed.  Both were awesome, and I have to say I really liked having durable all white nails.  There was something trendy yet classy about them!  Over here on the left is Gelish: Snow Bunny with a fun accent using Color Club: Disco Nap.  I got that awesome gold from my May Birchbox.  Snow Bunny is a little off white, so it's not so striking.  That manicure lasted me through a conference to Atlanta, a beach trip to VA Beach, and an adventure to Dollywood and Splash Country!

So after some thought, I have some pros and cons about the whole experience:

Pros:

• Super long lasting.  I definitely got at least 2 weeks of wear out of the color and really needed to redo it because my nails were growing, not because they were chipping.
• Made for more durable and lengthy nails.  I don't usually keep my nails long because my job involves A LOT of typing and not to mention pottery+long nails=no fun.  But during a break from the studio I was able to grow my nails fairly long because of the extra reinforcement of the gel
• Way cheaper than acrylics.  Not that I've ever had acrylics...  But that's what I hear.
• I did it at home.  It was super easy to figure out and quick.  The biggest challenge is keeping it off your cuticles and edges of your fingers.
• Better base.  I've found that wearing the clear as a base coat has made a self-manicure with regular nail polish last so much longer than normal and look much more even.
• French tips look great!

Cons:

• Removal is a pain in the butt!  Soaking in acetone is not only harsh on the skin, but it also tends to make your nails brittle and more prone to cracking and splitting.
• Easy to paint cuticles.  I bring this up because with regular nail polish, its not really an issue of you stray outside of the lines a little.  But with gel, once you set it under the light, it's hard and not going anywhere.  Even if you just barely touch the side of your finger- you know how liquid gets sucked into a crevice even if it's barely touched?  Then after a day or two of your nails growing just a little, it turns into a weird ridge.  Just not cool.
• Beware of UV rays.  UV lamps are still the same stuff in a tanning bed and from the sun.  The safe way to go is an LED light.  Just as effective, makes your nails glow cool colors, and less harm on your skin.
• You must use a file to smooth down your nail.  If you keep at it, after a month or two your nail can be pretty soft and brittle.  Just don't over-do it.
• If you are a picker (yeah, you know you can't resist a paint chip, scab, or a peely sunburn) and a little piece starts to lift up, you can totally kill your nails by picking it off.  I've accidentally peeled off a layer of my nail.  Whoops!

Overall, I really like gel polish.  I find it better suited for my rough-on-my-hands lifestyle.  I mean who else can come away from a weekend camping trip, jet skiing outing, sand castle building contest or even a pottery session, and still have a bombshell manicure?  

Song of the hour: Short Skirt and a Long Jacket by Cake.  I have to say, they are one of the coolest bands  I've ever seen live...