Otters who do gel nails

I use Blue Sky polishes. I have the base coat and no wipe top coat, along with a couple of the colour change polishes and a french polish. The light I got was just a generic one from amazon, it worked out better value to buy the bits separately than together when I looked!

I use blue sky too. You have to apply the polishes really thinly otherwise it only lasts a week. Most of the polishes are really good but I find the lighter shades can look a bit patchy but I suppose that ASD much to do with the application. X

Hi mini, I am a beauty therapist and I use blue sky too. I buy a base cost, apply 2 of the colour and then a top cost, my uv lamp was £20 from ebay and I have tried expensive ones and the cheaper one I have now and its great. My polish lasts for at least 3 weeks on my fingers and much longer on my toes. I say buy things seperate as its much cheaper x

Thanks! That's really helpful. I knew there was someone who was a beauty therapist on here but I couldn't remember who!

Mini, I'm following this with interest. Will you update once you've tried them out? I'm tempted to do this too.

Ooh I always thought you had to spend fortunes on a uv light/the colours - I'd also be keen to see how you get on mini

I use a generic lamp was part of an ebay kit with facsimile Harmony polish and also use Blue Sky. All works really well

I bought a Sensationail starter kit when it was on offer. Got it for about £40 and it came with everything needed to get you going. The lamp is fairly small have to do thumbs separately) but great.

I also use the bluesky and crystal g polishes. I find the glittery ones stay on better for some reason, and I usually get about 2 weeks out of those. It's best to use the same top and base brand as the colour, so if you use bluesky colour use the bluesky top and base.

Don't bother getting expensive stuff to remove them - I just use an acetone based nail polish remover on a cotton pad and wrap in foil. Works fine.

I buy all the bits off ebay usually. Cleanser and lint free wipes are dirt cheap on there.

I don't do them myself (because I am cr@p at painting my nails!) but my mum and a friend of mine both do theirs (and mine) and they use the Harmony gel polishes from Amazon. The colours are a little misleading, but they then use the website http://www.chickettes.com/gelish-swatches/ which tends to give a more accurate suggestion of the colours.
I know my mum bought the base set from Amazon for about £50 and a lamp from there for under £20. They're fab and seem to last for a very long time (unless you peel them like I do...another reason I don't do my own nails!)

I do mine now. I got the sensationail starter kit on offer too, and have a couple of bluesky polishes. I have a gorgeous Red and it was only a fiver.

Its well worth doing. The £55 I've spent on the kit and some polishes has paid for itself with the 5 times I've done my nails (which would have been between £20 and £40 in a salon each time)

You do need to be fairly good at painting nails because its important not to hit your cuticles or skin but mine look pretty good.

I re did them Friday night and they had been on for 3 weeks prior to that and were fine, just grown out!

I am also vay tempted. I used to get mine done by a friend who only charged £15 a pop, but I can't afford that at the moment.

Does anyone have a link to a good lamp on ebay?

This is the same as the one I use:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36W-UV-Lamp-Light-Gel-Curing-Nail-Dryer-4-x-9W-Blubs-/140742932237?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Nails_Manicure_Pedicure_CA&hash=item20c4eeb70d

I do my own, and a lot of friends and family, and I use Cuccio Colour Veneer gel polishes.

They are more expensive than Blue Sky but I have used Blue Sky before and found it a little thin in my cabbage, and the coverage not so good, but as a lot of other people seem to be very happy with it I am guessing it is just a matter of personal preference.

I bought most of my kit on ebay from various places, although I find Razzle Dazzle nails quite good, and then last year I went to the Beauty show at Olympia and bought some top up bits and new colours. I unfortunately couldn't go this year but am planning to go back next year, pretty much every salon brand was there so the choice of colours etc was amazing !