A few months back I was contacted by the people at Bio Seaweed Gel who kindly remembered me from the French Connection Style Stage at ANTM Live last year.
Now I’ve done shellac manicures before and I really like the results. However taking the product off is a bit of a pain and I’m weary about doing it too often for fear that my nails would be permanently ruined. Apparently Bio Seaweed Gel solves these problems as it claims to be “healthy” for the nails.
Now I know that there are some salons that use this product so when you go in for a shellac manicure or pedicure you can usually request the Bio Seaweed Gel products at no additional charge. I was actually sent a kit to do my own nails at home!
From left to right:
Base coat // Polish in “Marshmallow” // Polish in “Poppy” // Top Coat
(Base and top coats are $20 and colours are $18 on sale)
(Base and top coats are $20 and colours are $18 on sale)
UV Lamp
($120 – 9W replacement bulb $10)
($120 – 9W replacement bulb $10)
Application:
The coloured polishes are suppose to be an all in one – no need for base and top coat. But since I was sent the base and top coat I used them anyway! (I found out afterwards that you can use the base and top coat especially if you want to keep the same colour on for longer. A good option before going on vacation).
The coloured polishes are suppose to be an all in one – no need for base and top coat. But since I was sent the base and top coat I used them anyway! (I found out afterwards that you can use the base and top coat especially if you want to keep the same colour on for longer. A good option before going on vacation).
I applied the base coat first then turned the lamp on for 2 minutes. Then followed the same steps for the colour and then the top coat. When I usually do my nails I do my left hand first then my right hand then follow the next steps. In this case I did one hand completely first as you don’t have use of your hand when it’s under the lamp LOL!
Working the lamp is really easy. On the back there are two timer settings and an on/off switch. All you do is push the red button with your hand (or foot!) under the lamp and when it turns off you’re good to move on to the next step.
I’m not sure if I did something wrong but when I get my nails done at the salon they are perfectly dry after the last step. I assumed my nails were dry so I went to grab a blanket for my cat and my nails were full of cat hair stuck to them!
I figured that I must have done something wrong so I quickly tried to use pure acetone to take the polish off and start again. Interestingly enough when I wiped acetone on the polish with a cotton pad no colour came off but my nails were then perfectly shiny and dry! I honestly cannot tell you why this happened but since I don’t need a base or top coat I think the next time I will try it with just the colour. This will save me time as well! {EDITOR’s NOTE: I was told that you are supposed to clean the nails with alcohol after the last step to remove the stickiness – which is what I didn’t do prior to picking up a blanket full of cat hair! Lesson learned.}
The Results:
Here are my nails about day after I first did them (it slipped my mind to take a picture right when I was done as I was leaving for vacation the next morning!)
Here are my nails about day after I first did them (it slipped my mind to take a picture right when I was done as I was leaving for vacation the next morning!)
The colour is really shiny and smooth. (I’m actually impressed with myself at how neatly I managed to apply the polish!)
And here is after almost 2 weeks:
My cuticles are pretty dry after coming back from sunny/humid Florida to our cold weather here. The polish is a bit dull and has some dents and started to peel in certain areas but overall it still looked really good!
Removal:
I get really lazy when I have to remove my nail polish. I know, I know, it looks hideous when half the nail polish is gone – I admit I’m guilty of this! To tell you the truth I was worried about the removal process as I know what a pain it is to remove shellac polish (without going to the salon).
What I DID like about this is that when the polish started to peel it was actually really easy to remove cleanly. There was no real residue and minimal dehydration and “rough spots” on the nails. The only problem was that the polish did not begin to peel at the same rate for all my nails so I still needed some acetone to take it off.
I soaked a cotton pad in acetone and applied to my finger tips holding for a few minutes. The polish scraped off quite easily although my nails and hands were super dry from the acetone.
