Review (4/5): Acrylic girl tries Polygel for the first time...crazy different!
This was my first experience with poly gel, and I can't say that it was an easy and straightforward one. I did do some research and watched several videos to learn the process before even venturing into trying my own. Boy, I had NO idea what I had gotten myself into... This is nothing like my beloved Acrylics! But, for a little laugh, and a few Pro "lift proof" tips along the way, I've added a video at the top to show my adventure.
First, none of the nail forms seem to come close to fitting any of my nails properly, and my mind could not even grasp this whole strange concept not one bit. So, I just added a tip and began to apply the gel as I would acrylic. The gel is extremely thick and sticky and very hard to work with, unlike the gel from the past. The kit did not include a slip solution, which would be hard for those just starting out and may not have 70% alcohol at home. I did have some, but it really didn't help, aside from keeping the brush clean, as the gel was so thick and almost unworkable. It took me about 20 minutes to complete one nail from start to finish, including polish.
It was quite frustrating that none of the boxes for the Polish were marked, neither did they have curing times noted. The instructions also did not include this information for the polishes. But, in the end, I had a pretty nice looking poly gel nail for the first time ever.
I appreciate that the kit comes with all the necessities, aside from the slip solution. It also contains quite a few glitters and tapes to get creative. The light is very small, but it gets the job done, even if it takes a few extra seconds. Once the nail is cured, you get a very hard and shiny finish. The polishes are very nice, although I don't care for a few of the colors myself, the topcoat is very thick.
Overall, I think this is a nice kit. I enjoyed the learning experience and will likely play around with it again. And, I may try those strange nail form attachment things. Although I could have done over half a set of nails in acrylic in the time it took to do my one nail in polygel~~ everyone has to start somewhere, it's always fun to learn something new and the first time usually takes the longest.
I would recommend this kit for those starting out new and fresh, or those who are seasoned a bit doing poly gel. You definitely get a lot for your money, and you will get a nice strong nail from this kit. I'm giving 4 stars ✨ for the lack of information on the packaging and instructions on colors and curing times. But, I really do think I will like it much better once I get the hang of it.