OPI • Axxium Soak Off Gel Nail Lacquer • Nails

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lovesmakeup525 on 9/24/2012 9:49:00 PM more reviews by lovesmakeup525

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I am assuming this is the gel manicure by OPI.

It does stay on for a few weeks. But no matter what my nails always seem to break with the polish on and I always get chips especially by the bottom of the nail where it grows.

So even though the polish stays on it looks chipped and uneven at the bottoms and sometimes at the tips too and let's not even talk about when the nail breaks

I did have acrylics right before this and my nails are definitely weaker than that, but with the Shellac gel manicure I did not experience any chipping or breaking at all. The Shellac still looks natural but feels slightly thicker/harder than the OPI, perhaps this is the reason.

OPI does have nice colors and shine though I will say that. But the Shellac did a much better job so I do not think I will get this one so fast.

Definitely OPI gel manicures will stay on better than regular polish but I notice it is very prone to chipping and breaking. Maybe it's too thin.

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Kwitkowski88 on 2/11/2012 8:27:00 PM more reviews by Kwitkowski88

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Awesome! Dont have to worry about my nails chipping for 2 weeks. I get compliments still by week 2. It is a little harder to get off and could damage the nail, but that's why I don't do them all the time.

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BeckyJSacto on 1/22/2012 8:43:00 PM more reviews by BeckyJSacto

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I travel all the time for work, and the concept of not having to worry about my nails at all for weeks on end was a tremendous benefit. I go for a natural look, and the Axxium product looked great and was incredibly sturdy.

Taking it off (by a professional, in a reputable salon) was a nightmare. It took close to an hour of soaking and scraping, soaking and scraping, and more soaking and scraping. Ugh. I had them redone three times over the course of two months, each time cringing at the removal process.

My nails are thrashed, as are my cuticles and fingertips by the prolonged soaking in acetone. For the first two weeks after having the Axxium product removed, regular nail polish would not adhere to my nails for more than a few hours. Moreover, my nails were rough, so even clear polish looked like crap.

I finally resorted to cutting my nails down to the quick once most of the rough areas had grown out, so I'm starting anew.

Don't do this to yourself!

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JanetMichelle on 11/7/2011 9:20:00 AM more reviews by JanetMichelle

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

To "KegC" and other with the same problem - I'm not a professional but I have been using OPI Axxium and had the same problem as you - the finished nails were sticky.
The thing you did not mentioned, and I also was not doing in the beginning, is the last probably most important step:After removing gel residue with N.A.S. 99 ( make sure the cotton ball is really soaked-in with it) - apply "Avoplex Oil & Lotion - as on the Tabletop instruction - I use massage oil and it works also.
If that does not work - also extend cure times on each step.
Hope it was helpful.

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elisasalat on 11/1/2011 2:10:00 AM more reviews by elisasalat

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

wow doesn't sound good at all. i was going to try it because the gel system i just got does not have a very good selection of colors but after reading this...... i will not even go close to it. I am trying this gel system with a regular nail polish for the color part of it and if it lasts 2 weeks ... i will be happy! the pro 45 led light really works wonderful becs it only takes 45 seconds to cure!!!!

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KegC on 10/20/2011 9:40:00 AM more reviews by KegC

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have the OPI axxium pale pinks soak-off gel kit. I have done this 3 times now and I have the same problem. I follow these steps (fyi, i use the 45 watts UV nail dryer:
-clean,buff and shape nail
-spray nas 99 and apply bond-aid
-apply clear gel base and cure for 1 minute
-apply color gel and cure for 2 minutes
-apply more color gel and cure for 2 minutes
-apply soak-off gel sealer, cure for 3 minutes

after the last step, the nail is still very sticky and when I rub a cotton ball soaked with Nas 99, the sealer and part of the gel polish comes off! the nail is left dull and with most of the color removed.

What am I doing wrong? Please help!

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beautygal1986 on 10/7/2011 3:54:00 AM more reviews by beautygal1986

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Today is day two of my OPI axxium manicure...I painted over the clear gel since I couldn't stand the clear gel alone...but the gel itself was starting to lift up around the cuticles earlier today :( I paid waaaaay to much money for this to not stay put

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Seeyou on 9/21/2011 11:30:00 PM more reviews by Seeyou

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Update 20 January 2012
I am still using this product BUT BUT BUT I clean them off MYSELF. Why? Because the technicians cause more harm whereas I file the surface and soak it with OPI remover. Then I scrap the lacquer slowly and carefully. This way, I can ensure that my nails are properly protected. Technicians will not spend so much time just on one customer.


