14 Day Manicure - Gel Polish Starter Kit

Achieve a Salon Quality Manicure from the comfort of your own home with 14 Day Manicure's Gel Polish Starter Kit!

One of my favourite and most repeated Beauty Treatments is definitely a Gel Manicure and whilst I love going to the Beauty Salon, it can become a time consuming and expensive luxury. That's why this 14 Day Manicure Gel Starter Kit is a great place to start if you're looking to achieve that salon, long lasting manicure from home and at a fraction of the cost!

14 Day Manicure says:
"Create the Ultimate Salon Experience with 14 Day Manicure Professional LED Kit. The set contains all the tools you need to give your nails a professional finish whilst in the comfort of your own home".

What is it?
Perfect for beginners, the Gel Starter kit contains everything you need to create the perfect Gel Manicure from the comfort of your own home. Included in the kit is:

• 54W LED Lamp which cures each gel layer in just 30 seconds
• 15ml Base Coat 
• 15ml Top Coat
• 4 x 15ml Gel Polishes (which you can choose yourself)
• A Buffer and a Nail File
• Acetone Remover 120ml
• Steel Cuticle Pusher
• French Tip Guide and Toe Seperator 

How much does it cost?
The 14 Day Manicure Gel Starter Kit is exceptional value for money, costing just €49.99!! I would usually spend around €45 per salon trip for a gel manicure so this kit practically pays itself back after just one use! 

Benefits of purchasing an at home Gel Manicure Kit?

• Cheaper than repeated Salon Treatments
• Good value for money 
• Colour are richly pigmented (2 coats is perfect)
• Results will last 2 weeks +
• Quick and Easy Step by Step Application 
• No waiting around for Regular Nail Polish to Dry 
• Easy to Remove
• Can be done from the comfort of your own home
• Free and Fast Irish Shipping
• Arrives with no excess packaging 

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​Colour Range

An additional benefit with this Starter kit is that unlike many others, it allows you to choose your own 4 colours from a selection of over 100 shades. With such a wide shade selection there will definitely be a colour to suit everyones taste. The bottles are 15ml each and come in sleek white packaging with an easy to use application brush. I found them to be very easy to apply, the consistency is perfect and no colour required more than 2 applications to achieve my desired look.

Below, I have swatched the 7 shades I was kindly gifted in both natural daylight and under professional studio lighting so you can see the true effect of these beautiful shades. 

Feeling Great 

Feeling Great is my favourite shade. It is a beautiful Nude Pink with a slight shimmer running through. 

Focus on the Good

​Focus on the Good is a beautiful baby pink.

Cocoa Trills

Cocoa Trills is a rich Nude shade with a creamy brown undertone. Cocoa Trills was interesting to photograph as under different lights the tone changed slightly. On the left, you can see in daylight that it's slightly more of a nice lighter brown with a hint of mustard where as on the right under studio lighting it's more muted and slightly nuder. Such a pretty, unique shade. 

Let's Get Nude

Let's Get Nude is a darker shade on the neutral palette with a purply brown undertone. Under natural daylight it leans slightly more on the neutral, dusky pink side but under studio lighting some purple undertones show through. 

Dreamer

Dreamer is a stunning Rich Red with a slight Pink Fleck under certain light.

Pet My Peacock

Pet My Peacock is a beautiful Lilac Purple in natural daylight and under a studio light with a flash it's a beautiful vibrant purple.

Evening Seduction

​Evening Seduction has a lovely sparkle with a heather undertone 

From Left to Right
(Focus on the Good, Feeling Great, Evening Seduction, Let's Get Nude, Cocoa Trills, Dreamer and Pet My Peacock)

​Top and Base Coats

I love that the Top Coat is Non-Wipe. I much prefer the shiny, non tacky finish of a No-Wipe Top Coat and it eliminates the additional step of needing to wipe a tacky layer off the top. The Base and Top Coats were easy to apply, the consistency was perfect and not too runny. 

The Lamp
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I love that the Lamp included in this kit unlike many others (bulky and awkward to store) is lightweight and a good size to store away easily. It's a 54W UV/LED lamp with a detachable panel on the bottom making it perfect for a pedicure as well as a manicure. The Round LED design means that the light is distributed evenly, curing every part of the nail perfectly. It also features an LCD digital screen with 10s, 30s, 60s and 99s timers. The light will come on automatically when you place your hand underneath. 

