A big part of my self-care routine is doing a weekly at-home manicure. I love how polished nails look, and I always enjoy trying out the latest nail polish colors of the season. Yet, the one thing I don’t love doing is going to the salon for a manicure. I’ve always found doing my nails to be a relaxing experience and way less time-consuming than having them done at a salon (plus, it’s more cost-effective). And since I’m hard on my nails (think, horseback riding), my manicures never tend to last all that long anyway. If only there were a way to get a long-lasting salon-quality manicure at home…
A few weeks ago, while scrolling on Instagram, I came across an ad for an at-home gel manicure system from the French brand, Manucurist. I have never tried gel manicures because I’ve always been afraid they would damage my nails, but I’ve always loved the thought of having my manicures last longer. After watching a few videos about how the Manucurist system worked and, specifically, how easy it was to remove the polish, I decided to give it a try.
Manucurist sent me their Green Flash starter kit, which included a base coat, two colors of my choosing, a top coat, the 36-watt LED lamp to cure the polish, as well as the dissolver and clips to help remove the polish. As soon as I received it, I wasted no time trying this system to see if it would be my new go-to manicure brand.
After familiarizing myself with the items in my kit, I got started on my nails. I used the Green Flash Nail Polish Remover to de-grease my nails before applying the base coat. Then, I selected the base coat button on my LED lamp, placed my hands underneath, and waited until the light went off. Next, I applied a coat of the Blossom color, a pale pink shade, to my nails and again placed my hands under the lamp to cure the coat. This was followed by another coat of nail color and one more drying session before applying the top coat and doing the final session under the LED lamp.
This three-step manicure system could not have been simpler and made all of my at-home manicure dreams come true. Not only did the Green Flash polish apply like regular nail polish (minus the harmful fumes), but it looked amazing (without leaving my nails looking thicker than they are, as can happen with gel manicures). But before I endorsed the system, I wanted to make sure the manicure held up, especially after I spent some time at the barn, and see how easy it was to remove.
My verdict is that Manucurist’s system and polishes are as good as they look! The manicure lasted ten days, held up after a full day at the barn (including tacking and riding two horses), and was super easy to remove (and didn’t wreck my nails). When it came time to take the polish off, I soaked a cotton pad in the Green Flash acetone-free dissolver, placed a pad on each nail, and then put the clips that came in the kit over the cotton to hold the dissolver in place, waited 60 seconds, and removed the clips and cotton pads to find the polish peeling off all on its own (sans scraping or rubbing). Underneath, my nails appeared healthy, shiny, and undamaged from the polish. I loved the Manucurist system so much that I immediately placed another order on their site to get their French manicure kit (because who doesn’t love being able to do a classic French manicure at home?).
The Green Flash LED gel polish alternative is ideal for anyone who loves doing their nails at home, is looking for long-wear nail polish, and who cares about their nail health. Manucurists’ polishes are made from plant-based ingredients, are vegan and cruelty-free, and utilize eco-friendly packaging. The other thing I learned about Manucurist is that their Green Flash polish is HEMA-free (HEMA is a methacrylate monomer and is considered the number one allergen in nail products). As someone who loves polishing my nails but is also concerned about my nail health, the Manucurist system has been a game-changer. Almost as soon as I took the polish off, I gave myself another manicure, and I am sure this will be the only polish I will be using for the foreseeable future.
If you want to try Manucurist out yourself, use my code NAILSOFSTEIL for 15% off your purchase. And check out my Instagram to see the Manucurist system in action!
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