Red Carpet Gel nail system - how are you getting on? I think I wish I had bought it

[Flying Pigs]

I was worried about how my nails would be but they are actually getting stronger underneath the gel and not splitting at the tips. I have been really careful when soaking off and using the cuticle oil as Jabba says. My finger nails actually look presentable for a change and the gel lasts a really long time on my toe nails. I have developed a strategy for getting my toes under the lamp in two goes as I have very wide feet.

 

[Bigcat]

Just got back from States - in Ulta they were selling this with lots of colours so if anyone has this and is visiting States soon I'd go check out Ulta. Good prices too.

 

[Polly Esther]

Just tried mine for the first time tonight. My nails are very short at the moment so used the nude beige shade as I thought any mistakes would be less obvious than with the plum or red for now.

Well, I am SO impressed! It was so easy and quick to do and looks and feels the same as the Shellac manicures I've paid way too much for. The test now, will be to see if it lasts.

So pleased!

 

[rosey]

Mine is still looking as good as the day I put it on nearly a week ago. I am very impressed apart from the fact that I WANT to try one of the other new colours I ordered directly off the red carpet manicure site

They are still lovely and shiny. Yesterday I scraped it along the zip of my Lulu bag and was really worried I might have taken a chunk out of my nail. Looked down and apart from the tiniest chip which is almost invisible with the naked eye. Before I would have not only ruined the varnish but probably taken half the nail off.

 

[Snowstorm]

Noticed lidl have something in store. No idea if its the same but priced at 29.99.

 

[Flying Pigs]

Just tried to search for more info on the Lidl offer and came across a link to Asda who will be selling the Sensation gel kits from late September in store at £60 and have it already on Asda Direct. Also came across some complaints from nail technicians to the effect that we couldn't possibly be able to do gel polish at home because we are not trained and it will look a mess etc.Does not seem to be causing us problems.

 

[Polly Esther]

Have seen the Lidl one and it looks like its more of a gel extension kit, as it contains fake tips, rather than a gel polish system.

Have read a few comments re the gel polish system from disgruntled salon people saying that they shouldn't be sold for home use. Sour grapes I think. I've always thought there wasn't a huge amount of skill in Shellac etc. if you can carefully paint your nails, then you can do it, as has been proved! Seems they are worried about losing trade. Fair enough, I'd not attempt nail extensions, but gel polish is easy!

 

[rosey]

Have seen the Lidl one and it looks like its more of a gel extension kit, as it contains fake tips, rather than a gel polish system.

Have read a few comments re the gel polish system from disgruntled salon people saying that they shouldn't be sold for home use. Sour grapes I think. I've always thought there wasn't a huge amount of skill in Shellac etc. if you can carefully paint your nails, then you can do it, as has been proved! Seems they are worried about losing trade. Fair enough, I'd not attempt nail extensions, but gel polish is easy!

Yes it is easy to do and because you have as long as you want to paint your nails because they don't dry until you put them under the lamp, you can get them looking much better than you can with normal varnish which starts to go tacky quickly and if you are too slow it gets worse with each brush stroke.

I think it is just sour grapes that 'nail technicians' are complaining - they will lose a lot of money. It costs around £30 a time to have it done!

Are the 'Sensation' kits they are going to sell in Asda the same ones as the 'Sensationail' ones they sell in boots. I looked at these but decided that they were nearly as much money but you got about a third of all the lotions and varnishes etc. So actually worked out more expensive in the long run. Also I could use the 30 day mbg if I didnt get on with it. The lamp looked better in the RCM kit.

 

[Flying Pigs]

Probably is the same Rosey. I probably did not get the whole name down.

 

[iloveshopping]

I'm on to my second application. First one lasted 10 days with my dominant hand showing some signs of damage on the corners of the nails. Perhaps because I didn't paint over the top edge as my nails are short. I took it off on day 14 when the gel peeled off on one nail. It alll came off really easy and my nails were in great condition (I had been applying oil on nails and cuticles at least 3 times a day). Nails in better condition than with nail envy.
I applied leighton denny renovate 4 times yesterday evening plus opi avoplex oil and again this morning. Then I applied the red carpet manicure gel polish again this morning. I just love it. So far my nails have been stronger than before. Didn't scrape nails before second application. Will report back on condition of nails in 10 days when I take it off for second time.

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[iloveshopping]

I've been hunting around ebay for some cheaper gel polishes but I notice that alot of the cheap ones from China seem to give instructions to wait to cure the colour for 2-3 minutes. I don't fancy that, waiting 45 seconds is enough and not sure that the curing process with UV is very good for the nails/skin on the hands.

Has anyone bought any cheap ones that are only 45 seconds or thereabouts?

