This is one of the amazing dynamic gel colors I got last year. The “cat eye” effect is created by placing a magnet close to the polish. You can’t really tell from the photos, but before the magnet is applied the polish color is the orange version of the color (a beautiful color, I might add). Then, when a magnet is applied the color turns to the rose pink and the only orange remaining is what is closest to the magnet. I had to try several different magnet shapes to get an interesting effect. So many of the magnets I had laying around were too big and just flipped the color on the whole nail. Luckily, gel nails aren’t dry until you cure them, so I could try again and again until I achieved a good look.
Browns and golds and warm sparkly tones mark the start of fall. I always use browns this time of year to welcome falling leaves and warm mugs of hot chocolate. This chameleon tone wouldn’t look right any other season. Even though my nails are short, this color spends more time in the desired half and half; where the tips of the nails are the darker, colder tone and the nail beds are the lighter, warmer tone. I don’t know why this is is. It’s not like my fingers are suddenly warmer now in cold rooms. I’m left to forever wonder if the particular chemistry of this color makes the gel even more sensitive, or if the sensitivity is added because of the way I applied it. Mysteries!
Removing gel polish is not easy.I can soak and soak and soak the polish with double-strong acetone remover with minimal results. Lately I’ve been working the flex shaft tool to sand the top layers off. The hope was to make the polish more receptive to the acetone, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. I then resolved to simply try to remove as much polish as possible with the flex shaft, which feels dangerous. The nail bed gets super hot super fast when the polish layers get thin. It takes a long time as I try to be careful not to grind a whole nail off. Not idea. Hopefully I will find a better method soon. The gel polish only seems to last 2-3 weeks, not long enough considering the labor intensive removal process, especially since the removal damages the nail in the process.
I thought it would be fun to do a pink pedi to celebrate Valentine’s day. I got some new color changing gel polish for Christmas. One of the colors changes to pink when hot and purple when cold. Usually the nail is half and half and looks sort of…diseased. I won’t be doing color changing toes again! While it’s really fun to witness the unexpected temperature changes in my feet (why is that ONE toe warm???) it doesn’t make up for the weird disease look I get every time I step out of the shower. Just to give you an idea, my toes are warm and pink when I step out of the shower, then cold water drips onto my toes making dark purple splotches. It’s just….weird!
Here is another gel manicure in purple tones. This is the first gel color I tried from all of my new Christmas colors that wasn’t color changing. This one was like a deep, holographic solar system. The little sparkles had depth like the polish was inches thick, this was an illusion, of course. I added some purple accents and foil stars decals, which turned out so-so. The starry depth polish is a winner, however!
Here is a sparkly purple chameleon gel polish. While the color change was not as fast or dramatic as the other color changing gel polish I tried so far, the effect is no less beautiful. When coldest the color is nearly black. In most temperatures the polish is a lovely wine colored sparkle. Unlike the other chameleon gels, this polish changes in 3 tones, so there is third, nearly white color for when the nails are warmest.
This chameleon gel nail polish set a new bar in the world of nail polish. I have always been drawn to polish that is more than just color. I tried my first color-changing polish in the year 1996. That polish changed when hit by UV light (sunlight). I remember it well. Even though I remember it fondly, it didn’t work very well. It only had a few changes before the color difference was negligible. Eventually it would change from silver to pale green. The next level in the color-changing experience was the Maui Girl color changing polish. The Maui Girl polish came in a pack of 6. Out of the 6, one bottle worked really well. The other changed from magenta to deep pink. Again, a change, but not much. Then along came this chameleon polish. I put it on my Christmas list a couple of years ago. I don’t have very many gel colors. Gel colors tend to be pricey, upwards of $20-$25 per bottle. I can’t justify that expense, but when I saw this pack of reasonably-priced chameleon colors I thought they would be fun.
This polish performs better than I could ever imagine. The coolest thing? The color changes FAST. It is sensitive to many temperature gradients, so I can watch it go from deep midnight to bright clue to pale blue to white in a matter of moments. Step outside, put your hand next to a heater, and the colors respond faster than a second. I can have warm hands in a cold room, and cold hands in a warm room- they are that sensitive! I can see how much colder my raynaud’s fingers are on any given moment. I can note a temperature difference between my thumbs and fingers based on how my hands are in my pockets. I’ve never seen anything so sensitive and responsive.
This polish was a breeze to apply. It went on smooth and wasn’t too thin or drippy. I was able to apply several thin coats quickly and cleanly.
On top of all that, this polish has lasting power. As I type this, I am on day 15 of wearing this polish and I only have 2 small chips. I got the chips from fumbling around trying to open a box about a week ago. I’ve been washing dishes, loading pallets, skiing, cooking food; al sorts of things that tend to kill nail polish, but nope, this stuff is solid.
I had this violet metallic confetti for nails that has been a hassle. Even though I’d smooth the pieces as much as I could and cover the confetti with a topcoat, little edges would still pop up. The confetti would like up through the polish and annoy me to no end. It felt like little thorns or hangnails and would catch on everything I touched. That and the fact the tone was a little more rosey than my preference kept me from wearing it very often. It occurred to me that I could try it out with gel nails. Success! The confetti is perfectly encased. The polish feels smooth and luxerious like gel nails always feel. I’m really happy with the result. Applying gel nails is still frustrating. I tempted to rush, and every time I try to speed up the process I make it worse. Nonetheless, I’m getting more and more practice and I’m getting better at it. Happy Valentine’s day!
This white is my first-ever attempt at Gel polish. I learned a lot in the process. I am convinced with more careful application I can extend the cohesion of the nails.
This is my best ever attempt at gel polish! The above photo is taken over 2 weeks after the original manicure! Still holding strong! Now, if only I could repeat this result…
On the Other Hand... 