Product Review: Nutra Nail Gel Perfect Manicure

Gel manicures are all the rage at the moment, so of course someone would make an at-home version. *Nutra Nail has released its UV-free Gel Perfect 5 Minute Gel-Color Manicure, and when they asked me to trial it, I happily accepted. Here are my thoughts; 

 

What They Say:

"It's fast, fun and fabulous! Gel Perfect is the first and only 5 Minute Gel-Color Manicure that sets rock solid in 5 minutes to a lasting patent leather shine with no UV/LED light needed. It's as easy as regular polish to apply and everything you need is all in the one box. Be out the door in 5 minutes with no dings or smudges, just beautiful nails!"

 

RRP: $22.95 - Available from select chemists, and from Beauty & Me Online

What I Say:

The Nutra Nail kit comes with 3 tiny bottles of what you need;

 

 

The Activator, which smells just like super glue or nail glue, although it isn’t sticky. This contains cyanoacrylate, and the bottle comes with clear warnings that it can irritate eyes and that it should be kept out of reach of children. I have to say that I did not enjoy the strong smell.

The Gel Colour, which has a similar consistency and look to normal nail polish. This also comes with the warning; flammable, eye irritant and keep out of reach of children.

And finally the Brush Cleaner, which you use to clean the gel-colour brush, to avoid build-up of colour. This also comes with the warning; flammable, eye irritant and keep out of reach of children.

Admitting that I am not very good at applying nail polish at the best of times, I was a little hesitant when first saw that the application process for the Nutra Nail is a bit different than that of a traditional nail polish. The application instructions can be seen below.

 

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In spite of the long instructions, the application was actually very simple.

 

First you apply Activator to clean bare nails on one hand, and before the Activator can dry you apply a thin coat of the Gel Colour.

Hereafter you need to wipe the gel colour brush off in a tissue and swap the brush with the one in the cleaner. Then you repeat the step on the other hand.
 

Once the polish sets, which takes practically no time at all, you can apply a second coat if you want a more solid and full colour Again first apply a second coat of the Activator and the Gel Colour, again, swapping the Gel Colour brush with that of the Cleaner after each hand to avoid build-up of colour on the brush.
 

Now wipe your gel colour brush off and dip it in the cleaner. You have to clean the colour brush in between each five nails. I didn't like that part very much as it seemed to waste a lot of product onto a tissue or paper towel.

Sorry, but I couldn't take pictures at each step because you have to move fairly quick!

The result is absolutely amazing. My nails are so glossy and shiny and have a healthy glow, as if they were professionally done! Unfortunately the photo really does not do this nail polish any justice, as it really doesn’t show the brilliant shine, you'll just have to take my word for it - it's amazing!!

 

 

There are 12 colours in the range, which among others includes Champagne, Lotus, Flame and Lotus: 

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I was trialling the colour Sheer Pink, which is indeed a sheer pink like you would use for a French manicure, which is actually my preferred nail look.  In saying that, the picture on the package makes it look like there would be no white tip of the nail showing through, which is consequently a little misleading. But I could of course have added a third coat to get an even better coverage, but again, I prefer the French manicured look.

The real test is if this gel-colour manicure will last longer than a traditional manicure?

Nutra Nail does not make any promises such that they will i.e. last two weeks like salon gel polish. Nutra Nail is simply stating that the polish will be rock hard in 5 minutes, similar to how salon gel polish is dry after being cured under UV light.

I have two dogs, and I wash my hands countless times during the day, which no doubt has an effect on the life of a manicure. And by the end of day four hairline cracks were starting to appear, and by day five my nails started to chip around the edges. The shine is also slowly starting to wear off, but it is still far from dull!  By day six there was so much chipping, that I just had to remove it. 

The entire process took me a good bit longer than a regular manicure, around 15-20 minutes, and also taking into account that there was a bit of a learning curve as well trying to figure it all out, so no doubt next time I will be able to apply a lot faster.

All in all, I really like the super glossy shine that the Nutra Nail gives my nail, as it makes it look like a professional manicure. It gives you an even and streak-free coverage, and dries completely in 5 minutes. And with approx. 5 days of wear, this is longer than the most other nail polishes!

At $22.95 the Nutra Nail is a little on the pricey side, especially considering the Gel Colour comes in a small 5ml bottle. However, with two coats, I estimate that I still have sufficient Gel Colour left for a further 5 manicures, thereby costing  approx $3.80 per manicure, which is considerably less than a professional one – and then you can do it when it suits you in the comfort of your own home!

*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

Have you ever tried Nutri Nail? What do you think of this concept?