Review: SensatioNail

So- unfortunately I am not a big-time blogger and no one sent me this kit for free in return for my post.

I asked for a DIY gel nail kit for Christmas. I had not researched any of them.

My grandma ending up getting Nailene's SensatioNail system from Wal-Mart.

When I found out the price ($50), I was a little shocked. The starter kit comes with enough product to do 5 manicures, by the box description. So it's about 1/2 price of a salon gel manicure (here they run about $20). But, there is only one color choice. Additional polish shades are about $10.

Well, my starter kit came with a raspberry shade. In fact I think the one in the stock photo above. It's very nice. But for Valentine's Day John got me a aqua and light pink shade.

I decided to try and be bold and trendy and do the aqua shade. I will not be doing it again. I've decided I'm just kind of traditional when it comes to nail color. I like shades of pink and red, or neutrals, and I have been known to do black a few times. But it's just not often I do purple, orange, yellow or anything too crazy.

So I was not prepared for this bold shade, that lasts about 2 weeks.

So here's my freshly done manicure:

Sorry it's blurry. But they were nice and shiny and completely set and ready to go.

I love how there's no fear of smudging or chipping while they "dry"

At 2 weeks. Minor chipping and some peeling where they have grown out at the cuticle

The Pros:
It really is easy to do. Takes about 30 minutes.
They are hard-cured as soon as you finish the last step. No dry time.
They keep the "wet" look the whole time.

The Cons:
Still a bit pricey in my book.
It's a big pain taking every last bit of polish off. It's stubborn. But you need a completely smooth nail before doing another one, or it will look bad. I haven't tried the removal tool, but I did use 100% acetone.
Limited color selection available in stores. They say they are adding 32 new shades, but they're not at our Wal-Mart, that's for sure.

Overall, it is a good option for me. There is no way I would EVER get 2 weeks of wear out of a regular manicure. And I do love to have nice manicured polished nails, but I don't have time to re-polish every 2 days.

So if you were thinking of trying it- I say do it! As long as you are going to use it at least 5 times you will be saving 1/2 off the salon price, and it isn't very difficult to do.