OPALLAC GEL NAILS AT HOME - REVIEW, TIPS & TRICKS

Opallac is the latest nail innovation promising glamorous salon quality gel nail colour designed to last up to 14 days. The unique Opallac Gel formula glides on like normal nail polish but sets instantly like gel when cured by the revolutionary Opallac LED nail lamp. 

NO dry time! NO chipping! NO smudges! NO damage!

Today I will be reviewing the Opallac Gel system as well as sharing my tips and tricks to achieve the perfect gel manicure at home. 

THE ESSENTIALS

- WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE PERFECT SALON QUALITY MANICURE AT HOME -

• 7Watt UV LED Nail Lamp - RRP: $69.00 (AUD)
• Opallac Gel Base Coat - RRP: $19.95 (AUD)
• Opallac Gel Top Coat - RRP: $19.95 (AUD)
• Opallac 2-in-1 Shine & Soak Solution - RRP: $9.95 (AUD)
• Opallac 30pk Remover Wraps - RRP: $15.00 (AUD)

* There is a Priceline exclusive Starter Kit available that includes everything you need to create the perfect salon quality gel manicure at home. The value pack even includes 3 nail colours. 
It's the perfect DIY kit!
- RRP: $99 AUD (Great value for money!)


APPLICATION
- HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT GEL MANICURE AT HOME -

1. Prep your nails by ensuring the nail surface is completely clean and free from any oils, creams or chemicals and lightly buff the nail surface.

2. Apply a thin coat of the Opallac Gel Base Coat.

3. Cure the Base Coat for 90 Seconds with the Opallac LED nail lamp.

4. Apply a thin coat of your chosen Opallac Gel colour.

5. Cure the nail colour for 90 Seconds with the Opallac LED nail lamp.

6. Apply a thin second coat of your chosen Opallac Gel colour.

7. Cure the second coat of nail colour for 90 Seconds with the Opallac LED nail lamp.

8. Apply a thin coat of the Opallac Gel Top Coat.

9. Cure the Top Coat for 90 Seconds with the Opallac LED nail lamp.

10. Remove any sticky residue off the nail surface by saturating a cotton pad with the Opallac 2-in-1 Shine & Soak solution, and gently wiping it over each nail for a few seconds.


TIPS & TRICKS 
- THINGS I HAVE LEARNT - 

Nail preparation prior to applying Opallac -
Avoid premature peeling and chipping by ensuring the nail surface is completely clean and dry prior to applying Opallac. Remove any oils, creams or chemicals off the nails with Gel Primer, Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone and wash hands thoroughly. Lightly buff each nail to remove any ridges and help the gel adhere to the nail for longer wear time. 

Application -
Apply THIN COATS of polish ONE HAND AT A TIME and cure under the nail lamp before going onto the next hand! This will help avoid the polish from pooling at the sides of the nails and ensure flawless application. If pooling does occur, it is important to clean it up before curing your nails under the LED nail lamp. 
I personally recommend curing four fingers at a time (each hand) and the thumbs separately.

Be prepared!
Have everything you need set up, open and ready to be used - this will make the application steps much easier to follow.

Using the LED nail lamp -
There are no tricks or complicated instructions when it comes to using the LED nail lamp. Simply plug it in, switch the lamp on* and you're set. 
It is handy to have a stopwatch or timer nearby to time the 90 second curing intervals to insure the Opallac Gel colour cures properly. 
* There is an on / off button on the back of the lamp.

Ensuring manicure longevity -
Wrapping the nail tips with a swipe of polish helps prevent premature pealing and tip wear. 
It is important to avoid keeping your nails under hot water for long periods of time 
- while doing dishes or washing, it would be ideal to wear gloves.


LONGEVITY
- HOW WELL DOES AN OPALLAC GEL MANICURE HOLD UP? - 

Opallac promise salon quality colour that lasts up to 14 days.
So I put it to the test...

OPALLAC 'LURE ME AZURE' - DAY 1
Two coats + top coat

I tested Opallac's claim with 'Lure Me Azure' a stunning deep blue holographic glitter gel polish. The polish applied effortlessly and was completely opaque in two thin and easy coats. The picture above swatch was taken on Day 1. So pretty!