UPDATE 25 October 2011 >>>>> I wish I do not have to come back here but I have to be honest. After my third time using Axium soft gel, it lasted only 4 weeks (the longest was 8 weeks). Not sure if it was the skill of the technician but I do find my nails weakening. I bought the OPI acetone nail remover (ard US$23.00) to remove the soft gel myself and my nails are now naked. It is safer to remove myself because then I will ensure that there is no grinding at all to any part of the top layer. Indeed, when all the gel was removed, I could see the nail near the edges to be torn, and thin. . Its no wonder how strong the gel could be I still think it weakens my nail. Indeed, this will caused the nail to split vertically down the centre if you are not lucky enough. I still have three more in my manicure package and I wonder if I want to use this method at all. I'm sure if I remove them myself, my nails will not be damaged if I go for another new coat. I DO ADVISE all to remove the gel yourself before visiting the nail technician for the next new coat of gel as the technician will definitely wont want to spend so much time on this just for you unless at a premium. After finishing this course, I will go back to my good old nail polish if I want to brighten up my nails again.

============
9/21/2011 11:30:00 PM
I have read through all the negative messages posted in this page and I wonder if there is something very wrong with me because my experience after doing it three times is totally different from most of you. Is it really that bad?.

I have never done manicure in the salon except the occasional ones I did for fun DIY style using OPI products (at home). Somehow, they never last. They peel and chipped so easily and removal needs to be done to avoid sloppiness. So, that's why it puts me off to work on my nails so regularly until my colleague went to the salon to have OPI soak off gel. I jumped on the wagon and I really like it alot. Unlike what I read from your reviews, it is a totally different experience. It never chipped, split, tear horizontally or vertically. In fact it had strengthened my nail so much. The gel stayed for 2 months w/o splitting or chipping and I am constantly doing housework and tapping on the keyboard. Without this layer of gel, I dont think I could grow the nails for two long months. They never break. I am just cautious that the nail does not get ripped off by accident. This might give you the impression that I am so sloppy with my nails but I do not wish to go to the salon because I would like to drag so that I wont be washing off every two weeks. I am very comfortable with one color for such a long period. I used very light / pale / transparent colors and so it does not make it so ugly or obvious that new nail had grown at the base. The removal part can be seen as very drastic but according to the nail technician, they need to damage the surface of the gel with a grinder (??) or electric buffer (??) in order to be more effective in the soaking off process. Then they placed soaked acetone on each nail and wrapped with tin foil. They did use a stainless steel orange stick to remove the closest layer to my nail. Thereafter, they had to sand / buff the surface of the nail. I was asked not to touch the surface after buffing / sanding. It does not become shining smooth because they need the 'rough' layer to allow the gel to hold more effectively (I suppose). Someone suggested to me that I could damage the surface by sanding / buffing and then soak in the OPI acetone b4 going to the salon to have the nails painted. This will cause less damage as (almost all) the technicians in HK salons use grinder (??) to break the gel surface. It is impossible to expect the technician to spend 3 hours per client and nobody is willing to pay that exhobitant amount per visit.

Anyway, I had done the Axxium gel three times now and I have no complaint at all. If eventually I wanted to stop and leave my nails naked, then I have yet to find out how ugly my nails would become. At this point, I do not have value to add on naked nails.

At this very moment, it is not as h*ll as the way most of you describe. If I am experiencing the same, I will come here to update again.
H.A.N.D. !!

DISCLAIMER:
I do not represent OPI nor am I in the nail / beauty business. I am just someone who is very careful with my spending on such nail treatment.

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kbutler247 on 9/13/2011 2:19:00 PM more reviews by kbutler247

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Im surprised at some of the negative reviews from this product. Here is my imput as a cosmetologist.

Axxium is a great alternative to people who want something less drasting then acrylics but a step up from a regular manicure. As a cosmetologist my hands are always moving and always in and out of water. A manicure doesnt last me a day, but acrylics tear my nails up. Axxium goes on relatively quickly over natural nails. It dries instantly, and even in my profession it lasted a good solid two weeks. They probably would have lasted longer but I started picking them off.

This is what I suggest as far as soaking them off...I wouldnt go there. They peel off very easily in one swoop. I take a nail tip and slide in under one of the corners to life and it peels right off. Or, you can take a cotton soaked ball and place it over the nail and wrap it with foil to "soak off" the laquer. I would never suggest submerging you hand in acetone. (We as cosmetologist do all kinds of crazy things like that on ourselves, but I wouldnt do it on a client) After a few minutes the laquer will slide right off. But the most efficient way for me to remove axxium is to peel it off.

Peeling it off does remove a small layer of the nail, but it is far less damaging then acrylics, so that is why I say its safer then acrylics but slightly more aggressive then nail polish.

