Everyone needs a little pampering routine and to find that one thing that makes you feel good, well put-together and stressful, tiring days that little bit brighter.
I don't tend to wear much make-up and find a pampering bath more often than not interrupted by an over-excited child with a sudden burning urge to talk about their school day. So the thing I do that lifts me up and makes me feel less like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards is painting my nails.
As I teach yoga my feet aren’t hidden away in winter the way they used to be, so I love bright, cheery colours on my toes and - depending on my mood - either pale natural looking colours on my nails to make them look healthy or something sparkly to make me smile as I tap at my laptop.
READ MORE: We tried the Revolution Pro Miracle Cream 'Charlotte Tilbury dupe' that's £7 for Black Friday
I don’t have the budget or time to go to regular gel manicure sessions, although I do manage it a few times a year - before my summer holiday and in readiness for Christmas - but this year I was shocked by how much prices had gone up since my previous visit, to almost £25 a session.
It made me start wondering about whether I could replicate a gel manicure at home and, when I saw industry leader MyLee’s starter kit in a recent sale I thought it was worth a go.
With the starter kit already reduced for Black Friday, and Mylee set to launch even more discounts on its own site and Amazon’s Black Friday sale shortly, I’d say that if you’ve ever wondered if it’s worth giving a go, now is the time to try.
The MyLee starter kit has been reduced to £34.35 and comes with everything you need to start doing gel manicures at home - a curing lamp, big bottles of nail prep liquid and gel remover and a pack of lint-free wipes to use with them, plus full size 10ml bottles of base coat, top coat and gel colours.
If I had one quibble when it arrived it was that the colours were fairly neutral which, for someone who loves bright purples, blues and greens and plenty of sparkle, was a bit of an adjustment. That said, it was a great and affordable way to try it out and makes it an ideal gift for people who do prefer more neutral, classic hues.
Having not done anything like this at home before - previously my home manicures were just a standard nail colour sandwiched between a base and top coat - I started by watching YouTube videos to see how it was done.
The main thing I took from them is that it’s all about the preparation - sort out your cuticles (preferably using some cuticle oil) and then buff, wipe and prepare your nails properly before you put the base coat on. Cure each layer with the lamp as you apply it and, if you’re worried, always go for thin layers of colour and build up a couple rather than glooping it on in a way that won’t dry properly and will look lumpy.
As someone who is a bit clumsy at the best of times it took a couple of goes to get the process right, but I was so pleased with the results that it was absolutely worth the effort. What’s more, a gel manicure - even done by me at home - lasts a minimum of two weeks which is way better than my previous efforts and just looks much nicer.
My nails have also seem to have become stronger through the process, although I do make sure to give them a day or two 'airing' between taking off one manicure and doing another one.
While the starter kit gives you everything you need to replicate your manicure at home, I have to admit that I’ve been tempted by a few extra bits along the way.
To start with this was a box of 100 non-branded foil gel remover wraps for £3.99 to help with the process of removing the polish (although I'm tempted to get these clips if they end up reduced for Black Friday) and a few additional colours, both from MyLee and the other prominent gel brand Amazon sells, Bluesky . I also picked up a double layer carry case to keep both the lamp and all the polishes and other bits in one handy place.
Meanwhile, when I started thinking about Christmassy colours I soon realised that the brilliant MyLee Advent Calendar was the most cost effective way of buying everything.
Normally I’m a bit negative about advent calendars that don’t have the full 24-doors, but this 12-day calendar, which has a standard price of £65 but looks set to be reduced for Black Friday included six different colours, a top coat, 5-in-1 builder gel, nail file, powder pens and a nail and cuticle oil pen.
For me it was the perfect way to top up my colours for the festive season, but whether you think it’s worth the price tag will in part depend on how many of the colours work for you. I’d have happily bought any of the options separately which, paired with the top coat alone made for an equivalent price. But if you’re less interested in experimenting with the glitter powder then there are other festive colour collections that might give you a similar amount of variety for even less money.
When I first tried doing my own gel manicure at home I wasn’t sure if it would be something I’d get on with and I was worried it’d be a lot of faff for the end result. But much to my surprise, I love how my nails look and wouldn’t consider going back to a salon now.
What’s more, it has become a lovely part of my routine and one of the things I like to make time for and every few weeks my pampering involves a cheesy (currently Christmas) movie, a nice glass of wine and a bit of me time. Not bad when the set cost less than two trips to the salon.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
-
Boots Black Friday 2022 deals launch with huge reductions on YSL, MAC, Babyliss, Hugo Boss and more
-
Kuddly take on Oodie in latest Black Friday hooded blanket deals
-
Get a free Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite worth £299 this Black Friday
-
Sky reduces streaming TV to 'lowest ever' £11 a month for Black Friday and World Cup
