BEAUTY: SensatioNail Polish To Gel Transformer

Since I started doing my own gel nails at home with an LED lamp, I've really neglected all of my 'normal' nail polishes because they just don't have the staying power. I seem to always gets chips within a few hours compared to when I use an LED lamp which in comparison gives me a week of chip free nails, they're supposed to last about two weeks but even if I have them done professionally
they still only last a week on me. Anyway, I've been a slave to gel polishes ever since I discovered them and really love them but I have a massive box full of really lovely normal polishes that have just been left to gather dust for quite some time now. Luckily the SensationNail Polish To Gel Transformer has come along which I think is just such a brilliant idea and one which has enabled me to go back to using some much loved colours but with the added benefit of durability. SensatioNail are a brand that I've used a fair bit, the lamp I own is by them along with quite a few polishes which I have mixed opinions on in terms of their quality but I really love this product. I've seen mixed reviews on this online but personally I think it's fantastic. It transforms any nail varnish into a gel one, not only in terms of it's endurance quality but also in terms of the traditional high shine finish you normally get with a gel manicure, and for me it lasts just as long as the real thing.

Using this sounds a but fiddly but is actually pretty straight forward and easy. Along with the bottle of gel transformer you get a little white pot with a lid, which is very handy because it means that if you wish to use a colour and a separate glitter top coat you can use both parts to mix your separate colours in without having to hurriedly wash them out to finish your manicure. So, armed with your colour of choice you use the normal brush in your polish to drop some into the pot and then you do the same with the gel transformer. You use equal part polish to transformer, 8-10 drops is normally enough for two coats on each hand, then you use the brush from your normal polish to mix them together and apply. The normal prep of a gel manicure applies here, so clean and prime the nails but you don't have to use a base coat, just apply two coats of the mixed polish, curing with a lamp between each coat, and then apply a final top coat with just the gel transformer and cure once more. Due to not needing a base coat, I actually find this method much quicker than the traditional gel manicure which is odd as you're only missing one step but it just seems to take no time at all even for someone like me who's a little slap dash with painting my nails.
There are three options for the gel transformer in terms of purchase; if you've already got a lamp then there's the 7.39ml (£9.99) or 14.7ml (£15.00) refill bottles and then away you go. If however, you've never done a gel manicure at home then there's the Polish To Gel Starter Kit which is a bit pricier at £49.99 but contains a lamp, the gel transformer and all the other things you will need to prep your nails. You can pick all these up from Boots or direct from SenatioNail here but do keep an eye out in Boots for offers because they seem to have them fairly often on SensatioNail products which is always (ahem) handy!