Unlisted Brand • Red Carpet Manicure System • Nails
(24 reviews)
| Average Rating. | 4.1 |
| Would buy this product again. | 83% |
| Package Quality | 3.8 |
| Price | 3.1 |
| Ingredients | |
asf on 4/29/2013 3:51:00 AM more reviews by asf
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral Hair: Blond, Fine Eyes: Brown
Got the light for Christmas 2012. It took me 4 months (to be honest, though, only like 6 applications) before I really got the hang of doing my own gel nails. The trick is THIN coats of everything, and DO NOT let any polish touch your cuticles. Sounds obvious, but it's crucial. If you have the patience and coordination for this, then this light is a keeper! I actually only use all Gelish polishes/prep materials, as they are readily available at the Sally Beauty nearby. But the light is reliable and compact. It's worth buying if you do you nails at night and hate to stay up late to avoid sheet smudging. I'm only subtracting a star because in my neck of Los Angeles, I can get a fabulous gel mani for $12, so this system has yet to pay for itself.
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Lydiaach on 4/17/2013 10:23:00 PM more reviews by Lydiaach
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
Purchased the Red Carpet French Manicure Tips (nail art) in "Filming in Aspen", a glittery translucent color.
I generally use Sally Hansen stick on manicure sets but decided to try this brand for a change. Big mistake. The packaging is not nearly as well sealed as it should be. The nail stickers felt like just that: stickers. They were not flexible or easy to apply. I filed the edges in one direction as stated in the instructions. They did not feel like nail polish, rather a rough, dry sticker. Won't purchase again.
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ejc813 on 3/26/2013 11:06:00 AM more reviews by ejc813
Age: 30-35 Skin: Dry, Fair Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Green
Absolutely LOVE this product! Best purchase of the year by far! A normal manicure usually lasts no more than a day or two on me before it's chipping and peeling and wearing at the tips. With this system, I can go a week and a half, possibly two weeks, before I need to redo my nails. And that is only because my nail have grown out so much. (I work in an office where I do a lot of typing and I have a side job/hobby where I redo furniture and do a lot of sanding/painting. This system holds up through all of this!) If you're used to doing your own nails, this system is very user friendly. Doesn't take much more time to do my nails using this versus a regular manicure and the results last much, much longer! The best part... you're not limited to the colors offered by Red Carpet Manicure! I didn't care for any of the colors offered by RCM so I decided to use their base coat and top coat that came with my RCM kit, but I used my own selection of OPI and Essie polishes that I already owned, sandwiched in between RCM base and top coat, for color. I've done about 5 manicures so far and have not had any problems doing it this way. They last just as long and you get to use up all those regular nailpolishes you already spent money on! When you're done curing the base coat with the LED light, your nails are ready to go, no drying time!!! Removal is very easy as well. A little acetone remover on a cotton pad, apply a cotton pad to each nail and wrap in a small square of foil. Let sit for 10-15 minutes and remove. Polish comes right off! Also, I use either the oil that comes with the kit or solar oil a couple times a day. It helps to keep your nails/cuticles from drying out. The only reason I gave 4 lippies instead of 5 is because the RCM selection of polishes is, in my opinion, not good at all! And the system was a little pricey, but it does pay for itself after just a couple manicures! Other than that, I cannot say enough good about this system! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!
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RagDollDance on 3/4/2013 4:17:00 PM more reviews by RagDollDance
Age: 36-43 Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm Hair: Red, Curly, Fine Eyes: Blue
I have pretty much kept my nails polished (using only OPI products for the most part) for the past decade and a half, and I swear by this system. I don't have the time or patience to go get my nails done every two weeks (especially since my available time is late nights), and I wear only dark shades such as black, blues, greens, reds, and greys. With dark shades, they get dull and chip within days, so I purchased this system to give me the shine that lasts longer. I -have- had gel nails done at the salon a time or two, and this system lasts no where near as long as those, but I get a week to a week and a half out of a manicure. Patience is required, and if you hit the cuticle, it will lift quickly. I have had this system for over 6 months, and I swear by it, getting compliments daily from my clients on my nails. I will say it does take three coats of the RCM color to get opacity, but it is worth it. I do also use other gel colors that I have found, and they work fine as well. I do -not- soak off the gel, but it peels right off (I don't overly recommend this, but I have really strong nails and have had no issue with doing this). Even better, the system pays for itself with two-three manicures you do yourself.