OPALLAC 'LURE ME AZURE' - DAY 10
No chipping, minor tip wear + nail growth.

The picture above was taken on Day 10! 
I have never had a manicure look this good in 10 days! I am so impressed! 
I removed the manicure after this picture was taken because I wanted to change it up but i'm sure it would have lasted well over 14 days! Wow!


REMOVAL
- HOW TO REMOVE YOUR MANICURE WITH THE OPALLAC REMOVER WRAPS AND OPALLAC SHINE & SOAK SOLUTION - 

1. Lightly file the gel polish on each nail surface for a few seconds to break it down. 

2. Cut to size the desired amount of Opallac Remover Wraps from the 30 pad roll. 

3. Saturate the cotton pad attached to the Opallac Remover Wraps with the Opallac 2-in-1 Shine & Soak solution.

4. Place the soaked nail pads directly over the nail and wrap around each finger separately*  
Keep wrapped around nails for approximately 5 minutes**

5. Remove wraps, one at a time, and peel off the gel colour***

* Once the cotton pads attached to the Opallac Remover Wraps get saturated with the Opallac 2-in-1 Shine & Soak solution, they are likely to detach themselves from the actual wrap. 
A second set of hands may be needed to assist with wrapping each nail.

** I personally find 15 minutes to be optimum soaking time.

*** Instead of 'peeling' the gel colour off I like to use a cuticle pusher / orange stick to gently push / scrape the polish off the nail. The Shine & Soak Solution weakens to polish bond to the nail so it easily removes with light pressure. 

If applied and removed correctly Opallac will not damage the natural nail. It is crucial to not attempt to pick the gel colour off. This will cause damage to the nails. 
It is important to follow the Opallac Gel removal process outlined above. 


IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
- MY PERSONAL OPINION - 

YES! YES! YES!
I pride myself in giving honest reviews and opinions on my Blog, so if I say you need to try something, you do!

I had never tried real Gel polish before and I can honestly say I really enjoyed using it! 

I tend to change my nail polish every day or so due to the fact that nail polish chips on my nails so quickly, but with Opallac I did not experience any chipping or pealing even after 10 days of wear! It's amazing! I removed the Gel polish off my nails because I was I wanted to switch it up not because I felt I needed to! Really, really, really impressed!

Application may seem daunting but it shouldn't be. The wide brush applicator and fantastic formulas make application effortless. The Opallac LED nail lamp does most of the work for you; creating an instantly glossy and dry Gel manicure in seconds. The Opallac system also hardens the nails allowing them to grow and not break. I noticed substantial nail growth when using Opallac, which is an added bonus!

Save time and money with the convenience of an Opallac DIY Gel manicure at home! 
DEFINITELY WORTH THE INVESTMENT!

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Opallac products are exclusively available for purchase online at www.opallac.com and www.priceline.com.au as well Selected Priceline stores nationally (Australia).

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*Disclaimer: Opallac kindly sent me the products mentioned in this Blog Post for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine based on what I have experienced through trialling these products.


Thanks for taking the time to read this review!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask :)
Have a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous day,

Doni x


Follow me on Instagram for more nail swatch pics & nail art - @donsnailobsession 

BORN PRETTY STORE NAIL ART PRODUCTS - REVIEW & NAIL ART IDEAS

It's amazing how something so simple, quick and easy can transform a manicure into a work of art.

Create a manicure at home just as good as one you'd get done at Salon with these awesome Born Pretty nail art accessories.

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GOLD AND SILVER CIRCULAR NAIL STUDS

This Sectioned wheel contains 400 pieces of 6 different sized flat based gold and silver rounded studs.

These studs are three-dimensional, very round and spherical, more than any other studs i have ever used. What's really good about these is that they are plastic so they are very light-weight and they are also flat based so they can actually stick properly onto the nail. 