 

[delh]

I got mine when it was a TSV and so have now had a few goes at getting it right, you don't need to roughen the nails as they kept saying all that is needed is a gentle buffing to take the shine off, any nail varnish remover with acetone in can be used to soak it off and if after you have wrapped the foil around them you put a pair of gloves on it speeds up the process, apparently the warmth is what does it so you could use a hot water bottle, wheat bag etc. Don't get any of the polish on the skin or it will lift and will get very hot under the lamp, I always go around the nail with an orange stick after each coat before curing it to remove any that I have got on the skin. You have to paint the free edge of the nail or again it will lift even on short nails this is possible dip an orange stick in the remover and just run it on the skin under the nail after applying before curing.

The longest I have had the polish on for is 10 days but that was because I don't like the regrowth at the base of the nail rather than it lifting or chipping you could reapply over the polish to cover it but because it's so quick and easy to do it once you have the kit I just remove it.

I bought the white and camera shy from RCM's website which makes a brilliant French or just nude nail if your doing a French you can either do base and 2 coats of colour then paint the tips freehand before putting the top coat on, or you can remove the sticky residue after the colour coats then use stick on French manicure guides but still do very thin coats of white and paint the free edge then but your top coat on.
The cleanser you use for removing the sticky residue is basically surgical spirit and you can get surgical spirit with olive oil in it from chemists which works just as well and has the benefit of putting a little moisture into the cuticle and it only costs about £2

My sister has her own salon and uses shellac and she is very impressed with the system but shellac has far more colours to choose from. If you are using a different lamp or different brand of polish the curing times may be different as different lamps have different power levels and some polishes will need longer. If you buy from eBay I would make sure that the polish will cure under LED the 2-3 minutes many of them quote are for UV lamps that use bulbs whereas the power of the RCM'S lamp is higher than some " bulb" lamps so it's prob a bit of trial and error. If the polish lifts or chips it. Old be the application process was flawed in some way or it could be that the polish wasn't cured long enough.

I love my kit and my nails are in better condition and longer than they have ever been probably because of the oil and the fact that the gel polish adds strength because it is protein based so my nails don't break as easily

 

[SparklyBarbs]

Heard Catherine H raving about how good this system was earlier. She said the first time it took her an hour as
she did her cuticles etc, but now its quicker. She says it saves her so much time and she loves it

 

[rubyrat]

Thanks for your tips,I have bought it today using my easy pay code.If you have anymore hints and tips please post,also I am not really allowed coloured nails for work so does anyone know which shade will pass as a very nude...thanks

 

[deanos]

The wife came home today with a gel kit and UV lamp from Lidl for £29.99 and 3yr warranty , seems to be loads of stuff in the box HTH

 

[prettyinpink1988]

I was tempted by this kit when it was the TSV, but then realised it would be pretty pointless as I change my nail colour every few days. Might aswell just carry on using regular nail varnish :happy:

 

[iloveshopping]

Thanks for your tips,I have bought it today using my easy pay code.If you have anymore hints and tips please post,also I am not really allowed coloured nails for work so does anyone know which shade will pass as a very nude...thanks

You could just put on the base coat and then the top coat but the top coat is very glossy. Then when you are not working you could apply normal nail varnish over the top and then remove it with non acetone remover when you go back to work.
If you are in a health care job then I cannot recommend the above.

 

[iloveshopping]

I bought some bluesky nail gel polish last night around £6.70 and free delivery from the famous auction site. Will give it a try. They say that it should be cured for 2 mins but I'm going to experiment with 45 mins using the red carpet lamp.

BTW one nail on my dominant hand has chipped on day 3 with the red carpet polish - perhaps I applied it too thin.

 

[rosey]

Thanks for your tips,I have bought it today using my easy pay code.If you have anymore hints and tips please post,also I am not really allowed coloured nails for work so does anyone know which shade will pass as a very nude...thanks

I have seen on the internet or you tube - how you can use any ordinary varnish with the system - do a google search for full details.

They say you basically put the base and top coat of the RC system on. Once these are cured you put your regular colours on - but you must ensure that they dry fully naturally. Then you put another top coat on and cure that under the lamp. The advantage of putting the base and top coat on are if you mess up your own varnish you can remove it with non-accetone remover in between before the final topcoat. So basically if you already have nude colour you can use that. I havent tried it yet as I wanted to get used to doing it the proper way and wanted to try out the colours which came with the set.

I am loving mine - I only changed mine yesterday after 8 days because I wanted another colour on :happy:

How I did mine the second time is I did the four fingers on one hand fully - through the whole process base, colour then topcoat, then the other hand, then the thumbs. I found this easier than trying to do them all together. Also it takes a while to get used to taking as much time as you want to put it on very carefully as it doesnt dry until it is cured - which is strange having spent over 40 years trying not to overbrush varnish as it goes 'claggy'.

I will try the using my own varnish next time as I havent found a really nice 'taupe' gel colour yet.

 

[miss molly]

The redcarpert webiste have free delivery and offers every week. This weeks its https://www.redcarpetmanicure.co.uk/collections The perfect pair if you like yellow polish £6.48.