Hello September and gel polish manicure tips for your Labor Day Weekend

Holla Gorgeous!
Happy September!
 Rosh Hashanna is in a few weeks and  I feel such an excitement in my Spirit! Woo hoo!
Speaking of excitement, I'm getting ready for a gig in Vegas followed by the Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers concert.

I've got a lot to do, in a little amount of time, with virtually a half hour break in between one gig to the other-no time for touch ups! So I will be wearing a gel manicure for the week.

To start with I'm using the new Orly Epix in Cameo available at Beauty Brands.

 It's a gel polish that you apply and then seal with a special top coat to make it wear longer. I have applied on a Sunday...and fully expect this to last til the following Sunday!

 In this photo, the index finger has two coats of the Orly Epix gel polish and the middle finger only has one. In my opinion, there is no getting away with one coat here, it really needs two!

Something you need to know about gel manicures, there is something to putting them on that is needed: time. This is not quick. Each coat needs about 3-4 minutes to dry and "cure". Then the top coat needs to really set up, and in my experience, about 10 minutes. So a simple nail polish session is a full 30 minutes.

I also think the time is worth it!

Now, below I have some professional nail tips on how to remove the gel polish remover because to save the nail bed and not rip the top layer of the nail off, take your time removing just like you took your time applying.

If you haven't tried a gel manicure yet, it's worth wearing for when you need the manicure to last and look good! I only wear them when I need my nails to be polish perfect for days on end.

So, getting the manicure on is not the problem. Getting it off safely is!

Skyy Hadley, owner of As U Wish Nail Salon provides tips and a step-by-step tutorial to safely remove your own gel manicure:

·           File – Use an emery board to lightly buff each nail to remove the shiny top coat so you’re left with a powdery finish. Be careful not to over buff so you don’t hit your natural nail underneath the gel.

·           Soak – Next you must soak your nails in 100% acetone polish remover. To do this, take a piece of cotton ball the size of your nail and pour the acetone on it, place it on your nail and cover your nail with a piece of aluminum foil or tape to keep it in place. Do this on every nail and let soak for 15 minutes to relax the gel.

·           Remove – Remove the cotton pieces from your nails and take a wooden cuticle stick to push the gel polish off your nails. If you have trouble, instead of forcing it, soak your nails with a cotton ball for 5 more minutes and try again.

·           Moisturize – After the gel has been removed, wash your hands and apply a cuticle oil to the nail and cuticle. This will rehydrate your nails after using acetone on them to keep them strong and healthy between polishes.

It’s important to take your time when removing a gel manicure yourself as it can be a slow process and you want to treat your nails very delicately and carefully to avoid weakening them.

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!