2014 Holiday Gift Ideas: Gel Polish Starter Kits

affiliate links press sample purchased by me Part 2 of my Holiday Gift Ideas series is about gel polish starter kits. If you’re thinking about getting into gel polish or know someone else who is, this may help narrow down the options. Most of the kits that I’m writing about today are meant for the at-home DIY user. I’m going to list them in order of retail price from lowest to highest.

There of course are other starter kits out there, but these are the ones I’m most familiar with and stand behind. I personally prefer lamps that fit the full hand and not just 4 fingers, because who wants to spend the extra time to cure each thumb separately? I also recommend going with a kit that has a higher powered lamp if you plan on branching out and trying other brands. The 6 watt lamps don’t always cut it… 12 watts or higher is my preference.

Sensationail (Most Budget-Friendly)

Let’s kick off the list with a very budget-friendly option, the Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit. If you’re not sure about gels and just want to give it a try, this might be a good place to start because this kit won’t break the bank. It includes all of the basics that you need to apply a gel polish manicure. The bottles sizes are small at 3.7ml, but that’s enough to do at least 10 manicures. A little goes a long way with gel polish.

This kit does not include remover, so you will need to also purchase a bottle of acetone which you can pick up at your local drug store. Sensational kits and colors can also be found in most drug store and big box stores!

Retail Price: $59.99 ($36 on Amazon)
Lamp: 4-finger, 7 watt LED lamp with a 1 minute timer (chirps at 30 seconds, turns off at 60 seconds)
Colors: 1 color is included (3.7ml). The kit that I linked to includes the color Raspberry, but there are a few different starter kit colors to choose from.
Essentials: base coat & top coat combo, primer, cleanser (NO remover)
Extras: lint-free wipes, nail buffer, manicure stick

Red Carpet Manicure (RCM) Pro 45 Starter Kit

The RCM Pro Starter Kit also includes all of the essentials to get started. The bottle sizes are slightly larger than Sensationail at 9ml. RCM does have a less expensive kit than this one with a portable light, but it’s extremely low-powered so I didn’t list it. These mini lamps are already pretty low-powered at only 6 watts so I wouldn’t recommend going any lower. RCM can also be purchased at many drug stores, big box stores, and beauty supply stores.

Retail Price: $89.99 ($79 on Amazon)
Lamp: 4-finger, 6 watt LED lamp with a 45 second timer
Colors: 1 color is included, Red Carpet Ready (9ml)
Essentials: base coat (9ml), top coat (9ml), prep (9ml), cuticle oil (9ml), cleanser (2 oz), remover (2 oz)

Couture Gel Polish Starter Kit

I haven’t written much about the Couture brand on my blog because Michelle over at Manic Talons has covered this brand pretty well. She has swatched all of their colors, which you can see here. Couture is a good quality brand and if you have troubles with soak-offs, their base makes the soak-offs faster and easier than most.

The Couture Gel Polish Starter Kit is a great value because you get full-size products and a higher powered lamp that fits your whole hand instead of just 4 fingers! The Couture lamp is comparable to the Melody Susie 12W LED lamp that I reviewed, which works great. And you also get to choose which color you want with your kit, so you aren’t stuck with a color that you might not want or like.

Couture also has a Deluxe Kit for $129 that includes 3 colors instead of 1, but you get a better value by buying the starter kit with one color and then buying additional colors separately since they are only $12.95 each.

Retail Price: $99 (buy it here on Couture’s website)
Lamp: full-hand 12 watt LED lamp with 30-second drying time. 30s, 60s, 90s & 30m timers.
Colors: 1 full-size (15ml) color of your choice
Essentials: base coat (15ml), top coat (15ml), cleanser, remover
Extras: manicure tool kit & a free cosmetic case

Gelish Complete Starter Kit

The Gelish Complete Starter Kit is very similar to the RCM kit, except it contains two full-size bottles of color and it has some extra tools. In my opinion this kit is a little over priced. If you’re going to spend close to $100 on a kit, go for a higher powered lamp! See the kits listed just above and below.

Retail Price: $115.99 ($93 on Amazon)
Lamp: 4-finger, 6 watt LED lamp with a 45 second timer
Colors: 2 full-size (15ml) colors – June Bride & Good Gossip
Essentials: MINI Basix kit which includes base coat (9ml), top coat (9ml), ph bond (9ml), cuticle oil (9ml), cleanser (2 oz), and remover (2 oz)
Extras: orangewood stick, nail file, plastic cuticle pusher with prep tabs

Gelish PRO Kit

The Gelish PRO Kit comes with all full-size (15ml) bottles of Gelish AND the 5-45 LED lamp. The lamp is 18 watts, cures the full hand, and has a 45 second timer. It retails for $149.99 alone, so this kit is a great value!

Retail Price: $199.99 ($129 on Amazon)
Lamp: full-hand 18 watt LED lamp with a 45 second timer
Colors: 2 full-size colors (15ml); Light Elegance & Hot Rod Red
Essentials: Full size base coat, top coat, ph bond, and cuticle oil (15ml each). MINI size cleanser & remover (2 oz each).

I hope you found this information helpful! My next post will be about LED & UV lamp recommendations.

Andrea @ Chickettes