Accessories 

Buffer

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French Tip Guide

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Steel Cuticle Pusher

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Nail ​File

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Acetone Remover

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Toe Separators 

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How to Use the Starter Kit

1. To begin, if needed, use the Acetone Remover to Remove any old Nail Polish from your nails
2. Wash your hands with water (no soap) and make sure your nails are completely clean
3.  Using the Cuticle Pusher, push back your cuticles leaving you with a clear nail surface
4. Using the Nail File and Buffer, create your preferred shape and lightly buff off any shine
5. Apply a thin layer of Base Coat from base to tip then cure under the lamp
6. Using a Colour of your choice, apply your first coat of paint as thinly as possible then cure
7. Repeat step 6 until you reach your desired colour payoff (usually 2 coats is plenty)
8. Apply the Non-Wipe Top Coat and cure under the lamp

Important to Remember

• Practice makes Perfect! If this is your first time trying a Gel Manicure on yourself then be patient. Once you get into the hang of it you'll fly through the application process in no time!
• If your nails start to peel or chip quickly - don't worry. This is usually because of incorrect preparation or application as oppose to a problem with the product itself. Preparation is key to ensuring your Gel Manicure will last the 2 weeks +. Just remember to buff the nail well, try to keep each layer as thin as possible and cure thoroughly after each step.

​Removing the Gel Polish 

14 Day Manicure also sell some great Gel Polish Remover Wraps for €6. These wraps make removing your gel polish quick and easy!

How to use the Gel Polish Remover Wraps?

1. To begin, I recommend lightly buffing off the Top Coat of your Gel Manicure 
2. Next, use one wrap on each finger and leave for 10-15 minutes
3. When your time is up, gently scrape any excess polish off your nail using the cuticle pusher
4. Apply cuticle oil to nourish the nail bed and hand cream if you wish. 

Your Questions, Answered!

At the weekend, using the "Have Your Say" section and via the newsletter, I encouraged you to share your questions and doubts about purchasing a Gel Manicure Kit and below I will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions! If there's any I've missed, feel free to comment below and I will get back to you asap!

No matter what I do my Gel Polish just won't stay on??!!
Not to worry, as I mentioned this is usually down to incorrect preparation and application of your products. With practice it definitely gets easier and you don't have to be a professional to avoid the chips and lifts that many people seem to suffer with. The solution is simple and with determination you'll be a pro in no time! Make sure that you don’t apply any cuticle oil, hand cream or sunscreen to your hands before you paint your nails. You need your nails to be in the right condition in order for the gels to adhere properly so we need to avoid any oils or moisture around the nail beds until the end of the application process. Remember to buff well and remove any excess dust or dirt.

​I'm prepping my nails right but I still find lifting a problem?
If you're prepping your nails correctly and applying the Polish perfectly including capping the free edge and avoiding going too near your cuticle then more often than not the problem could be as simple as an old lamp. With this kit the lamp provided has 50,000 hour lifetime so you won't have to worry about replacing a bulb or changing a lamp anytime soon! 

Why do I need a base coat, can I not go straight in with the colour?
Gel base coats are specifically designed to bond to your natural nails, whereas coloured gel polishes are designed to stick to the gel base coat. Skipping the base coat will effect the longevity as well as the finish of your manicure. I would highly recommend not skipping this step.

Does the Lamp have an Irish Plug?
Yes

Will it ruin my Natural Nails?
Usually, damage to your nail from a gel manicure is done during the removal process as oppose to the application process. Be sure to follow the removal steps correctly and your natural nails should be just fine. If you find the Acetone soak has weakened or dried out your natural nail then a great tip is to cover your cuticle before hand with some moisturiser as this will keep cuticles from drying out too much. I also recommend finishing off with a cuticle oil.

My colour layer has stained my topcoat? 
If your find your coloured layer (especially common with darker colours or thicker applications)  has transferred onto your topcoat brush then you've likely not cured the colour  long enough. If this happens, clean the topcoat brush before dipping it back into the bottle and try curing your coloured layer for a longer duration. 

​How many manicures will I get from one bottle of polish?
This is slightly harder to answer as it depends on several factors. For example some people have short nails, others may have long extensions, some people will do thin even layers, others may do multiple layers with a thicker application. Some colours also need more applications to build the desired intensity than others. I don't think theres a one size fits all kind of answer here.

My Final Opinion

In conclusion, I found the 14 day Gel Manicure Kit to be great value for money. It has everything you need in one box and saves you the hassle of sourcing each step individually. Included in the box were quick and clear instructions on how to use the kit making it virtually fool-proof. The colours were richly pigmented and easy to work with. Each layer cured well and there was no peeling, chipping or lifting of the gel in the final result. I really recommend this Starter Kit to anyone who is looking to achieve a great salon quality gel manicure without the hefty price tag or need to travel. 

Availability 

As mentioned the kit retails for €49.99 

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​PR Sample