Update 1: To remove the gel polishes, there is a great tool that quickly removed the softened polish. SensatioNail by Nailene Gel Polish Removal Tool, (sorry no hyperlink, the Amazon software sometimes has a hard time finding this product so you need to cut and paste this in the address bar of your browser amazon.com/gp/product/B008N9DDWM/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img). It is very reasonable price and dramatically saves time and effort.
Update 2: The SensatioNAIL gel polish system is wonderful too sensationail by nailene starter kit in pink chiffon(available at local stores, Walmarts & CVS/Longs drug stores in my area carry it). The gel color polish is still three steps, but the top and base coats are the same product; so there is no thick base coat (that RedCarpet has) and just one bottle instead of two to handle and store. So SesatioNAIL product results in much more even thin layers (thin is the goal here) with less effort at a similar price point.
The results are similar. They look the same to me and last/wear the exact same on my nails. Using the RedCarpet LED light I put SensatioNail on one hand and RedCarpet on the other (I do French manicures, so both hands had white tips from the RedCarpet brand of gel polish), otherwise it was put on the same. They wore the same and got the same number of microchips the same number of days out (day three or four for me). I repaired both chips with the original products for each hand and it was freaky; both hands still experienced the exact same wear (I am ambidextrous, so my nails usually wear the same, but I did not expect it in this case with two different products).
Original RedCarpet Review: I have the exact same system but with the "Pro" light, that takes fewer seconds to cure, mine in usually 45 sec per coat, except base coats which are 30 seconds. (I believe with this portable lamp the cure times are at least triple those times.)
Anyway, it is a wonderful system. Works perfectly. Each time you do it, you'll probably get better results.
The key is to put on very thin coats, their WEB sites recommends knocking all polish off the brush back into the top neck of the bottle until it looks like there is no longer any polish on the brush; then brush on nail. If the polish looks spotty, just put a tiny dab on it and even them out. The micro layers work best and unlike regular polish all dry & cure so quickly.
I am a French manicure fanatic, this is my routine:
Some (their old) instructions recommend roughing up the top surface of the nail, with a fine emery board. I do not think it is recommended anymore, but I kind of do this; I just do a three step buff, with a $2.00 drug store nail buffer.
Then I do the recommend prep, which is no different than any other nail polish or gel nail or acrylic set-up. Their products are called "purify" and "prep" ("purify" = rubbing alcohol with coloring, conditioner and fragrance & "prep" is the same prep and clean dehydrant you can buy at Ulta or Sally's). These just take seconds to do, but are important to remove oils so the polish sticks. I've already have these types of nail products and either use Red Carpets (from the kit) or what I have (from Sally's or Ulta), whichever I grab, and have seen no difference in wear.
I do all ultra-thin layers (described above) on four fingers at a time, then the thumbs; first their base coat (Structure) cured at 30 seconds, this coat is very thick and the most difficult to put on thin. Then 2 to 3 light coats of white (White Hot) on the nail tips (until I get the white color opaqueness I like), cure each white coat for 45 seconds, then the top coat (Brilliance) and the last cure for 45 seconds. Then rub the polished/cured nails with a swab of "purify" and viola, they are done! I then oil my nails as usual.
They look great for usually two weeks (and I take long hot baths every other day)! I can go longer but do not like the grow-out pattern; I can and do put regular nail polish (clear top coat on top) to put a freshen tip to cuticle shine on about a week in; regular polish stays on so long on top of this stuff. If I do get a chip, usually from doing really rough work with my hands, I do repair it like you can with any polish.
Note: Clean up around the nail with a short, narrow firm acrylic-bristled brush (I got mine for about $3 at a craft store). Do NOT cure gel polish if there is any product on the skin, it can dry very hard, and irritate until it wears off; it can also pull up the polish on the nail and cause early chipping. I also use this brush to clean up the French manicure, to get clean lines on the white polish. Dip that brush in either "Nail Prep or nail polish remover, you just want it damp. If there is too much liquid, knock it off back into the bottle. After cleaning up polish on the skin or white polish I clean the brush on gauze or a paper towel to minimize contaminating the clean-up solution.
I hope this helps answer a few questions. Honestly, if you can give yourself an okay manicure with regular polish, you can do this and get long lasting beautiful results. Good luck!
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Got this and played around with it and the red color it comes with! LOVE IT!! Only issues I've had are user error while trying to figure the product out! Went out and bought another color to go with the kit and I'm loving it! Make sure to read the directions and follow the steps! Only issue I had was I wanted to take off the polish after first putting it on to change the color and didn't realize it peels off! Super easy to remove once you figure it out! :)
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If you are just getting into the at home gel polish, but I want to base my review on a couple different scopes. I have owned this kit for over a year now and been using Red Carpet colors 80% of the time. Red Carpet Manicure is a good option for the beginner at-home gel polish manicurista.
Polish:
The red that comes in this kit is awesome. A very true red and vibrant. I get so many compliments wearing this color. But trust you will want to experiment with a lighter color first if you are new to using gel color. HOWEVER, certain dark colors I have bought with RCM are really poor to apply unless you have the patience of applying 3-4 very thin coats just to get the richness of the color. Another tip is to open the bottle of color because the outside color is very different in many cases. My favorite colors so far are the pinks & reds. Least are the blues and purples due to the application process. The golds and pale colors are ok. The glittery overlay polishes are good.
I don't find any use of the cuticle oil that a hand lotion or olive oil wouldn't substitute.
The Structure (base) and Brilliance (top) coats are sufficient and they do what they are supposed to. I haven't tried others but the wear of the gel is close comparison to CND Shellac.
