After much Pinterest research I decided I should DYI removing my gel manicure. I found these beauties at CVS:
I have realized (by my slow self-awareness into my own passive-aggressive behavior) that my unending love & adoration for gel manicures is equally matched by my annoyance & frustration at how difficult they are to remove. The true yin & yang.
It puts a burr in my saddle to make an appointment, drive to the nail salon, have them soak my nails in acetone, sit there 10 minutes... and then PAY THEM $10 !?!?!?!?! Really? I have a pretty good internal thermometer when it comes to getting what I pay for. Maybe that's where the rub comes in. I know $10 isn't a lot of money. But I can sit in my own living room and watch my own TV (a channel I like) and sit my own hand in acetone. AND have a whole meal from Chick-fil-A with a supersized Arnold Palmer, light ice. Thank you very much! I don't mind spending money on things that are worth it - I can't color my hair or give myself a massage- but I do draw the line at nail polish removal.
Two events led to my self-awareness: first I selected a polish at my last manicure on the sole criteria that you won't be able to tell when it grows out. Turns out it is now my favorite polish color Princesses Rule - on aesthetic grounds - and I bought the regular version at Ulta :) That's not why I picked it in the first place. Second, I have been letting it grow out. If you saw my hands up close & personal I would probably be embarrassed. Every time I look at my nails I shudder a little when I remember the chapter in my How to be Elegant book at how elegant ladies never have chipped nails. That ship sailed a long time ago. But I just can't bring myself to go in & have the gel taken off. I'm making a stand!
It's amazing the clarity that comes with self-awareness :) I immediately searched on Pinterest to figure out how to remove gel nails. Turns out it was as easy as I thought all along. I just needed some acetone. Thanks for the rescue CVS!
To paraphrase all the articles on Pinterest because they were pretty much the same, the steps are:
1) Wash your hands (OK this step wasn't on any of the Pinterest articles, but I believe any good nail story should start this way)
2) Gently file off the top layer of clear gel
3) Soak cotton in acetone & place on your nails
4) Use Gel Polish Remover Wipes to cover nails
5) Watch Fashion Police in the comfort of your own home
6) Use the included manicure stick to lift off the gel
7) TA DA! Now go put that $10 you saved to good use! Why doesn't Chick-fil-a deliver?
The verdict ???
ROCK IT !!!
I am so glad this worked as well as it did! I didn't realize until I had cut up some cotton rounds that the foil sheets had a cotton square on them already. I ended up using the cotton rounds on my thumbs because they needed extra acetone to come off. I did need to leave them on longer than the recommended 10-15 minutes on the box, but otherwise the whole process went very smooth. The hardest part was how much to file off... Did I get the top layer off? Am I filing too much?
Overall I am very impressed at how easy this is to do at home! The kit includes 30 strips (I can remove two more manicures) so I will probably use the last one to make templates & cut my own foil. Especially since I needed the cotton rounds for my thumbs, I have everything I need at home now.
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