red carpet manicure

i picked up the red carpet manicure system at ulta just a few days after it was launched.  i haven't seen anyone posting about it on the nail blogs i follow so i thought i'd be the first! :)

there is definitely a bit of a learning curve with this product.  i had some user-error opportunities with my first application (some of which were surely caused by my hubs who was sitting on the sofa next to me watching college football and screaming GOLDEN GOPHERS!!!  GO GOLDEN GOPHERS!!!! the entire time, a memory i will truly treasure for the rest of my life) but overall i'm very happy to have made the investment in the product line and see myself using it most often just before leaving on vacay.

what i love about this line - ease of application, the super-duper high gloss shine, durability and resistance to chipping, dinging, dulling and scratching, the gorge colors (i chose plum up the volume, which i used, and giltterazzi, which i haven't yet), and that the company has someone who is responding promptly to questions posted on their facebook page.  props to you all for that!!

what I don't love about this line - the lack of complete instructions on the packaging/website/facebook page (the instructions on the product are in super fine print owing to the tiny bottles).  the instructions were complete enough to prevent me from making any fatal errors BUT i would have liked a step-by-step on a single sheet of paper/web page to walk me through the process. also the awkward removal process.  attempting to apply remover soaked cotton pads to my fingertips and then securing them with aluminum foil was 1) hilarious and 2) not entirely successful. next time i am going to try holding the cotton in place with bandaids.  i will let you know if that works.

i do have two tips: re: curing under the lamp - if i sit back and hold the lamp with both hands i can fit the four fingers of one hand and the thumb of the other hand under the lamp at one time.  this is significantly less awkward and time consuming than trying to cure my thumbs separately.  also, check the brushes at ulta before you purchase as several bottles had splayed bristles which would make the brushes impossible to use.

planning round two just prior to leaving for big trees.  i will post pics of the finished mani then!!! 

love you!!!
--L