St. Patty's Day Mani + Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat

Hey folks -

Sorry it's been a few days, I've been a bit busy tending to a sick pet :(. Hope everyone's St. Patty's Day was fantastic! I spent the day cooking, and at the vet...and doing my nails of course! This is what I came up with on the fly.

I know it's not much, I kind of just approached this randomly. I think the thumb, despite being so simple, is my favorite! The base is Sinful Colors "San Francisco" with spots of OPI "Goldeneye" (glitter) and Essie "Shifting Power"...the fact that Shifting Power is a bit sheer made it a bit chartreuse over the green...love it.

Disclaimer - Pinky Nail was meant to be a sugar spun detail - I had to start cooking and I therefore applied my top coat too soon and it smushed everything together. :(

As for the rest of this post, this review was a bit of a request from a friend of mine. Floating around on pinterest are a bunch of tutorials on how to achieve a DIY gel mani...besides investing in a UV/LED kit, this might just be the next best thing. May I introduce American Classics' "Gelous" Advanced Nail Gel Coat. This stuff works wonders. You can find it in store and online at Sally Beauty Supply.

Here, I've used a base coat of OPI Nail Envy (for that vitamin loving boost), then 2 coats of the Gelous, 2 coats of nail color + details, and then a top coat of the Gelous to seal. EVERY layer, I wrapped the tips as well. Even with just the base coats and no polish, I could notice a significant difference in thickness and strength. My right hand is currently unpolished, save for the Nail Envy and 2 coats of Gelous. I applied everything based on recommendations I had read around the web - some mentioned sandwiches like I had done below, or simply using it as a base coat. I chose to use it over an actual base coat, hearing it would adhere better. It definitely creates a smooth surface for nail polish to adhere to, and evens out any ridges or imperfections your nail might have...plus the thickness? Love!

I must say, it does look like my nails have been treated with a LED or UV gel. the thickness is spot on, and as a top coat, it is really quite shiny. Since I've only just applied it, we will have to wait and see how long this'll last - thank goodness I have some manis backed up to post the next few days! As for right now, my overall impression is good...I've heard some complaints about peeling and lifting (like SV tends to do), as well as a dull finish - no grief from me on the latter, that's for sure!

The colors in the photo above are: Essie's "Power Clutch" and "Lapis of Luxury", Zoya's "Dove" and Old Navy's "Platinum". 

Have you tried any of the DIY gel manis on Pinterest? Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to review!

Happy Polishing!

-Maggie