Madam Glam offered to send me a gel polish starter kit and since I’ve never tried gel nails before (neither salon or at-home), I agreed to do a review on their products. I love doing my own nails so I was excited to try out gel nails!
Benefits of gel nails
I’ve heard great things about gel nails because they last so much longer than regular nail polish. Once it’s done, you don’t have to think or worry about it.
If applied correctly the gel polish normally lasts up to 3 weeks. I left mine on for over 4 weeks!
Great for when you go on vacation because usually I have to pack nail polish remover and a bottle of nail polish with me.
Starter kit
This starter kit costs $115, but I was told it’s currently sold out so it doesn’t appear on the website.
The first thing I thought was that the box had a Christian Louboutin look – very glam. The second thing I noticed when I opened it up was that the bottles of nail polish didn’t quite fit in the foam. So instead of being snug and safe during their transport, they were being rattled around in the box. Thankfully, they arrived safely.
Included in the starter kit was:
- 6 watt mini LED lamp + cord
- Soak-off base gel (15ml/5fl oz)
- Soak-off top gel
- Soak-off gel polish in Uptown Girl
- Nail file
- Wood stick
- Wrap foil
The cord for the LED lamp is quite short. It was exactly long enough to reach from my desk to the floor. I have my power bar directly under my table, but if it had to reach the wall at the back of my desk, it wouldn’t have made it.
Step 1 – Prep nails
I love how application instructions are printed on the back of the box and there are only 3 steps! I was intimated in not knowing how to apply gel nails, but the instructions are straight forward.
To start, make sure your nails are cut, filed, buffed and shaped to how you want them.
Step 2 – Paint & cure nails
Similar to how I always do my nails, I started off by painting on a base coat and I put one finger at a time under the light. The light turns on and automatically turns off on a timer. No need to count.
Then I did the same with the colour polish – I got Uptown Girl and I’m in love with the colour! The colour is so rich and the texture is thick and luxurious, fully covering my nail in just one coat.
Process
In total, the process is: base coat, cure, colour coat, cure, top coat, cure.
It probably took me about 30 minutes, now that I know how, I’m sure I could do it faster.
After you finish curing the top coat, you’re done! But you will notice a tacky texture left on your nails. You can wipe this off with a paper towel and your nails are good to go!
Important note
Do not get any of the polish on your skin. After it’s cured under the light, the polish that is on your skin will start to lift over time and cause chips and peeling in your nails. See my photo after 4 weeks.
Overall thoughts
I love the idea of being able to have salon quality nails at home so easily and anytime I want! They last such a long time so I definitely think it’s a good investment. I also love how the nails are instantly dry.
Now I just need to start buying more gel polish colours and build up my inventory – yet another thing I need to spend money on!
The Madam Glam products are great quality. The colour and texture were fabulous and they lasted a really long time.
Next time, I just need to be more careful of painting within the lines.
How long does it last?
After 4 weeks, this is how my nails look. Practically perfect! My thumb has a chip because of the way I painted onto my skin, it caused lifting after a while.
The Madam Glam gel polish definitely lasts. It’s more of an issue that the nail grows out before it’s an issue of chipping. I’m so happy with the results!
Salina Siu 