Gel Nails

I'm a girl, and I like to look pretty. That's why I like to paint my nails. But man, using regular nail polish is a big pain in the neck. It chips within two days, and it's hard to get it all off cleanly. It always ends up looking tacky, and you have to reapply, remove, reapply, remove, reapply. UGH.

But around Christmas I bought myself everything I needed to start doing gel nails, and I'm so happy about it! Seriously, one of the best purchases ever.

Reasons gel nails ROCK

• They last about 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS, people. You might get a tiny bubble or a chip before then, but it's still waaaay better than regular nail polish
• Your nails are smoother. The nail polish just dries perfectly and all smooth-like. It feels great.
• It comes off easier. When it's time to put on a new color, it's really easy to get off the whole thing without using any remover. Should I take the polish off without remover? Someone at a salon would probably say no, but I don't care.
• My nails are stronger. Somehow the gel is pretty tough, and my nails don't bend or break like they do when they're bare.
• My nails are longer. Because they are stronger with gel polish, they actually grow! Yay!
• It doesn't rub or scratch off. When I used regular nail polish, I would find little streaks on my papers occasionally from my nail polish. That doesn't happen with gel nails.
• I don't have to reapply all the time, which saves me time and patience. Forty minutes every two weeks? I can do that! Forty minutes every five or six weeks for my toes? Psh! Done!
• It dries immediately. Once you're done, you're done. I know it's hard to believe, but you don't have to worry about smudging and you don't have to worry about doing anything with your hands. They're good to go. It's amazing!

The only drawback is the cost. You do have to get a lamp/dryer thing, but those are a one-time purchase and you can find them on Amazon for $25. (Those dryers are hard to travel with though.) The nail polishes are also about 3x more expensive than regular polish. You can get a base and top coat for about $25 as well, and then each color is between $9 and $15. I think it still comes out to be cheaper since you use it less often.)

If you think you might want to give it a go, I've found that while I preferred OPI regular nail polish, I much prefer the Artistic brand over OPI when it comes to gel nails.

Best of luck!