Red Carpet Manicure

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#376
I just finished using the complete Red Carpet Manicure system. It's easy to use. Obviously it takes longer than a regular mani because of the curing time. It looks very good, will update how long it lasts. I have been having the OPI Axxium system applied at the salon for $30 a pop. If this system has staying power I will be saving a lot of $$! I did get a power cord at Radio Shack, because I think the batteries will run down to quickly.

PS. Thanks to those who suggested Radio Shack for the power adapter!!
 
#377
Storrie said:
I just finished using the complete Red Carpet Manicure system. It's easy to use. Obviously it takes longer than a regular mani because of the curing time. It looks very good, will update how long it lasts. I have been having the OPI Axxium system applied at the salon for $30 a pop. If this system has staying power I will be saving a lot of $$! I did get a power cord at Radio Shack, because I think the batteries will run down to quickly.

PS. Thanks to those who suggested Radio Shack for the power adapter!!
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I've been extremely happy with Gelish and RCM. I had a French mani last three weeks and the only reason I took it off was because I was bored with it and my nails had grown. I believe RCM and Gelish are by the same company, BTW. They use similar graphics for their swatches on their sites. I never seriously looked into the OPI SOG because it looked a bit cumbersome to apply and this goes on like normal polish. :smile1:
 
#378
I tried OPI Axxium when it first came out and it completely destroyed my nails, which are normally reasonably healthy. It took several months for my nails to recover and I was super nervous about trying gel polishes again. I'm glad I did though and adore RCM and Gelish. I don't think I'm coming out ahead because of my habit of splurging on polishes but at least I have a great collection and am having a lot of fun.
 
#379
I have poured over all these threads about SOG (won't tell you how long it took me to figure out what that meant...), and I need one definitive answer to the question "Which is better UV or LED"?!

Oh, and hi, I'm new here. Prior to yesterday, I didn't have an obsession about my nails. Alas, after reading and reading and reading, I am now in dire need of getting a "system" so I can start doing my own nails!

Obviously, I'd like to not spend an arm and a leg, but should I sell one of my children to get a "good" cure lamp??

Is there a step by step buying guide for the best SOG system? I've looked for that specific thread and just haven't found it. ~le sigh~
 
#380
MrsJohnstonaire said:
I have poured over all these threads about SOG (won't tell you how long it took me to figure out what that meant...), and I need one definitive answer to the question "Which is better UV or LED"?!

Oh, and hi, I'm new here. Prior to yesterday, I didn't have an obsession about my nails. Alas, after reading and reading and reading, I am now in dire need of getting a "system" so I can start doing my own nails!

Obviously, I'd like to not spend an arm and a leg, but should I sell one of my children to get a "good" cure lamp??

Is there a step by step buying guide for the best SOG system? I've looked for that specific thread and just haven't found it. ~le sigh~
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Welcome to the fold. Have you had a professional Shellac/Gelish/ ACG/Geleration manicure? I think that is a good way to start. Get a few manis and and you'll see whether any of these systems work for you. Get a really good tech and watch what she does. DIY is not the right route for everyone. If you don't have the skills or don't enjoy doing your nails with regular polish, it is unlikely that you will enjoy using a gel polish. It's not hard, but it does have its own nuances and quirks and requires keen attention to detail.

I don't think there is a "best" system. I think each one has its good and bad points and you have to figure out which works for you.

If you have "bendy" nails then Gelish with its Structure gel might be good for you. "Peely" nails seem to do well with Geleration. Great natural nails might go with Shellac. I really like Shellac because it does not require buffing of the natural nail and I find it the easiest to remove. But the colors are so limited and layering is just bogus - costly and inconsistent. I also like Gelish. The range of colors is great. I use it without buffing the natural nail and it still lasts me 2 weeks+, but is harder to take off (for me). I hate the thickness of Red Carpet Manicure, but I just love the colors and viscosity of Geleration and Artistic Colour Gloss and have been using them in combination with my Shellac and Gelish base and top coats. They play together very nicely. Another advantage of being a DIYer is that you can mix systems like this. I don't think I could go with just one system anymore!

Similarly, the LED UV versus CFL UV question doesn't have an easy answer. I really like the Shellac UV lamp (CFL). It costs a bit more but it is a quality product and it always give a good cure on all five fingers. Still, I am dying for a fast LED lamp, but I'm waiting for the OPI lamp because it makes no sense to me to get one without a five finger cure. A UV lamp will cure anything out there in 2-3 minutes; an LED lamp will cure in 30 seconds but, with its narrower bandwidth, will not cure all gel polishes.

So, I hope that helps.
 
#381
Thank you thank you!! I've had them done in a salon, and love the concept, just not the price! And I do love doing my own nails, though as I've discovered, not nearly as much as some of you!! I will have to work on my girly nail card!

Sound like as a newbie to the DIY SOG, uv is the way to go. And I read 36 watt somewhere. That begs the question of: are all 36 W UV lamps the same?? Is there a thread that already has everyone's Must Have UV/LED cure lamp?

