If you’re anything like me, you’ve been living through a nail-related dilemma for years. You want to have great looking nails, but you simply cannot justify shelling out the money for regular manicures to keep up with it – especially if you’re opting for gel, which really seems to be the only option that makes sense these days. Sure, it’s only around $40 on the low end, but there’s something different about spending the money on something you’re just going to have to purchase again in two weeks in comparison to spending it on, say, a piece of clothing or some other product that lasts much longer. It can be tough to justify.
However, you probably still want to take advantage of your nails as an accessory. So now, you have no choice but to turn to DIY manicures. Personally, I never thought I’d be the type to keep up with my own nails at home. When I paint them, they look horrific. Like a crime scene. Like a child did them. It’s messy and embarrassing, and I know when I do them that they will be unfit for a public appearance for at least 24 hours, with that buffer time a necessity as the extra nail polish must first wear off of your hands and fingers.
Maybe this is just my own personal experience, but I do believe I’m not alone in my desire for a way to easily get professional looking, long lasting nails at home. And, as a recent convert, I am here to deliver the good news that there is in fact a system to give you exactly that. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to love semi cured gel nails.
Semi Cured Gel Nails vs. Other DIY Options
As I said, gel nails are clearly so far superior to regularly painted nails. The thought of taking the time to paint your nails at home with regular polish only for it to chip days later seems absurd. Not to mention the drying time and the ease with which one nail can be ruined if you touch something too soon. And the fact that even when it is dry, it still kind of feels like you shouldn’t be touching anything and you’re still conscious of anything that your finger so much as brushes. So for obvious reasons, a way to get gel nails at home has been a necessity for people everywhere.
Semi cured gel nails are the answer to our prayers. They’re easy-to-apply gel nails that are quick and require just about no nail artistry skills. They don’t even require a paint brush, and certainly no nail polish remover will be needed. The key here is their semi-cured properties. Semi cured gel nail kits come with gel nail strips, but it’s important first to note that these are much different than regular nail strips. Gel nail strips are, as the name implies, gel, and they will harden and last as such. In contrast, regular nail polish strips are easy to apply, but they’re still just regular polish and will chip in a week, maximum. Also, it’s usually recommended you follow those regular polish nail strips up with a layer of clear nail polish. So despite the ease with which you may apply those strips, it still requires painting and drying in the end, leaving you with that can’t-touch-anything feeling that we’re hoping to avoid. And all that just for it to chip in a week? No thanks.
So, back to semi cured gel nail strips. Since they’re semi-cured, it allows you to apply gel nails without painting any polish on. If you’re at the salon or painting with gel polish at home, typically the process requires a few layers, each one finished off with some time under a UV lamp. It’s a time-consuming operation that few people want to undertake on their own at home. Semi cured strips, however, are already 60% cured, meaning they come as flexible little gel strips that just need to be stuck on then placed under the lamp for that final curing process. It eliminates all the other steps beforehand that are required when painting gel nails and skips right to the end. And when it’s all said and done, not only can you not tell the difference between gel nails done at a salon and semi cured gel nails done at home, but there simply isn’t really a difference. Both are just great looking sets of nails that are hardened with the curing process and will last longer than regular nail polish.
Still Need Convincing? Let’s Talk Prices
I can rave about semi cured gel nails for days, because, once again, if you’re anything like me, they’re about to change your nail game forever. But if the ease of application isn’t already selling you on them, consider that money-saving aspect I brought up in the beginning. That’s why we’re thinking about DIY nails to begin with: who wants to be practically throwing away a minimum of $40 every 14 days? Great news about semi cured gel nails: a set (that includes extra strips, leaving room for error) costs less than half the price. They can range from $10 to $20, but will just about never be seen higher than that. You can also lower the price by subscribing to certain brand’s nail strips. Then, the only other thing you need is a UV lamp, which costs $25 or less and is a one-time purchase; and with some brands, if you subscribe to their nail strips, the lamp comes for free. So for the cost of about one trip to the salon for a gel manicure, you now have the tools for a lifetime of great looking nails.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. But if you’re anything like me, semi cured gel nails are going to turn you into someone who dreads doing their nails, to someone who looks forward to it. It’s a lot easier to enjoy something that turns out perfectly in the end.