Monday, 5 December 2011

UV Gel Nails + OPI What's with the Cattitude Nail Polish Swatches

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After breaking four of my beloved long nails I decided to get some falsies, after some research I was set on getting Gel nails - according to some they do not damage your nail as much as Acrylics. 

I was at Westfields shopping Centre in Shepard's Bush, London when I saw Le Monde Nails. They offer an extensive range of nail treatments, I chose UV Gel - which I had never heard of before. The gel sets under UV light, giving the same effect as Acrylics. The results were beautiful.

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After the technician applies the false tips, she then paints on the gel. In order for the gel to set it must go under UV lights. I put my hands in the UV light box, the sensation is very strange - the gel heats up very quickly and gets very hot for a split second. When I put my first nail in I found myself pulling my hand out quickly, the heat scared me! It only heated up for a second, so once I got used to the feeling it was fine.

The technician who was called Lam was extremely professional and did an amazing job on my nails. The only downside was the language barrier, many of the technicians are forgein and do not speak much English so they don't give you any after care or any facts at all. Although my technician did appear to speak more English than the others, I would have loved to have known how long they last, but I guess I will have to find out myself! (I will update this post when they come off).

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I chose O.P.I What's with the Cattitude? Nail Polish (Shrek collection) for the colour, which is so beautiful! A stunning 'icy' pastel blue. I ended up buying it because I loved it so much!

My UV nails cost £50 and took around one hour. 
I am in love with my new nails, if only they always looked like this!

What do you think? Ever had UV Gel nails?

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34 comments:

  1. looks soo pretty! Love the color!

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    www.dashysassy.com

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  2. wish I could do this but only allowed natural nails at work dammit! love the colour :)

    Hayley x

    www.onewaytickettogorgeous.blogspot.com

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  3. i have uv gel nails since 2009! i love them! i do them myself! i can't live without! they look so pretty! :)

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  4. Got UV Nails since 4 years and i love it. A few weeks ago i decided to do it myself. I bought a Set with all tools an I love to do it on my own, 'cause you can choose how often you do it, which shape and the thickness, but I can not recommend it to a beginner, if you do it the wrong way you can damage your Nails so hard.

    I love your style 'cause ther not getting wider in the front.

    XOXO
    K-ro

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  5. Love my UV gels -- I get them done with the tips in white gel and the base in pink so its a French manicure and let it that way or get them with polish over them. Acetone won't effect the gel so you can change polish whenever you want. Perfection!

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  6. I Do UV nails myself and not to be mean or anything,but I was surprised you mentioned that you had never heard of them:)!Here in Belgium, almost 2/5 women has UV gel nails. Good luck with them, they look nice! xoxo

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  7. hey :)
    I find the very attractive color. I am also nail technical but given that I don't know all the protocol of your break, I can't say to you that if the nail is good (because the polish with the gel) that it is going to like between two to see three weeks following the shoot of tone nails, that you will have a demarcation at the level of cuticles and that if you want to keep them, or will need to remove the color, to re-fill or there is not gel anymore in cuticles, and to put back a color .Personaly I use the gel polish uv Shellac of CND its yours 2 has 3 weeks but it don't burn as certain gel under UV and it sets 30 minutes rested^^

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  8. I've had Gel Nails done loads... Really hard wearing. Mine normally last 3 weeks before needing to get a refill done. x

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  9. Gorgeous :-) they look so natural and I love the colour you have painted them too. Though for £50 for a professional procedure I would have wanted some aftercare advice/tips especially since this was your first time having them done. It might have been nice for them to have given English speaking customers a leaflet or something :-)

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  10. Loving this shade of blue, I for sure gonna look out for this colour next time I go shopping :)

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  11. I have had the UV nails in French tips and they lasted about a week for me. But, french tips are supposed to wear the worst. This nail color is my all time favorite polish color. I use one similar to it by China Glaze called "For Audrey". :)

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  12. Wow the looks great!! Gorgeous color. I want to try to get gel nails you should update us with how long it lasts!

    XOXO,
    Sarah

    misssarahlove.blogspot.com

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  13. beautiful nails :)

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  14. your nails looks very pretty and natural. Love the color!

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  15. Such a cute color! My sister has a bottle that's a little more aqua toned but this one is gorgeous !

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  16. nice colour

    http://creepyvanityfair.blogspot.com/

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  17. Gorgeous colour.

    I used to get gel nails but they ruin the nails just as much as acrylics, my nails used to be like paper after.
    xo

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  18. Imogen at ulta they now have the opi gel manicure is 25 and you get the matching lacquer so you can make your pedicure with the same color its amazing :)

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  19. Gorgeous Nail Colour I love OPI x

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  20. lovely nail color :)


    http://www.fakhrarafique.blogspot.com/

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  21. super cute girl. :) i've been wanting to try these.

    love, rach.
    www.so--hi.blogspot.com

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  22. Hi Imogen, your nails look fab, though I think you've paid a bit too much, there have been four of these Vietnamese nail bars pop up in my town over the last few years, all of which charge £20-£25 for UV gels. They last weeks though! I've never broken one in 3 years xx

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  23. They look amazing, and I'm not even a fan of blues but I love this color!

    www.beautynthingsblog.com

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  24. What a pretty shade!



    http://www.shellzdoll.com/

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  25. looove your nails and this beautiful shade :)

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  26. Im going to order my first foxylocks extensions soon,and im just wondering the right color. my hear is same that beyonce has on that picture http://www.isabellagucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/rihannavsbeyonce.jpg soo...can u help me choosing the right color:)? thnx!

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  27. what a fabulous shade of blue, love it!


    http://lovesince85.blogspot.com/

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  28. Lovely blog <3 <3
    A new follower from www.sunniewrites.blogspot.com , would love if you follow me back <3 <3 <3 xxxxx

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  29. I love gel nails. Pretty color!!

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  30. Love the colour, incase you wanted a bit of info. all gels are cured in a UV light, some can be cured in an LED lamp but all LED gels can also be cured in UV lamps as LED lamps emit UV light. Any type of false nail will need infilling after 2 or 3 weeks as it will start to grow and you will have a gap from the growth. Aftercare would be to wear gloves when washing up or cleaning, using a cuticle oil daily to moisturise the nail bed and keep the gel flexible and to use your nails as 'jewels not tools' silly phrase but just meaning be careful with them. Hope that might help a bit x

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