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yoohoo422 on 2/27/2013 1:11:00 PM more reviews by yoohoo422
Age: 36-43 Skin: Combination Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
I love this. I got the Pro kit for Christmas and I applied it the first time flawlessly. After about 1.5 weeks it does start to lift a bit at the cuticles and then I start to pick at it, and make a mess of it all. But I love it anyway. I wasn't getting my nails professionally done, but always liked the look of the gels, and my friends are very impressed with my results!
My biggest con is that I wish I could use ALL of the regular nail polishes that I have. I prefer the look of the gel over my regular nail polishes, but hate to turn my back on my huge selection of regular nail polishes! I think $10 for a bottle of polish is a little steep, given it is a real small bottle. And given that I'd like more selection of colors...but I guess my selection will slowly grow!
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vwbenzo on 1/12/2013 7:02:00 AM more reviews by vwbenzo
Age: 25-29 Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse Eyes: Brown
This system is incredible! I got it for Christmas, just in time to start my New Year's resolution to stop getting my nails professionally done. And so far, two weeks into this manicure I can say that this is just as good, if not BETTER, than the salon UV gel kind. The LED light actually reduces the curing time and reduces your exposure to harmful UV rays. This product lasts and lasts - I have no noticeable chipping or breakage after a full 2 weeks, and it was my first time application as a rookie! I do have the advantage of having received many of these manicures professionally so I'm mostly familiar with the process the pros use. I absolutely love this product and have no complaints!
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Thienngavu on 11/25/2012 6:51:00 PM more reviews by Thienngavu
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
I absoultely love this product! As a regular at the nail salon, I'm not new to the whole gel, acrylic, or shellac scene. As I found it too troubling to get my nails done every two weeks or so for about alittle under two hours, and also as a student, it wasnt worth it. So I gave it up all together but soon I began to miss my gel nails. I was in ulta one day and stumbled across this product and decided to give it a chance. I also bought one of the jewels and gems kit? I think its called. This over all system is almost NO DIFFERENT than a manicure at the salon. It is one purchase and you can do your nails as often as you want. And with this system it replicates painting your nails but has the same results as a gel manicure. The only thing "bad" I would have to say is that around my cuticles its begining to peel alittle but I think thats just because of my application error. so other than that this is pretty much fool proof. It comes with great nail colors and this system and also be used with gellish polish because they're both the same company. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.
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*TOP REVIEWER* princess101 on 10/15/2012 11:09:00 PM more reviews by princess101
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm Hair: Black, Straight, Medium Eyes: Brown
So I am relatively new to the whole gel manicure/shellac manicure at-home systems. I have been doing these at home for about 6 months and feel that I can finally give a proper review of this particular gel polish (polish only---not the LED light).
I purchased the RCM Prep (primer), Structure (base), Brilliance (top coat), Revitalize (cuticle oil), Purify (alcohol cleanser), and Erase (polish remover) in a kit for $32, all of which were full sized, and got a free polish with it.
I already had a 36W CND UV lamp which I used instead of the Pro LED light recommended with it. If you check the RCM website, you can use these polishes with a UV lamp instead, but will have to cure for a longer period of time.
Long story short, the base, polish and top coat work wonderfully together. Removal is quick and easy, BUT application can be tricky depending on which shade you purchase. I've had a cleaner finish with shimmer than I've had with creme finishes. Creme finishes tend to show more lumps or unevenness ifyou are not careful.
Do not waste your money on the Prep, as I didnt notice any difference with/without it. All of my manicures lasted a full 14 days without any chips or dings, and were only removed due to new growth. I use olive oil, almond oil etc as my cuticle oil---cheaper and works just as good as their Revitalize. I also use regular rubbing alochol instead of their Purify and 100% acetone instead of their Erase. All of have done no harm in the way my manicure looks, applies, or cures. Also, for those lint free pads, I just used J Cloth (Canadians will know this as the blue cloth you find laying around the garage) and they work wonders.
Be sure to push back your cuticles, and apply gel only to your nail on not on your skin. You only need a thin layer, especially on the caps. Lastly, give yourself some time. Don't rush or you may end up with a lumpy manicure.