I personally love it!

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nic_b on 9/8/2011 4:30:00 PM more reviews by nic_b

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

My experience was EXACTLY the same as described in the review by miinx, below. I wouldn't wish this stuff on anyone.


When I had this done, there was no drilling, no aggressive buffing, etc. None of the things described anywhere as the "wrong" way to go about this. In fact, my manicurist was extremely meticulous. The manicure itself looked phenomenal and wore like iron. At the three week point, I went to have it removed because of nail/cuticle growth. That's when the nasty side of Axxium became apparent. Even after fifteen minutes of soaking, very, very little was coming off. I had to soak FOREVER, and when it finally came off, my nails looked AWFUL. I did not get another manicure at all...I wanted to soothe my poor, dried-out nails. They looked like someone had attacked them with sandpaper (and NO, they didn't. Again, the manicurist was very gentle and meticulous, never ever aggressive.)


For the record, I've never had ANY kind of acrylics, etc. Nothing but a plain ol' manicure. My nails were in excellent shape prior to the Axxium application. It took several months to get them back to normal after the Axxium fiasco. I truly believe it was the product and not the nail tech.

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lr99999 on 9/4/2011 7:57:00 PM more reviews by lr99999

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

I'm changing my review. After starting as a big fan...now my nails are destroyed. It's definitely from soaking in the acetone.

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*TOP REVIEWER* triniloveyxx on 8/17/2011 1:38:00 PM more reviews by triniloveyxx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brown, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

First off, I'd like to say I dislike fake nails or anything that does any damage to my nails. I was talked into getting this when it first started coming out in salons. I was told it would be good for my nails. Then the nail technician started filing and grinding my natural nails down so this gel would "stick" to it. I was so angry because its the same method as putting on fake nails. By the time it started to wear off and chips (after 2-3 weeks) my natural nails were completely weak, soft, and scaly looking. Never again. Ill stick with my nail hardeners and plain ole' nailpolish!

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*TOP REVIEWER* joy2uandme on 8/17/2011 1:27:00 PM more reviews by joy2uandme

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I had acrylics back in May after a nail tech "conveniently misunderstood" my desire for stronger nails during a manicure. The acrylics were big and fake looking (think Vegas showgirl and the opposite of what I wanted) so many weeks later I asked for gels instead. I've tried both Creative and Axxium and the Axxium is tougher on my nails leaving them dried and fragile. Also the OPI prod lifts easier with regular use of my hands(yes I wear rubber gloves) but is harder to remove with acetone--don't understand that one at all. I think am done with gels and have planned to just go back to regular manicures. The gel manicures are 3 times as much money and I'm only getting 10 days out of an application when I can get 7 days out of a really good polish during a manicure so it doesn't make much sense to me anymore.

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julibean85 on 7/27/2011 11:14:00 AM more reviews by julibean85

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Red   Eyes: Black    

As an Esthetician, I need something that's going to last through a day of facials and body waxing. Since my nails are so oily as a reaction to my birth control, I've always had acrylic or gels. So of course when I heard of Shellac and Axxium, I was all over it. Let me tell you that I've NEVER had an issue with my nails peeling or becoming super weak. And I've had my nails done almost religously since I was 13. I'm now 26. Any good nail tech will tell you not to pick your polish, wear gloves when cleaning and let your nails rest between treatments. Also, a poor diet effects your nails too. I would recommend axxium to anyone who uses their hands on a daily basis.

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bumblebee22 on 6/13/2011 10:10:00 AM more reviews by bumblebee22

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I really wanted to love this product as I'm a fan of OPI shades. But like some other reviewers have said, this makes your nails weak and brittle. I had 2 or 3 Axxium manicures (each lasting 2.5 weeks or so) and noticed my nails were starting to chip more frequently. Two more manicures later and now my nails are so soft I have to be careful when washing my hair. I think it's the product that's to blame. Last year when I was living elsewhere, I had the Nail Harmony gelish manicure continuously for months and my nails were very healthy. The removal process was the same - nails were soaked in remover and wrapped in foil, the manicurist filed the nails and removed the polish. Gelish never caused me any trouble.

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bellsm on 6/10/2011 6:33:00 PM more reviews by bellsm

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

I had my first axxium manicure nearly two weeks ago & I am less than thrilled. I have 5 nails with serious lifting @ the base. I work in office so & used gloves for heavy cleaning. I pampered my hands more than I do with standard mani. Aside from this site, I've heard better about the brands. I will try the other brands before I throw on the towel. Now how do I get this off?!

