I received a GORGEOUS gel polish kit from L’Oreal and thought of Alysia right away as nail polish is “her thing”. The L’Oreal Extraordinnaire Gel-Laque 1-2-3 gel polish kit is a 3 step nail system for high gloss shine. Check out Alysia’s in depth review on this product.
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If you really know me or if you have known me for years, you will know that I cannot stand to not have my nails polished. There’s some people who can’t leave the house without mascara, lipstick, etc…for me, I can’t leave the house without my nails done. But to make matters worse, I cannot stand to have chipped nails. And yes, I will judge you if I see you with chipped polish (okay, I am joking).
Since chipped polish is a pet peeve of mine, I have turned to shellac or gel polish, more so an artistic manicure which lasts longer than shellac, three weeks to be exact. I love that I can walk out of the salon and not have to wait for my nails to dry and that it doesn’t chip at all. Doing this type of manicure can get expensive especially when you have to go every three weeks. This is why I am extremely happy that companies are now coming out with at-home gel polishes that don’t require a UV lamp.
L’Oréal Paris Extraordinaire has introduced Gel-Lacque Nail 1-2-3, a three step system that provides salon-like nails minus the UV harmful effects. These polishes provide a smooth, no-ridge nail bed with a rich gloss colour, topped with a top coat that will remain shiny for days. The formula is rubber-silicone infused and offers days upon days of a glossy, polished look. And all this is three easy steps.
Step 1: Primer | Covers ridges and layers on volume
Step 2: Plumper | Provides rich, chip-free and fade-free colour
Step 3: Magnifier | Amplifies and further plumps the colour with a resilient and magnified shine
How simple is that? It’s basically the same way you typically paint your nails – base coat, colour and top coat – but there is no curing time.
I have tried two colours so far. Glossed and Found (deep dark purple, almost black) and Diamonds in the Buff (peachy-pink). Each coat provided a thick layer to give that gel-like finish. And surprisingly. each coat dries pretty quickly, especially the Gel-Glaze top coat. I am really impressed with how my nails have turned out except I need to perfect the way I apply polish. I did experience my nails starting to chip after two days so I would recommend applying a thicker coat around the tips of your nail. I’m hoping my two suggestions below might solve the issue of early chipping.
Two quick tips for when applying the polish:
1) Give your nails a quick buff before and make sure that your nail beds are dry and free from water and oils – meaning give each nail a quick swipe of nail polish remover or acetone and;
2) Don’t forget to clean up the nail polishes around your nails and cuticles. If you are lazy like me, wait until the next day and take a warm washcloth to remove the nail polish that was accidentally painted around your nails.
The 1-2-3 Primer and Glaze Lacque top coat Kit (sold together) retails for $15.99 and the Gel Glaze colour comes in 21 shades and retails for $8.99. Products can be found at mass market retailers and drugstores across Canada.
Editor’s note: Here are the colours featured in the first photo.
