I first heard about Calgel manicures from Gala Darling, and was immediately intrigued. At the time I was still in the Seattle area but decided to find a salon near me in LA once I moved. I love nail art and always love to try new nail trends - especially if they are supposed to improve my overall nail health!
I have very weak, brittle nails that seem to flake, chip, and break no matter how many vitamins I take or how well I take care of them (minus the occasional bad picking habit I have!). The only way I've ever been able to grow them out is to wear fake nails (acrylics) for a few days, then remove them before I get the urge to pick those off and cause even more damage.
Calgels seemed to be my miracle cure - a rock solid manicure that is dry before you leave the salon, lasts for what seems like ages, and actually improves the health of your nails rather than damaging it. Let me tell you - this stuff is AMAZING! It really does everything it says it does, and lasts forever. You can't even take it off with regular nail polish remover!!
There are so many cute designs you can get. They really can do anything you can think of, and the Japanese nail art magazines they have at Calgel salons have so many fantastic ideas, it's almost hard to choose just one!
Getting extra colors/designs on multiple nails does take much longer (and cost more), but it's definitely worth it - something you have to try at least once. When I went in, my nails were slightly shorter than I preferred, so I opted to get extensions as well. The way the gel goes on and stays strong even as an extension blows my mind, and I can't wait to grow my nails out again to try another style.
If you want to find a salon near you, go to www.calgelamerica.com and click on salon locater. I'd love to see pictures and hear your stories about trying these babies!!
XO Hannah