I don't know how to compare the prep but I understand the purpose of it is to protect the nail from fungus and damage from the polish plus to help bind the color to the nail.
Application of the polishes should be kept to thin layers for best results and don't let it pool around the sides or the cuticle. Be careful you have applied the top coat evenly so you don't lose the polish, it's easy to check even coverage if you look at your nails in the uv light.
Erase (Remover) & Purify (Finishing) Solutions:
Erase is great, I love the rosy smell and it did not seem to be as harsh as other nail polish removers. For more economical reasons, I use straight acetone instead now. I use a tiny nub of cotton soaked in the Erase remover/acetone applied directly on the nail (after removing the shine with a nail file) and wrapping with a piece of foil for 10 mins. You will need a metal scraping removal tool to speed up the process, which this kit does not come with. I bought specialty nail polish remover applicators that I will review when I have received and used. I hope it speeds up the removal process and makes an easy clean up.
The Purify finishing solution is a mix of alcohol and acetone and blended to keep the shine and remove the tacky texture after the last coat has dried. Very little goes a long way. I have substituted alcohol & acetone at home when in a pinch, it's not as good as using the finishing solution because it left the finish dull.
The PORTABLE UV Lamp:
This is the only reason I don't advise getting this kit. The lamp will work and I have two that I have owned so I can speed up the dry time but had I known a stronger UV lamp was far more effective, I would've skipped buying the kit based on that alone. There are many 36W lamps sold on Amazon that are very inexpensive and MUCH worth the price if you want a gel color done quickly and correctly. The lamps go through batteries pretty quickly, I use mine about once every 2 weeks and because they are so low wattage I have to use them for at least 5 minutes a layer to make sure the polish sets correctly because it varies depending on battery life. I have not had any of the lights go out though and I am pretty rough with this and it still works, although even when new, I needed to put a piece of tape on the battery hinge to keep it from opening. Then after all that time when applying the finishing solution, I get big spots around the edges where the color has come off because the light coverage is inefficient. So the portable factor if you need this to travel with is sufficient but I do not like the lamp overall and you will be MUCH happier with your results if you invest a few more dollars in a plug-in salon style UV lamp (the kind with reflective surfaces) with higher wattage.
My conclusion is Red Carpet Manicure makes a decent gel polish. Don't buy this kit and rather I suggest getting the kit without the lamp. Here is the average retail breakdown of the things you will need:
-cuticle oil $4
-prep coat $4
-base coat $10
-top coat $10
-gel color polish of your choice $10
-specialty remover $4
-finishing solution $4
-salon style 36W UV lamp (as low as)$25
-metal scraping tool $6
-cotton pads $2
-aluminum foil squares $5
-rough grit nail file $2
I purchased my kit for $50 on sale so to me the value was fair but I would have done better buying the pieces separately and using the money saved towards purchasing a salon UV lamp.
Honest reviews on Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Starter Kit with Portable LED Light
I had my first gel manicure done, at a local salon, and fell in love with it... I didn't want to have to pay the salon price every time I wanted to get another one done, however, so when I saw this kit recommended in a magazine, I thought I'd give it a try!
I ordered it in the summer, so I didn't want to go with the red polish that came with the kit~ that was an easy fix as I just ordered a lighter shade through Amazon... I actually read through the directions first (not something I'm normally good about!) and then proceeded to complete each step as instructed... It was all so easy and I couldn't believe how quickly my nails dried!
I did have a problem with getting some of the top coat on a few fingers, which caused the polish to peel prematurely, so I recommend being very cautious and making sure no polish touches your skin... The instructions do stress this, too... It was a piece of cake to redo those few nails, though, and I feel the more I use the kit, the better I'll become at giving myself perfect manicures!
This kit will pay for itself in just one or two manicures, depending on how much you normally spend, at a salon, in your area... It's an amazing deal!
I do use an old plug I had at home, in lieu of batteries, too...
Mary (not Mark~ my hubby and I share an account here!)
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Starter Kit with Portable LED Light
I started with Gelish (here is my review)
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3VWRFDI073BON/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R3VWRFDI073BON
..and then subbed Red Carpet colors when I found them locally. I purchased about half of the available colors and was minorly happy with them at first; they integrated into my Gelish steps seamlessly. But, they are 'too thin' for me. Once I started trying higher-end colored gel polish, I gave away all my bottles of Red Carpet polish. That's a lot of wasted money at $10 a bottle, let me tell you. It's just not opaque enough for me, and I don't want to have to apply more than 2 layers of color! I also had a lot of bubbling with this product, more so than any other brand. It's not that I need thinner coats or need to learn how to do it, I've been using gel polish for quite awhile now. I just found other brands to be better. Lots of people love Red Carpet so I don't want to bash it, but my experience with nails that are fairly long, and see a LOT of activity: I was much happier with other brands, and I haven't given away ANYTHING but my Red Carpet nail products. My time using other products (and my time is very limited!) is always well spent. Red Carpet usually means I have to redo way before I'm ready.
Their 'nail cleanser' also lifts off color and has even affected the finish on my Gelish top coat.
Their light? You'd be better off (and save a lot of money) just getting a full size LED that lets you do a whole hand at a time.
My recommendations over Red Carpet? If you are just starting and trying to decide, go Gelish. If you want to spend a little more but consider the 'ingredients' for a salon-quality manicure to be more of an investment of your time and effort, go Lomasi or Shellac. I'm experimenting with Pro Gel right now and will update my Gelish review with the results.