**This review is of the polish when used with a UV lamp, and not the recommended LED lamp.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
bOlga on 8/28/2012 3:51:00 PM more reviews by bOlga
Age: 25-29 Skin: Dry, Medium Hair: Brunette Eyes: Green
Doesn't stay on or work as well as the salon, or maybe its just me and I'm not great at painting nails.. still lasts up to two weeks. and if one nail chips off, easy to redo one.
easy to take off, peels off in one peice normally, without being too harsh on ur nail. Made my nails long and strong.
Requires a good amount of time but good thing is it's all dry and good to go once you are done.
Thin coats, but not too thin/invisible. just thinner cots than you normally woudl paint nails with. top one is great, shiny and shiny and shiny! also needs a thing coat but I've learned it needs to be thicker than other bottom coats and needs to coat the entire nail including the tips otherwise the polish will come off when you rub it on final step.
otherwise, i'm happy with it and learned its one of the better and affordable shelac systems.
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kblack on 8/13/2012 10:53:00 AM more reviews by kblack
Age: 44-55 Skin: Oily Hair: Blond Eyes: Brown
I bought the Red Carpet Manicure system three weeks ago. I wanted to wait until I went through one removal and 2nd application. I'm satisfied.
I bought 2 RC polishes: A Dream Come True (pink/nude with some fine glitter) and Shimmery Silhouette (mauve-y nude frost) plus the system. Not "hip" colors but appropriate for my age and the season-the included red looked like a bad idea for a first timer.
To prep for this, I read a lot of reviews, tips, and watched a couple of youtube tuts. I also bought a hobby lighted magnifier on a flip stand so I could really see what I was doing. Good lighting is really helpful here.
The first time, I followed all the instructions and it took a little over one hour because I was really being careful. My natural nails have recovered from acrylics removed in December with the help of biotin and lanolin, so they were in good shape.
I started with Shimmery Silhouette and two coats really weren't enough to be opaque.Going over the free edge with all the product was a headache: it tended to get gloppy and once it cured, I found some sharp spots (easily filed down and didn't affect wear).
Make sure that the work area is dust and hair-free--twice a stray hair fell onto a wet nail and if it's not carefully removed before curing, it's there to stay. It took a long time to wipe the tackiness off the final coat but this may be due to that polish. 2nd polish was easier.
I used a stiff tiny eyeliner brush (clean, of course) to dip into the Erase for clean-up when needed.
After the first round, I had decent-looking nails (my choice of color = my fault that I wasn't super-happy) and they lasted with no chips, peeling or breaking for 2 weeks. I do an average amount of housecleaning, etc. that gets my hands it water so I was very happy with the wear.
I didn't use the oil because I put it up with the system and out of sight, out of mind. I'll be using it the 2nd mani.
Removal: I soaked 1/4 lint-free cotton pad per nail in acetone and wrapped them onto the nails of one hand at a time. Didn't realize I was out of foil until I was ready to start so I improvised with plastic wrap and it did fine. After 10 minutes (and initial buffing to remove shine) I was able to scrape all the polish off with an orange stick.
I knew my nails would be very dehydrated after removal from having gel nails done in a salon, so I soaked my nails in warm water for 10 minutes, followed with lanolin rubbed in. My schedule allowed me to do this hours before doing the manicure, which helped. By the time I was ready for the mani, my nails looked nice and healthy, ready to be cut down a bit and shaped, cuticles pushed back, etc.
A Dream Come True was easier to work with, IMO, and covered fine in 2 coats. Time on the 2nd mani was 45 minutes. It seemed easier to get thin coats so that may be a learning curve thing. After finishing, there was far less tackiness to remove than the first time.
One week into the 2nd mani and no peeling, still nice and shiny. There's a little wear at the cuticles of both thumbs but I suspect this is from too timid an application on my part.
I paid about $100 for the kit ($80) and the two polishes ($10 each). 3 manis will recoup that over what I would pay in a salon, and the time saved over regular DIY manis is worth it, as long as it looks like it's not damaging my nails.
