What I've Been Using Lately- Gelish Structure Cover Pink

Gelish Structure Cover Pink

Life is a bit busier these days and I'm finding I'm too tired to do frequent manis in the evening. I have been looking for something to give some strength to my nails and last longer. I think I have hit upon the perfect system for me- I find I can get at least 10 days of wear with this!

Here's my routine (after I deal with my cuticles and shape my nails):

1. Paint clean dry nails with Gelish pH Bond

2. Apply Gelish Pro Bond Acid Free Nail Primer

3. Apply thin coat of Gelish Foundation, cure with LED lamp

4. Apply thin coat of Gelish Structure Cover Pink, cure with LED lamp

5. Apply 2nd coat of Gelish Structure Cover Pink, cure with LED lamp

6. Apply thin coat of Gelish Top It Off, cure with LED lamp

7. Clean tacky layer off using alcohol and paper towel

I really like the color of the Color Pink Structure, but have also ordered clear. It's super easy to apply nail polish over the gel as well, and I find it lasts much longer over the Gelish than it does on natural nails.

Mani: Gelish Up In The Blue

At-home gel polish kits are popping up everywhere you turn, from Sephora to CVS. And it’s no wonder why – saving you both time AND money, they’re a no brainer! Gelish® MINI’s at-home gel polish system provides the long-lasting color you crave, and at just $90 total, it’s a fraction of the cost of most other at-home gel polish kits on the market.

The Gelish® MINI formulation lasts up to 3 weeks, does not damage the natural nail bed and comes in a wide array of eye-popping colors. Gelish® MINI is available atSallyBeauty.com. Please feel free to reach out for additional information!

Today I've got on a gorgeous shade that's giving me Spring Fever!

Harmony Gelish Up In The Blue (2 coats)

Last year I purchased the Gelish starter set and light so that I could try out this new fad. This set is very user-friendly and it didn't take much for me to feel like I knew what I was doing! The set comes with an instruction book, which is very helpful, as well as a DVD, although I haven't watched that.

Here's what comes in the starter set, which is about $50 at Sally's, or $45 if you have Sally's club card.

The starter set does not come with a color, allowing you to choose your shade. Gelish colors are $15, or $13 with the Sally's club card.

And this is the light I use. I read all the reviews on this light and it seemed like a great way to go to begin. The light retails for $25, or $23 with the Sally's club card. Note: I don't use this with batteries- I read that you get a stronger light if you use a power adapter, so I just use one I found laying around from a walkie talkie set.

A few tips:

1. It's not really necessary to use the Gelish Cleanse.... once I run out of the starter bottle, I'll use the higher percentage Alcohol and it will work just fine- I think it's 90%. You just don't want to buy the 70% Alcohol because it won't work as well.

2. I use an old t-shirt for my lint-free cloth to wipe the cleanse across my nails- you do it twice- once before you start, and then at the end to remove the sticky residue that remains after curing.

Disclosure: Although the shade pictured above was provided to me for review purposes, I purchased the starter set and light myself.

Gelish Info

Back in August Polish Insomniac posted about at-home gel nails, something I had been thinking about trying, but just hadn't gotten around to. At that time, Sally's was running a special on the Gelish mini UV light and the Gelish starter kit, so I went for it. I am SO glad I did!



Here's my first try at a full mani- this is two coats of Harmony Gelish Star Burst. I actually purchased Star Burst on Amazon because it seemed to be the cheapest option for full-sized bottles.

Here's what comes in the starter set.

And this is the light. I read all the reviews on this light and it seemed like a great way to go to begin.

A few tips:

1. One thing I read was that even though the light uses batteries, it is better to use a power adapter because the strength of the light goes down as the batteries go down. But if you use a power adapter, the strength of the light is constant and it works much better. So that's what I've been doing- we have tons of power adapters lying around from toys, so I just grabbed one of those and just plug it in each time I use it.

2. It's not really necessary to use the Gelish Cleanse.... once I run out of the starter bottle, I'll use the higher percentage Alcohol and it will work just fine- I think it's 90%. You just don't want to buy the 70% Alcohol because it won't work as well.

3. I use an old t-shirt for my lint-free cloth to wipe the cleanse across my nails- you do it twice- once before you start, and then at the end to remove the sticky residue that remains after curing.

Have you tried at-home gel nails? I am having fun! I do have to say I practiced a bit using it to mend tears before I tried a full mani. I followed Loodie Loodie Loodie's tips for using gel polish to mend a tear.