The polish on my toes came off even easier – I just peeled it all away cleanly! I did leave the polish on my toes on longer though as we are fully in sock season now and I wasn’t worried about people seeing badly polished toes 😉
Wrap up:
Overall I really like this system! Did it save me time? Since I applied all the steps and had issues with cat fur sticking to my nails – no. Sitting for 2 minutes in between each coat is a bit of a pain however I think the next time I try this I will stick to the one step process so that will save me time for sure! Also to note, the consistency of the product is thicker than regular nail polish so you need to apply with a light hand or you could end up with super thick layers on the nails. I would DEFINITELY use this system again especially before a vacation so I don’t have to worry about chipping polish. There are also a TON of colours with new colours added each season so it’s nice that there are a lot of options.
I also think the price is reasonable. For about under $200 you can purchase the lamp and one coloured polish (after taxes) but save yourself money in the long run with trips to the salon. I’m sure like me you’ll probably still indulge in a trip every now and then (who doesn’t like to be pampered) but in between those trips your nails can still look professionally done!
So where can you get Bio Seaweed Gel products? An online shop launched recently which offers $15 flat rate shipping in the US and Canada. It can also be purchased at their storefront location in downtown Toronto at 415 Yonge Street Unit 103, Toronto. (416-916-9223). For distributors you can find a list on their website. AND right now use the code “STARTER” to get 1 base gel and 1 top gel FREE when you purchase the UV lamp online.
But…how would you like to win a system of your own?
All you have to do is be a Canadian reader and fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Thanks for the giveaway!! This system looks awesome!
melon coral bc I am going to Florida
Powder Blue sounds perfect!
Bombshell is a great colour because it bright and eye-catching!
I found it very difficult to navigate their site – I couldn’t see what the colours were – but I like the name Tropical Sun
Electric
Gem. Love the colour
I really like the Tuxedo Blue
Beach babe looks fab!
love to try 190 Mint =D
got to have Summer Love.
Ruby – it’s so pretty and sparkly!
I would love to try Gem, it looks like a gorgeous colour!
I would love to try Summer Love – it’s a great shade of color!
I would choose Cerise because I adore that color.
I would like to try the orchid
Beach Babe is my choice!!
I LOVE this!!! I want to try Beach Babe…the name alone sounds sinfully good! As someone who gets shellac manicures, I hate when the polish starts to peel. This system would be perfect between appointments! Great contest. 🙂
Love the HOLLYWOOD colour (127)! The result looks fabulous. I’ve done gel and acrylic manicures a million times but hate having to take them off when they start chipping… would love to try this Bio Seaweed Gel System!
I like 156: Summer Love. A pretty orange color and don’t have any orange colors.
I love 176 – Cerise! A fun dark pink to cheer up these dreary winter days 🙂
Candy apple, I love wearing rich reds
LOL thanks Anna – yeah obviously I’m not an expert LOL! I guess I at least solved my own issue unintentionally!
I’d like to try Melon Coral. It sounds very summery and would be great on toes.
I would love to try Diamond VIP because I love sparkly polish but “regular” polish never lasts on my nails for more than 24 hours!
I’d love to try pomegrenate because it’s such a pretty shade of red.
I would like to try the Pomegranate colour.
So many colours to choose from but I think I’d like Tropical Sun.
I’ve been addicted to shellac since I first got it done before my vacation to Punta Cana in December. I like how it stayed on even though I was in the water and sun all day.
I really like the colour selection options, must try just for easy removal.
I’ve been considering getting a gel nail system! The colour ‘Beach Babe’ looks great!
I like the ‘Pearl’ color
btw, i’d love to try the reds
i’ve been wanting to try gel polish!! it looks like it has amazing staying power (yay!)
Both poppy and marshmellow are gorgeous colours!
I’ve been Babe because it would be a pretty spring color. Or Bubble Gum because who doesn’t love a hot pink?!
This is similar to Shellac. When getting a Shellac mani, you need to wipe with acetone to dry the polish, that’s what happened here!
I’m really into greens right now, I’d love to try a jade shade
Have gotten several bio seaweed gel manicures I prefer it over others for longevity. I would love to try pomegranate or marshmallow
I’ve used Eclipse and love it!!
I would love to try Ocean tide.. as I think it would go with my eyes. This is so cool! I really love this and would love to try it! Such a great product giveaway!!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway! Love bio seaweed gel. I’ve been using it for 2 years now!
I’d love to try 126- Magenta
Jay Tee