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*TOP REVIEWER* Kimberlyj33110 on 7/21/2012 10:56:00 AM more reviews by Kimberlyj33110
Age: 25-29 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium Eyes: Brown
Overall i would purchase this again, but i would strongly recommend not purchasing this if you are not a patient person. Practice, patience and nailing down a good technique is the key with this kit. As others have mentioned the formula does make it a challange to apply the thin even coats most UV polishes require. How I have managed to get around the formula are a clean up brush ready with the pink "erase" nearby, and technique. So here is my routine: After applying the Prep, the next step is Structure. This formula is especially gooey. So I apply the thinnest coat possible, and then wipe off the brush completely, then go back over each nail to kind of pick up the extra product.( It is kind of nice the formula stays workable until it is cured with a UV light, so you are able to do this without it drying up.) When I get to the color step, I like to mix RCM Nervous With Anticipation (Sheer natural pink) and Simply Adorable (creamy pastel pink) on my fingers. I again do the the clean brush thing, but also kind of push the brush back and forth on my nails to blend the two color together. Between coats i always run the brush dipped with erase along the edge of where the nail and skin meet to keep the formula from oozing. Making the coats too thick is always what makes mine peel, i have also been able to peel off my manicure after a few days. The cause was usually thick coats (looking at a profile of your nail you can always tell if it looks too thick) and the surface of my nail not being dehydrated enough. Sometimes I do the prep step twice just to be sure I got all the residue from lotions, etc. The instructions state to remove the natural shine from your nail so I find it helpful to (briefly) run a coarse grit file over the nail surface followed by a fine buffing block for extra grip. Use same technique on my toes.Great product though. Pratice makes perfect !
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OvaryUp on 6/28/2012 11:53:00 PM more reviews by OvaryUp
Age: 19-24 Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium Eyes: Other
You get what you pay for. I am a Shellac user, and found Red Carpet today at Ulta. I was pretty excited when I saw the $9.99 price tag and bought White Hot and Nervous With Anticipation to do a French manicure. This polish is terrible. I wiped the applicator several times against the neck of the bottle, but somehow, way too much polish remained. Once it was applied to my nails, it ran and dripped like crazy. Then, it wrinkled when curing. I'm returning this tomorrow.
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Kidsmokes on 6/27/2012 3:06:00 PM more reviews by Kidsmokes
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Olive Hair: Brunette Eyes: Other
I've been doing my own nails for years, I'm pretty good at not making a mess and I'm a big do it yourself-er so I bought this kit on drugstore.com for a total of $90 after an additional color and shipping. Unfortunately, I'm returning this product. I could not get two week wear time out of it at all (except on my toes). If I was at my retail job, it wasn't unusual for it to chip after a couple of days. I applied the thinnest coats I could, but this formula seems especially thick. It's vital not to get it on your cuticles, which for some can be a challenge. The first time will take you over an hour easily, and you really should get lint/fuzz free remover pads because regular cotton balls got fuzz all over the tacky layers. After you get the hang of it it takes about 20-40 minutes depending how long you normally take and the three (or four if you put two coats of color)-cure processs. Removal is easy after you buff off the shine, but a couple of times I'd end up peeling it off on the subway. My nails are pretty weak to begin with, but this has made them peel a LOT more. Additionally, I felt like my nails were becoming sensitive to the light, kind of in the same way teeth can be sensitive during a whitening treatment. I only experienced discomfort on a few fingers but it was a definite turn off. I would consider buying a light and topcoat and putting it over regular polish like someone above suggested. The instant dry time is a HUGE plus, thats the one thing the gel has me hooked on. I'm really active and don't have time to sit there and wait for my nails to dry so I can do housework and run errands. I could literally wash dishes right after doing my nails and not be worried. But, the cons (and damage) out weighed the pros and I returned the kit, additional nailpolish, GelShine polishes I purchased at Sephora and Sensationail from CVS. $140 back in my pocket, which could have gotten me 5 professional gel manicures over 10 weeks.
For those of you that do love the gel, I purchased a marbling/dotter nail tool from Sephora for $3 and put dots on a few nails. Don't hesitate to try designs yourself because the salons don't offer them yet!
Final verdict: They dried instantly, but peeled easily, and chipped easily, and sometimes after doing a pedicure and taking off my shoes the next day an entire nail would be unpainted/rubbed off by my shoes. I'm going to take my chances with the OPI kit and hope their reputation stands.