Again, thanknyou, I'm sure I'm only the eleventh-billionth person to ask these questions. lol
 
#382
MrsJohnstonaire said:
Thank you thank you!! I've had them done in a salon, and love the concept, just not the price! And I do love doing my own nails, though as I've discovered, not nearly as much as some of you!! I will have to work on my girly nail card!

Sound like as a newbie to the DIY SOG, uv is the way to go. And I read 36 watt somewhere. That begs the question of: are all 36 W UV lamps the same?? Is there a thread that already has everyone's Must Have UV/LED cure lamp?

Again, thanknyou, I'm sure I'm only the eleventh-billionth person to ask these questions. lol
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I to did not want to have to "sell one of the children" when I initially started the sog process. I started with a $26 (included free shipping) 36 watt uv lamp I bought on ebay. I had researched it and found all of the information of it from the earlier post on here and the shellac forum. A wealth of information these forums are :) It shipped from China, no charge for shipping. It took a while to get here, but I have had no problems with it whatsoever...
 
#383
redrobin said:
I to did not want to have to "sell one of the children" when I initially started the sog process. I started with a $26 (included free shipping) 36 watt uv lamp I bought on ebay. I had researched it and found all of the information of it from the earlier post on here and the shellac forum. A wealth of information these forums are :) It shipped from China, no charge for shipping. It took a while to get here, but I have had no problems with it whatsoever...
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That's what I did. I found a lamp on eBay (I think mine also came from China) for around $35. The salon I started getting SOG manicures from used Gelish so I've mainly stuck with that brand, but also use RCM.
 
#384
redrobin said:
I to did not want to have to "sell one of the children" when I initially started the sog process. I started with a $26 (included free shipping) 36 watt uv lamp I bought on ebay. I had researched it and found all of the information of it from the earlier post on here and the shellac forum. A wealth of information these forums are :) It shipped from China, no charge for shipping. It took a while to get here, but I have had no problems with it whatsoever...
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I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg! Now, selling the children... :whistle:

I kid, I kid!! Mostly.
 
#385
I'm a newbie to this forum and sort of a newbie to SOGs but I wanted to jump in here and say that I thought that the portable lights that you can get with RCM or Gelish and the starter systems seem to be a really good way to get started at a lower price point. I haven't had any problems with my Gelish portable light curing things so far (it's the same as the RCM light, just white in color instead.) At least this way if I ever decide that I want another light down the road, I'll still have a backup/travel/portable one if I ever need it. If you decide to upgrade to the AC adapter later, you can always do this but mine has worked pretty great so far on just 4 AA batteries.

I may decide to upgrade to a more powerful curing solution at a later date but I don't see the need to yet. RCM has said on facebook that the pro UV light is coming out soon (within the next week or so), but even so they still recommend curing four fingers at a time and then the thumbs separately so that the nails always lay flat for the process.

My biggest problem curbing my spending is that I want to buy so many pretty polishes!
 
#386
MrsJohnstonaire said:
Thank you thank you!! I've had them done in a salon, and love the concept, just not the price! And I do love doing my own nails, though as I've discovered, not nearly as much as some of you!! I will have to work on my girly nail card!

Sound like as a newbie to the DIY SOG, uv is the way to go. And I read 36 watt somewhere. That begs the question of: are all 36 W UV lamps the same?? Is there a thread that already has everyone's Must Have UV/LED cure lamp?

Again, thanknyou, I'm sure I'm only the eleventh-billionth person to ask these questions. lol
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I think you should try as best as you can to see inside the light, which I know is hard on ebay. My first one was not very mirrored and for me it didn't seem to work as well. Then I bought the one from sally and have had no problems. I know several sites sell the lights for around $50 and you don't have to wait for it to come from China, if you are like me and impatient.
 
#388
My lamp looks a lot like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/36-Watt-UV-...595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e9701a0b
438727740_o.jpg
 
#389
katnalex said:
Just saw in the nailsmag that Harmony is coming out with a 5 finger cure 18g LED lamp. Not sure what the cost will be....
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I saw that when i looked through it a couple days ago. Considering the price of the 9g I imagine really expensive... by my standards anyway.

dressme4less said:
My lamp looks a lot like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/36-Watt-UV-...595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e9701a0b
438727740_o.jpg
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That's exactly what my lamp looks like. I've had it almost a year. I've not had any major issues with it. It cures fine. Great buy for 36 dollars. When I got it the UV lamps were a little pricier and finding a cheap one on eBay was the only way to spend less than $80
 
#390
ferretkingdom said:
That's exactly what my lamp looks like. I've had it almost a year. I've not had any major issues with it. It cures fine. Great buy for 36 dollars. When I got it the UV lamps were a little pricier and finding a cheap one on eBay was the only way to spend less than $80
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Well, I can tell you the uv lights have definately come down in price. I just ordered a pink one for my daughter (Christmas present) from China and it was only $20.00 and that was with shipping :)
 
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