Get Affordable Gel Nails With Red Carpet Manicure's Professional LED Kit

-This post contains a PR sample/gifted item, no paid content. All opinions are my own-

I always say that I feel like I have my shit together whenever I have my nails done and by "done" this usually just means shaped and painted with a normal polish. I'm not a big fan of faffing around with false nails... apart from KISS Impress Nails because I think they're fab and I can put a whole set on under 5 minutes. But other than that I'm not keen on really long, glamorous nails like a lot of people are. But I am open to get nails because of how they last longer and don't chip like normal polishes do.

I was sent the Red Carpet Manicure Professional LED Kit* about two months ago from Louella Belle to try out. However I think they've now stopped selling Red Carpet Manicure on their website but you can buy the kit from other known beauty retailers if you do happen to be interested in buying after reading this post. With promises up to two weeks of wear, a 45 second curing time and an average cost saving of £35 per treatment, I was definitely intrigued when I got an email about trying out the kit and their new Amalfi Getaway Collection*.

Shades: Poolside Fling, Violetta Darling and Creme De La Creme*

The must haves to prepare the base and seal the polish!

In the kit you get everything you need to get you started -

LED Light with timer function, Purify Pre and Post Application Cleanser, Prep Max Adhesion Sanitiser, Structure Base Coat Gel, Brilliance Seal and Shine Top Coat, Erase Gel Nail Polish Remover, Revitalise Nourishing Cuticle Oil, LED Gel Polish in Creme de la Creme, Nail File, Buffer Stick, Cuticle Stick, Lint Free Wipes and Foil Wraps. So you definitely got a lot for your money!

The polish that comes with the kit called "Creme De La Creme" is a very sheer pink and I'll be honest I wasn't super keen on the colour when I applied it. I just felt like if I'm putting in the extra effort to get gels nails then I want to see the colour I apply. Even after three coats it still looked very sheer and barely there, kind of like a french manicure.

Thankfully I was also sent the gorgeous Amalfi Getaway Collection* which is the latest collection from Red Carpet Manicure. It contains some bright colours which I'm not usually a big fan of if I'm being super honest, however I really liked the look of Mai Tai For Me, Beaches & Bikinis and Vacation Goals in particular. You may have already seen me raving about the shades I've tried already on instagram.

Seas The Summer - which is a deep eye-catching blue, Beaches & Bikinis - which a gorgeous neon purple, Vacation Goals - which is a shimmery teal green, #CabanaLife - which is a must-have pink-red coral, Mai Tai For Me - which is a pretty coral pink  and Sunshine & Good Times - which is a eye-catching orange.

The application process is pretty easy once you get the hang of it but here's a quick rundown of what you do to get yourself some lovely gel nails - 

File and shape your nails, buff nails to even out and get rid of any shine and then apply the Pre Cleanse cleanser using a lint free wipe. After that you apply the Prep Sanitizer to your freshly clean nails, wait to dry naturally and then apply a thin coat of the Structure Base Coat Gel and cure under the LED light for 45 seconds. Choose your colour and apply a thin coat and cure for a further 45 seconds and repeat (sometimes you may have to do a 3rd coat depending on sheerness of colour). Then you apply a thin coat of the Brilliance Seal and Shine Top Coat Gel and cure for 45 seconds. Once they're cured you can remove any tacky residue with the Purify Cleanser and then you're done. It's super simple!

I've been using the kit for about 6 weeks now and I've used 4 out of 7 shades I was sent so far and I'm loving it! It did take me a couple of times to get the hang of the application process but now I know how to apply everything in order without having the instructions next to me for help. I tend to do my nails when I'm watching the soaps in the evening and I just think it's a nice way to wind down... especially if I've had a stressful day. Red Carpet Manicure claim that you can cure your nails in 45 seconds and I definitely agree! I have had a few issues with the edges of the polish peeling after a few days or getting caught when I'm put my hair up in a messy bun but this is my own fault for not being super careful with my top coat application at the end (but I am getting better at it!) but it's something to remember if you end up picking up the kit for yourself. The longest I've had a set of gel nails on for was about 17 days and they were still going strong at 17 days but I just fancied a change in colour.

I've definitely been reaching for gel nails more so than my normal gel polishes. In the past 6 weeks I've only tried some "normal" nail polishes for a OPI campaign with Influenster which arrived unexpectedly. But other than that I've just been sticking to the RCM gel nails. I've also picked up another shade called Violetta Darling which is kind of a muted purple and I've also got another shade called Poolside Fling on the way as I write this which is a bright blue-teal which I wouldn't normally go for but this kit has changed me and I want all of the colours for my nails now.

Even though buying the kit is an investment with it being around the £89 mark, it will pay for itself quite quickly if you already have gel nails done professionally. Also you do have pay a bit more for the polishes as they are £12.95 on the Red Carpet Manicure website but they do last a lot longer than your basic nail polish so I definitely think it's worth it overall. 

Have you tried an at home gel nail kit before?

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