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*TOP REVIEWER* pmburk on 6/22/2012 8:23:00 PM more reviews by pmburk
Age: 36-43 Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse Eyes: Brown
I love polishing my nails, and even though I typically use OPI and China Glaze, manicures never last more than 2 days on me without major chipping. I have previously had gel manicures done in salons (OPI Axxium, OPI brush-on gel) and decided to give this a try. I bought the $100 kit at Ulta with the pro light, and also picked up several extra polish colors. Application is easy if you can polish your own nails. Keys to success with home gel kits are: cuticle removal, dry nails, and thin layers of product. You also need to be careful you don't get product on your skin. The pro light really makes a difference, and my first manicure was easy & quick to do. My first manicure lasted 2 weeks without a single chip and stayed glossy the whole time - even longer than my salon gel manicures! The colors are lovely, and there's a nice selection available of both trendy and classic colors. For removal, make sure you soak off rather than peel, or you'll end up with damaged nails. I highly recommend this kit if you like doing your own nails, but hate having to redo them frequently. Literally, the *only* reason you will need to remove & redo this is because you get sick of the color or it grows out - chips are pretty rare. Overall, this holds up a million times better than regular polish, and I highly recommend it.
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Fundyfran on 4/10/2012 6:37:00 PM more reviews by Fundyfran
Age: 56 & Over Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Blue
I purchased the Red Carpet Manicure system at Ulta a few months ago. It is a great product. Instructions are easy to follow. I have also purchased the Sensationail system from Walmart, which is less money and comes with the LED light. I believe the light was a seperate purchase with the Red Carpet system. There is a great selection of colors with the Red Carpet system. I have also discovered that you can "mix" product lines.I am using my Red Carpet base and topcoat, but have bought Gelish online. Ebay is a great source for gel polish. You can get a 1/2 oz. bottle of Gelish for $12.95. Red Carpet Manicure polish is about the same price for a 1/4 oz. bottle.
All in all, I would say Red Carpet is a great gel nail system, but the Sensationail system is a better value. I have seen it in CVS and Walmart.
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Terri1950 on 2/1/2012 9:11:00 PM more reviews by Terri1950
Age: 56 & Over Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium Hair: Blond Eyes: Hazel
I need HELP! I wore acrylics for years and then became allergic to them so I haven't worn them for 8 years now. I had my nails done professionally with the OPI gel polish which looked great. Then I saw this polish advertised at Ulta. The first time it was very pretty. Two weeks later I changed colors (without taking a break). A week later I decided to try to add just white to the tips over the original pink I had on. It was BEAUTIFUL! The problem is......a couple of days later my nails started to hurt. Then the cuticles started getting really dry and then the nail bed itself was so tender. I removed the gel and took a break for a week. I bought another new color and within days my nails were hurting again so bad that I couldn't wait to remove the polish. Now my cuticles hurt so bad, the tips of my fingers are numb and my nails are starting to lift off of the nail bed! My fingers hurt just trying to wash my hair. Do you think that I could be allergic to this like I was with the acrylics or do you think I did something wrong.....as reapplying too soon? Do you think it was from leaving the acetone on too long? Any help would be greatly appreciated! The polish looks great but I do not want to end up without any nails. Thank you.
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sterlingspider on 1/23/2012 7:41:00 PM more reviews by sterlingspider
Age: 30-35 Skin: Sensitive, Olive Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Brown
I received the Ulta kit with the pro light as a holiday gift and so far this has been awesome! I did a pedi as my first try and have done two manis since. I seriously cannot keep regular NP on my natural fingernails and since I stopped doing wraps about a decade ago this is the first time I've had NP last more than literally a few hours.
Due to the care and precision needed to get neat thin layers it does take a REALLY long time from start to finish but if you take into account drying time on regular NP it probably evens out in the end. The finish stays incredible and glassy for the life of the mani/pedi (my toes are going on three weeks now).
If your nails grow really fast (like mine) it's a lot of work for a weekly mani so after doing one dark colour and hating the amount of growout I think I'm mostly sticking to coloured frenches from now on.
Definitely poke around the web and you'll find some great tips and tricks, there are tips on fixing chips (I've used that one successfully) and using regular NP between gel base and top coats, or using regular polish over a gel base (I haven't tried these yet but I'm really looking forward to them).
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sugar1234 on 1/12/2012 8:00:00 PM more reviews by sugar1234
Age: 25-29 Skin: Normal, Medium Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
i bought the pro kit for $64 dollars (used a 25% off coupon at ulta).
This is the best stuff ever!
Hint: When applying the base coat I put a small dot of the base coat on and use a clean thin clean art brush/eyeliner brush to spread the product.It's the only way to get the base coat thin enough!
