Forget the Salon: My Love Affair with Semi-Cured Gel Nail Strips

I've always loved having nice nails. I think a pop of colour or a classic French really finishes off a polished look. But finding a manicure solution that actually worked for me was a real struggle.

Press-on nails? Forget about it. The glue smelled awful, they felt bulky, and they always ended up falling off

At-home manicures were a total disaster. Regular polish was always a mess. Smudges, dents, the struggle to keep still while it dried – it was a nightmare. Even when I splurged on a professional manicure, it chipped or dented by the time I got home. And gel polish at home? No way! I'm way too clumsy for that, and I've heard it can cause allergies.

Salon gel manicures were the closest I got to perfect, but they were ridiculously expensive. At least $70 for fingers and toes, and they barely lasted two weeks. That's a fortune! Plus, they always filed my nails down so thin, and I'd always have cuts on my cuticles. One time, they even clipped the sides of my toenails to make them look thinner, and now I have no feeling in the corners of those toes!

Then I discovered semi-cured gel nail wraps. I wish I'd found them sooner!

They come in tons of colours and designs, I chose this gorgeous mocha marble one available here. They were super easy to apply – took me about twenty minutes. I simply cleaned my cuticles and dried my nails, wiped them with acetone, applied the wraps, cured them under a UV lamp for two minutes, and then trimmed and filed them to fit. I even had enough left over to do a pedicure with the same pack!

After curing them under a lamp (with proper UV protection gloves, of course), they looked amazing. They felt natural, looked professional, and there was no mess at all. No more salon appointments, no more waiting around, no more polish on my skin, and best of all, no more crazy costs. These only cost me $12 Canadian dollars for the whole pack, and they even shipped it for free through Canada Post!

I've only had them on for a little while, but they've held up perfectly so far. I'll update you on how long they last, but I'm so excited about this amazing find!

This might be the end of my salon manicure struggles.

I'm loving these gel wraps, but always do your research and use them safely. There are tons of helpful tutorials available on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Seriously, you won't regret giving them a try!