Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit and Going For The Rose Gold Gel Polish Swatches, Review

Press sample

I love regular nail polish.  I love the ease in application and removal, and since I get bored easily, I want a variety of colors and textures on my nails.  I want to have constantly new manicures, so I like having regular manis every few days.

However, these past few weeks have been terribly hectic for me.  School days are the worst because I need to help my son with his homework, cook, clean, and basically do a lot of chores, so much so that it's an actual chore and not relaxation to do nails every other day.

For those hectic weekdays, gel polish is for me.  I know gel polish lasts as long as 2 weeks, but I just can't get myself to wait for two weeks for a mani change.  I get too antsy if it takes that long to change my mani.  A week or close to a week of wear is the best for me.

I was able to try the Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit.  It includes the following: Gel Cleanser, Gel Primer, Color Gel Polish, Gel Base & Top Coat, Lint-Free Wipes, Double Sided Nail Buffer, Manicure Stick, LED Lamp Included, Instruction Sheet.

If you are familiar with the application of gel polish, you wouldn't have a hard time using this system. Even if you are new to gel polish, it's easy to follow the directions.

Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to apply the Sensationail gel polish:


1. Prep your nails by wiping them down with the gel cleaner and a lint-free wipe.
2. Apply the gel primer and allow to air dry (Note: apply only on the tips of your nails, or it will be a PAIN to take off!).
3. Apply the gel base & top coat and cure it under the LED lamp for 30 seconds (I cured for 60 seconds because nail polish [even gels] chip easily on me).
4. Apply one coat of color. Cure for 30 seconds (since my nails are brittle, I cured for 60 seconds).
5. Apply second coat of color. Cure for 30 seconds (I cured for 60 seconds).
6. Apply the Gel base & Top Coat again as your top coat. Cure for 30 seconds (I cured for 60 seconds).
7. Don't forget to remove the sticky residue with the gel cleanser and lint-free wipe.

I used the gel polish called Going For the Rose Gold in the above photos, and it's a very pretty rose gold metallic shimmer gel polish. I was pleasantly surprised that the Sensationail LED lamp is so cute and compact, it's perfect for travel if you need to do your nails while on vacation!
The lamp beeps in 30-second intervals, so it's great if you want to cure in either 30 or 60 seconds.

As for wear, gels usually last 3-4 days before chipping on me (yes, even gel polish doesn't last long on my nails), but the Sensationail gel polish system lasted a full six days on me. I am truly impressed!

The downside is that taking the gel polish off was a nightmare. I applied the gel primer on my entire nail bed, which was a mistake. I should have just applied it to the tips like what other users recommended, because it was nearly impossible to take the gels off. I never had it this bad when removing gel nail polish in the past.

Next time, I will definitely only apply the gel primer on the tips of my nails where chipping usually starts. All in all, though, this is the best gel polish system I've tried in terms of staying power. I also love how easy it is to apply, and how lightweight and effective the LED lamp is. Best of all, it's quite affordable! It usually retails for $49.99 or thereabouts, but I saw this starter kit on sale at Walgreens right now for $39.95 plus tax.

The Shades Of U Rating: 4.5 out of 5

(Media sample was provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are mine.)