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emisara on 1/7/2012 9:35:00 AM more reviews by emisara
Age: 25-29 Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine Eyes: Brown
I haven't had a lot of success using the whole kit together - I end up with a too-thick manicure that peels off within a few days. However, after reading the reviews I'll give it another try, working really hard to get thinner coats.
HOWEVER - the reason I'm really glad I have this is the top coat. I will do a regular manicure (base coat, which is Essie first base, and color). Then, after it's 100% dry, I use the Red Carpet Manicure top coat, called "Brilliance", and cure that under the UV light. This gives a gorgeous, shiny, very long-lasting manicure.
I wouldn't repurchase the gel base coat or more colors, but I will definitely repurchase Brilliance - it's by far my favorite way to do topcoat!
Just one coat of Brilliance over a chunky glitter will make a smooth and perfect manicure.
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*TOP REVIEWER* Marla20 on 11/27/2011 9:44:00 PM more reviews by Marla20
Age: 25-29 Skin: Normal Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
WALL OF TEXT: This review is for the Red Carpet Manicure (RCM) "Gel Polish Pro Kit" which cost $79.99 at Ulta. (Originally thought this was $49.99 - but that was for the "wimpy" kit with the travel light. Boy, am I glad I didn't get that one!) I'm not sure about previous reviews saying to use a UV light or buy a better lamp b/c the LED lamp in my kit was excellent. It looks exactly like the one my manicurist used for the Gellish manicure I got back in the summer. (I def. recommend the Pro Kit.) Yes, I would buy this again.
PREFACE: I do my own nails at home - very frequently. I have dozens and dozens of nail polishes. I can confidently say that I am used to applying my nail polish quickly, and I do not feel awkward or clumsy doing so. I know how to prep my cuticles before hand and apply very thin coats of polish, etc. If you are comfortable doing your OWN nails a lot - I predict that this Pro Kit would be a big success for you! I read all of the instructions and reviews before diving into this.
The RCM Gel Polish Pro Kit includes 8 items: the Pro LED lamp (plug-in, no batteries - it says LED, I still think it's UV *shrug*, and it's timed - so it shuts off every 45 seconds which is VERY useful, so I don't have to count out the time!), Erase (basically nail polish remover - this is rose scented), Purify (pre & post application cleaner - this is basically rubbing alcohol), Prep (seems like more rubbing alcohol - I accidentally skipped this step and my mani ended up fine), Structure (Base coat gel - IME this was not overly goopy or thick, but I have a light quick hand with the applications), LED Gel polish color in Red Carpet Reddy (basic Candy Apple Red - only 2 very thin coats for maximum color!), Brilliance (Seal &Shine top coat - again not goopy for me), and Revitalize (Nourishing Cuticle Oil - sweet basil, lemon, and rose scented - LOVE THIS - I would repurchase this from RCM alone - my new HG cuticle oil!).
YOU WILL ALSO NEED: and "orange stick" or cuticle pusher or something to also swipe off excess polish from your nail edges, cotton pads/balls/swabs, clean work surface, something on TV to watch while you have the nails in the lamp.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I followed all the instructions (except for skipping the "Prep" which ended up fine anyway) and it worked BRILLIANTLY! I am glad I purchased this and after 4 uses this baby will definitely pay itself off! I will STILL use my normal nail polish and I definitely won't be using this for every single mani - I'm not so sure about the light aging your hands super quickly... overall though - I LOVE IT and the Pros greatly outweigh the CONS with this one.
CONS:
- the bottles are quite small and you can't see INTO the bottle to see how much product is left. This is a major pet-peeve of mine.
- again, it says LED - but I'm convinced it's UV - it might not be good to use this more than 2x per month. :/
- I won't repurchase the Erase, Purify, or Prep - I can sanitize and dry-out my nails enough with just nail polish remover or acetone.
- Timing - you can't "rush" through this. At least I know I can "rush" through normal nail polishing and watch TV while it dries or use a quick dry and run out the door in 15 minutes. Not with the RCM system. Give yourself at least a good hour and a half to relax and do a good job from start to finish.
PROS:
- There is almost no smell at all to this polish - even my BF commented that he didn't even smell anything.
- I LOVE the Revitalize Cuticle Oil - I will repurchase this one for sure.
- Shiny bright glass candy nails!!! EXCELLENT!
OVERALL: If you LOVE doing your nails (and you do your nails a lot) - and you love Gel Manis - Run out and get this!
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
