Poly gel! Have you tried it?

You’ve probably seen this hot new craze to hit the nail scene over the past year or so. It started off as things normally do: one company comes up with a brilliant new idea, and then everyone else makes their own version. Sometimes the original is the best, and other times, you can find it cheaper and not compromise on the quality. In the case of polygel, I personally won’t be spending a fortune on it because I have tried several brands, and they all work just as well as the others. Some are thicker, stickier, clearer etc… But for all intents and purposes they do the job!

Now then, let’s talk about this one brand in particular, Gelike polygel from EC Cosmetics . I found them on the ever loved Ali Express, and to my joy, it was significantly cheaper than most polygel replicas. At the time I got it, it was only 7.88 on sale from 9 something…. Which even at full price its a bargain. 60 grams in a tube is going to get you really far. I’ve been using it for 5 weeks, day in and day out, I’ve only used about half of it. They have SGS and MSDS certificates available as well, to put your mind at ease and cover your ahhhh…. Bum. 😆

But, is it any good?

Well, after 5 weeks I can confirm that it does hold up.

I sculpted a set of nails on this extreme nail biter, she came back after 2 weeks for her fills and only had lost one nail. I replaced the loss, infilled the rest ready for anoter two weeks!

When she returned for her fills 2 weeks after that, she had lost none! There was minimal to no lifting on them (none that she had noticed) and her nails are growing beautifully underneath.

For me, this was the true test. Yes, I have used it with success on many other clients, but if its going to work on an extreme nail biter, it going to work anywhere.

I apply it just as any other polygel, put a blob on all 4 fingers and then use a stiff brush to pat it into place. I dampen the brush with isopropyl alcohol and try not to get any on the nail plate.

I do the thumb last because it will run if left unattended for too long , due to the position the hand is sat during application of the fingers. If you want to see the whole tutorial on this, please check out my YouTube channel.

The best part of gelike polygel for me, is having lots of time to work it into place. You will spend very little time filing the nails, if you get it just where you want it before curing. I’m able to do a full set with tips, and a gel polish color in 1 and a half hours. Which is record breaking for me!

I am curing it on a low heat mode for 90 seconds in my SUNUV lamp, and then for an additional 60 seconds at full power. This has prevented everyone from getting heat spikes. I did try doing only the 90 seconds low heat, but I found while filing that there was lifting and the filings were very large. Once cured at 60 seconds on full power, there was no lifting and the filings were dust like, as they should be.

Also, I am allergic to acrylic, just filing a set of acrylics will set off my allergy. But I have had no reaction at all to this product. Now, I’m not saying it will be the same for you, but it is definitely worth a shot, especially considering its cheaper than a bottle of gel polish! Of course we should always be wearing gloves to prevent over exposure but I get really sweaty in gloves and find it difficult to work. So, I don’t.. 😆 But that’s me. You should wear gloves.

I really have nothing bad to say about this product. The tube didn’t break at the seams while I was squeezing it, you don’t need any additional products to use it (bar the normal base, primer, dehydrator etc..) it lasts, it’s strong like acrylic, and it’s cheap! I like cheap. You know….. people are willing to pay less and less to have their nails done, so if you can safely get something for cheaper I say do it! Get those profit margins sailing!

I am by no means a nail product snob, I’ll try anything, and my favorite brands aren’t ever the most popular/most expensive.

If you’re on the fence, or maybe just want to try polygel without mortgaging your house to pay for it, go get some of this from EC Cosmetics. You won’t be disappointed. Here Are some of the beautiful nails I have created with this amazing product!

Ooooh it may also be worth mentioning, I have done several infills over acrylic and hard gel, with no problems, so getting clients to make the switch is seamless!