I love my manicures. Even in university, I made sure to schedule time for some much needed R&R with regular mani-pedi sessions.  But while professional manicures are great, I hate that the color tends to chip within a few days of the session. And sometimes in my hurry to leave the salon, I managed to ruin my nails immediately.  This is where gel manicures are a godsend.

Gel manicures have been around for some time and I finally decided to review them after my second outing with them. Unlike regular manicures where the polish is airdried, gel manicures require a UV lamp for the nails to be cured. This means you can leave the salon immediately with no risk of dents or scratches. Furthermore, gel manicures can last upto 2-3 weeks with no chips.

Gel manicures take more time than regular manicures since the gel needs to be carefully painted on along with 1 minute drying breaks between each coat. Both my gel manicures looked perfect but the final finish is dependent on the skill of the technician.

My manicure lasted for 3 weeks with minor pulling/bubbling on the edges. However, by week 3 I was extremely bored of the color. As perfect as they were, I was happy to trade in the red for another color.

The removal process wasn’t my favorite. First the technician buffed off the top, glossy coat. Then she applied the remover-soaked cotton on the nails and covered them with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. After that, she used an orange stick to remove the remaining polish. I decided to leave my nails bare to see what damage was inflicted. While my nails still seemed healthy, the top layer had been scraped off.

I like gel manicures. But will they replace my ever expanding collection of polishes? No. I think gel manicures are perfect for travelling for hassle-free nails but I definitely can’t commit to one color for 3 weeks at a time.

What: Bio Sculpture Gel Manicure
Why: Chip-free manicure for 3 weeks
Where: All major nail salons, highly recommend The Nail Spa
How much: AED 150 + AED 70 for removal
Pros: Long-lasting, perfect nails for 3 weeks
Cons: More expensive, difficult to remove, limited colors
Rating: 4 stars

Nails after 3 weeks - no chips!

Nails after 3 weeks - no chips!