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*TOP REVIEWER* ash_theoriginal on 5/23/2011 9:37:00 PM more reviews by ash_theoriginal

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

As an avid DIY-er when it came to my nails, I never tried or heard of Axxium until recently. I have a coworker with gorgeous nails, and I asked her secret, she said Axxium. Her nails were long and strong, and all natural, no tips. Mine are super short, flake like crazy, split, bend you name it. I went to her nail salon and my new nail guru Mary was soooooo helpful and applied the Axxium beautifully. My nails are stronger than ever before!!! The axxium holds up so well to all the abuse that I out my hands through on a daily basis. There's not a single chip, and their still shiny, 2 weeks later!!!!! I highly recommend, but as everyone here has said, don't allow your nail tech to use a nail drill. It defeats the purpose of growing long and strong nails and ruins the nail bed.

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Ella22bella on 5/17/2011 12:58:00 PM more reviews by Ella22bella

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Hazel    

I do love the axxium gel manicure, but i'm not happy that i get the same color in the opi nail polish for my toes and it does not match! Any one find colors that match??? I find that lincoln park after dark axxium matches opi nail polish color siberian nights.

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lisaschroth on 4/13/2011 6:43:00 PM more reviews by lisaschroth

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

As a nail tech who has been using this product since it first came on the market, I am very upset by the reveiws I have been reading. I can tell you that Axxium is not for everyone, however people should not be having the damage problems I am reading about. My typical axxium customer comes in for an initial application, I remove the shine from the top of the nail with a file (NEVER DRILL ON THE NAIL!) and proceed with the application. Every two or three weeks we do a fill where I file (again, never with a drill!) the Axxium down and we do the same color or darker. I have my client soak off at home or in the salon after every two or three fills and take a couple days break before we start over. If your tech ever whips out a drill or files agressively on your natural nail then that is the reason for damage. I also don't beleive in soaking off every time as acetone is a very caustic thing and I dont like my clients to soak in it very often. I hope you all find this helpful and don't be afraid to ask questions of your manicurist!

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RussianWannabe on 3/30/2011 7:04:00 AM more reviews by RussianWannabe

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

***PROFESSIONAL AND CONSUMER REVIEW***

Ok, to start off with, I am a Manicurist. I am writing this review so as to clarify some issues with this product, from a professionals side and a consumers side... I do NOT like this product, and probably won't ever like this product. The idea is awesome (who WOULDN'T want polish that lasted 2 weeks, or maybe longer?!?), the color selection is pretty darn good (you can match your fingers to your toes), the product itself??? not so great. I have to say it lasts the longest out of all the other brands of gel polish, but is the most annoying to apply and THE worst to take off! It takes forever, and no matter how careful we are (my coworkers and I) it still does some minute damage (which if done many times in a row, ends up being a lot more damage) because it stays on TOO well. We do exactly what the directions say: 1) Buff off top coat (gently of course, only until the shine is taken off the color) 2)Soak 3)Flake off 4)Repeat soaking 5)Repeat flaking off until product is completely off, but it always seems to take a 'thin' layer of nail with it...We always encourage customers to take a couple week break every two or three gel manicures as to give their nails a break. I am very honest with my customers, and always try to persuade (if that's the best word to use) them to try a different brand of gel polish if a gel manicure is what they want. When customers ask me if I like the gel polish, I say that for me personally "no", but that it works great for some people but it's not for everyone and it's worth a try to see if they like it. When clients come in upset about their nails (whether it's chipping too quickly or that their nails are getting thin) I offer to try a different brand and if that doesn't work for them, then I explain that maybe it just isn't their thing... I really hope this review has helped some of you frustrated ladies out there, I know what it's like to have beautiful nails that get messed up from specialty services (artificial enhancements anyone???)... I ONLY do natural nails in the salon that I work in, my coworkers offer artificial nails, because I love NATURAL healthy nails :)
***P.S.- if you do decide to get the gel polish, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT!!!! peel it off!!! You will 100% damage your nails (it WILL take a couple layers of nail off), and will take time to grow out until they are back to normal (which they will go back to normal) :)
***If I have any new information or feelings towards this product, I will try to report back ASAP
***Ok, add on: I forgot to mention that NOT all the gel polishes are bad. We (my coworkers and I) do not like the OPI Axxium, but we do like the Harmony Gelish, and the CND Shellac, they last pretty well and come off WAY easier (which equals less damage). So if you really want to try out a long lasting gel polish, give those brands a whirl, I think you will be pleased. Just keep in mind, if you have oily nails or 'very' flexible nails, it probably won't work as well on you, because oil doesn't allow it to adhere well and if you have flimsy nails, when your nails flex, so does the product that's on them which weakens the product which then in turn allows it to come off much more easily. Good Luck Everyone!

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