The lightweight nail studs can be adhered to the nail simply by applying a dab of topcoat or nail glue to the nail, then carefully applying the stud to the chosen spot. I find that sealing the whole nail with a coat of clear topcoat also assists in the wear time and longevity of the manicure and keeps the studs stuck on.

You may also be able to adhere the stud to the nail while the base nail polish colour is still quite wet, the stud will then stick in place when the nail polish base dries. 

*Using nail glue to adhere the stud will ensure that the stud sticks to the nail for a longer period of time than it would with topcoat, however I personally use topcoat (more specifically an old topcoat that has become quite thick) to stick the stud onto the nail and have no issues with this - the stud will usually remain adhered to my nail for about four-five days, provided i add a coat of topcoat over the stud and whole manicure and don't pick it off.

The six different sized studs in both silver and gold provide an easy and fun way to bling up any manicure with endless placement opportunities. 

Find these studs here: http://www.bornprettystore.com/400pcsbox-newly-gold-silver-round-flat-back-acrylic-nail-decoration-selling-wheel-p-17227.html - product ID: #17227

BLACK NAIL ART PEN

I'm really not the best when it comes to using a nail stripper or brush, so this nail art pen makes nail art so much easier. The fine tip of the pen also makes it easy to control and draw precise lines - awesome!

I tried the black nail art pen and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of it. 

The ink is extremely fast drying and has a nice formula (not too runny or too thick). 

If you feel the pen is not releasing enough ink, a quick shake of the pen and light pressure when drawing should correct the ink flow.

*TIPS:

• Don't use too much pressure when drawing with the pen - i accidentally did and it resulted in a small puddle of black ink on my finger! 
• Make sure your base nail colour is completely dry and topcoated before using the nail art pen to avoid the pen picking up the base colour and making a mess.

When attempting any kind of nail art i hate it when i make a mistake and try to fix it and just make everything worse. Well with this nail art pen it is seriously mistake-proof which is awesome! It's surprisingly so easy to remove if you make a mistake. If you do make a mistake with a design created with the nail art pen you can simply wet a cue-tip with water (provided the ink from the pen is still semi wet) or nail polish remover, rub it gently over the mistake and viola the mistake is wiped away and you can start again!

These nail art pens are available in 16 colours - in literally every colour you could imagine.  

I am definitely planning to purchase one in every colour. Love them!  

Find this nail art pen here: http://www.bornprettystore.com/sell-fast-nail-quick-drawing-paint-polish-pens-p-17645.html  (colour #2) - product ID: #17645

MATTE NEON GLITTER

I'm a sucker for anything neon so there was no doubt that i would love these. 

These awesome circular glitters come in a neon colour mix of pink, purple, yellow, green, blue, orange and coral and mixed in two different sizes. The glitters are matte which also gives them a nice unique touch.

The glitters are nice and thin so they are quite easy to work with and stick to the nail.

The glitter can be stuck to the nail easily while the base nail polish colour is still wet or by using a coat of topcoat, then placing the glitter on (while the topcoat is wet). Seal in the glitter by applying a coat of clear topcoat over the nail.

This glitter is super easy to use and perfect for individual glitter placement.

Manicure possibilities are endless with these glitters, you could really do anything with them to add a pop of colour to any manicure.

*Manicure ideas: place the glitters randomly all over the nail (like i did), add them to a nail art design you've created or even create a glitter gradient. 

Find these glitters here: http://www.bornprettystore.com/mixed-nail-glitter-decoration-colorful-mini-round-thin-paillette-design-p-15085.html - product ID: #15085

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Born Pretty have got you covered for all your nail art desires and needs.

Find these products and many more here: http://www.bornprettystore.com/ - 

use my code "XMG10" for a 10% discount on your purchase. 

The Born pretty store are always having sales so check out their website for awesome deals. They also offer Free shipping worldwide with no minimum spend required! 

Disclaimer: The products mentioned were kindly sent to me from the Born Pretty Store for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own based on trial through manicures and nail art i have created.

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Have a great day

Doni xx

Find me on:

Instagram ~ @donsnailobsession - http://instagram.com/donsnailobsession

Twitter ~ @donsnails - https://twitter.com/donsnails