Today I am excited to bring you the first gel polish review on my blog! I love gel for the shine and longevity, as well as the plump, luscious look that you rarely get with regular nail polish. The system we are going to be looking at today is GelMoment. It is sold through independent distributors - my kit was from Sheila Molles of Napa Gel. I also made an accompanying video to demonstrate prep, application, and removal as well as some tips. Let's get started!
*sent by the distributor for photography and review*
I will start off by looking at some of the accompanying products. The GelMoment LED Curing Lamp can accommodate two fingers at a time and is small and portable. It has a timer that stays on for 60 seconds, which is the curing time for GelMoment gel polishes. It will turn off automatically when that time is up, so you don't have to keep track.
It comes in multiple colors so you can choose your favorite.
I received the red one, which I thought was adorable! The lamps are affordably priced at $40 for a four finger lamp and $25 for the two finger lamp as shown.
I also received a foam, two-grit nail file and cuticle pusher. Both are essential for prepping nails before applying gel polish. In order to make gel last, it is important to shape the nails and file off any rough, peeling bits so the gel adheres well and does not lift. Cuticle removal helps ensure that the dead skin on the nail plate does not cause lifting at the cuticle line. I like to use mine with Julep Vanish remover or the Blue Cross remover from Sally Beauty. The cuticle tool is nicely made with a no-slip rubber surface on the handle. The ends are a spade and a tapered flat pusher. The full sized nail files are priced at $8 for two and the cuticle pusher is $9.
I also received some Cleanser and Remover packs. The Cleansers are used to clean any oils off the nail before gel application and are alcohol-soaked felt-like pads. The Remover packs are acetone-soaked felt-like pads with a sticky strip on the outside, enabling you to place a finger inside them and fold the edges over, as a simpler alternative to the foil method of removal. The Cleanser packs are priced at $5.85 for 50 or $10 for 100. The Remover packs are priced at $12 for 100.
Now for the fun part - the gel polishes! I received three shades that let us have a look at a variety of the GelMoment line's finishes. All of the photos here show two very thin coats. Gel polish requires even thinner coats than regular nail polish to enable effective curing, but you still end up with a plump, ridge-filling effect. Since this is a one-step system, there is no base or top coat to apply and there is no sticky layer to wipe off. Each of the gel polishes is priced at $25.
Echoes of Paris is a gray taupe. It is a nice neutral and cured beautifully shiny.
Ladybug Rouge is a classic neutral red with a jelly quality to it - there remained some translucency that gave it an almost wet look. For this gel polish, it is essential to use very thin coats and rotate the nail slightly in the lamp as it cures. Since it is a darker color, it is harder for the light to penetrate to cure. The first time I used it, I did not get a complete cure, but when I modified my technique to use thinner coats it came out perfectly.
Finally I have Lavender Ice. This is a lavender-gray shimmer with a translucent quality. Unlike many regular polishes, this does not look frosty, but has a more jelly look to it. I used this shade for a wear test when I was traveling and got compliments on it!
Here is the Lavender Ice shade after 8 days of travel. I have about 1/16 of an inch of regrowth and most of the nails show very little wear and maybe only a little dulling at the tips. My index fingernail started peeling under the gel and I had to clip it off and it kept peeling a bit, so you see some missing gel at the tip. When I clipped it, the gel was still perfectly adhered to the nail - it was the nail that became delaminated from itself. It will be important when applying the gel polish for manis you want to last a long time to ensure that you clip or file off any peeling, damaged areas from the nail.
Here is what the gel polish looks like during removal following soaking for 10-15 minutes in the Remover packets. I used an orange stick to push the gel polish off the nail. It does not get soft and runny like regular nail polish when soaked, but kind of powdery and flaky. After pushing the gel off I was able to remove any remaining bits with acetone and cotton.
I recorded a tutorial and review video so that you can see the system in action, since it can be hard to get a good idea of a product like this from pictures alone.
Overall, I was very pleased with the system, particularly how fast it is. I could have a completed mani in 15 minutes with one coat or 20 minutes with two coats, which is a lot faster than a regular polish mani for me. I will definitely be using it again when I travel. The line as a good variety of finishes, from cremes, to shimmers and glitters. My kit was provided by Sheila Molles of Napa Gel, who is an independent distributor. You can also contact her if you are interested in marketing GelMoment in your area.
As a special offer to my readers, Sheila will send you a $10 GelMoment Gift Certificate to anyone who spends $50 and puts "Polished Hippy" in the comments or e-mails her that you saw this post!
As a special offer to my readers, Sheila will send you a $10 GelMoment Gift Certificate to anyone who spends $50 and puts "Polished Hippy" in the comments or e-mails her that you saw this post!
Have any of you tried one-step gel before? What did you think?
*sent by the distributor for photography and review*
Sheila Molles is an independent GelMoment distributor in the Napa Valley, California area. You can purchase from her there or online at:
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NapaGel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napagel/
GelMoment is a one-step gel polish system sold through independent distributors.
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gelmoment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gelmoment/
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