Yes, you read it here. I finally gave in and got a gel manicure. I think after a week of non-stop craziness with the girls I nanny for, it was well deserved, and cheap to boot!
The process was very relaxing, I didn't feel rushed to pick a color, and they said I picked a color that was good for my skin tone.
When I sat down, the lady who did my nails was named Tina and she said I had very nice nails and they were smooth and had a nice shape (THANK YOU NAIL ENVY). At first I thought maybe she was being nice for a tip, but then she said to my boss, who goes there every 2 weeks, very bluntly that her nails looked very bad (she was right, they were a hot mess). After that I knew she was speaking her mind, and not buttering me up for a tip.
She shaped them in the "squval" shape, and neatened my cuticles. And applied the base gel coat, it went in the lamp for about a minute and then applied the color which is called A GRAPE FIT by OPI. I knew I wanted something purple when I walked in, and they had a ton of purples to choose from. I love this color so much I think I may get the nail polish version of it, its a bit darker then planks a lot from them, which I own. Basically it was a base protective coat, 2 coats of A GRAPE FIT, and then top coat that was cured in an UV Lamp. I know there is a ton of OMG they are bad for you, so I didn't go in there, with no idea about the risks. But I plan on making this a special occasion thing. Yeah I know.. I know.. Overall the whole process took about 20 minutes. I also had a hand massage as well. It was heaven. So overall, a wonderful experience :)