Mani-Pedi with Jennifer Lynn UV Gel Nail Polish

An invitation to a mani-pedi with a special type of nail polish, on my preferred date, and at the salon of my choice -- I'd be stupid to turn down that offer!

Would you believe this is only my second time to have a manicure done by professionals?!  It's been ages since I paid anyone to color my (finger)nails. I used to apply clear or natural-colored polish on my own.

I would be celebrating my birthday a week after my scheduled appointment so I was totally psyched about this beauty treat, and even more curious with using this U.S. brand, Jennifer Lynn UV Nail Colour.

I'm far from being a beauty junkie, so I am not that (knowledgeable) particular about brands and features of beauty products, especially with nail polish. I had a number of pedicures in the past months and have been quite happy with the imported lacquer used on me.  As long as it works for me, then I'll be fine with it.  So let's get started!

February 29, 10 a.m.

Mani-Pedi with Jennifer Lynn gel polish - Beauty & Butter nail salon, SM Megamall

Colorful and hip interiors of Beauty & Butter Nail and Face Salon

As soon as I was seated, a tray of boxed Jennifer Lynn nail colour was laid out to me. I asked about UV gel polish -- how it's different from the regular nail lacquers available, and why the bottles are black, which didn't allow me to see the colors.  The aesthetician at Beauty & Butter told me that the gel polish lasts longer, at least 2 weeks without chipping, and has a clean glossy finish all the way. The polish cannot be exposed to UV light as it will dry up, thus, the black-out bottles. Ah... stupid me! :)))

Jennifer Lynn Professional UV Nail Colour, as described on the packaging:

• Easy to apply
• Beautiful colour
• High gloss finish
• 2-minute cure time under UV light
• Easy to remove *

* Will test how "easy" to remove. It's been exactly 2 weeks and I'm leaving this on until after my dinner with friends tonight. :))) I will update this post as soon the polish is off. (See Update at the bottom of this post)

I was not keen on having dark, bright, bold colors on my finger nails. On my toes yes, but since I like all my nails to match, I want a more neutral, subdued shade. 

Sadly, Jennifer Lynn's colour charts were not available during my visit.  It bothered me since my appointment was set weeks in advance, yet the salon staff told me the charts were recently pulled out. Disappointing isn't it? How can I select the nail color?  Remember, the bottles are black. It took some time for us to open each and every bottle so I can choose the color.

Images of the Colour Charts from Jennifer Lynn Facebook Page - Norah on the right, at 3 o'clock

Jennifer Lynn has lots of really nice dark shades I can use for my toes, but you can now see that I have very limited choices for my desired neutral colors.  I ended up with a taupe-like color named Norah, and I must say, it turned out beautifully.   

As the B&B girls began my mani-pedi, I was handed an iPad for me to use, for free! Two thumbs up for this extra salon service! :)  If they only handed me this earlier, I would have seen the colour charts on the Facebook page of Jennifer Lynn, and chose from there. Oh well...

My Jennifer Lynn Mani-Pedi Treatment:

• Cleaning, buffing (I trimmed my nails prior to the appointment)
• Base coat
• Color
• Top coat
• 2 minutes curing for each coat, under UV light

Approx. 70 minutes

Tadaaa!

Day 1                                                                 Day 14

Excuse the difference in lighting -- Day 1 was shot at the salon, and Day 14 was shot at home.  

You will notice only the nails growing out, exposing my cuticles. To date, my nails remain glossy and smooth to the touch. My Norah colour held up despite the washing, writing, typing, cooking, etc. My toenails also held their own despite having tripped a few times, and being stepped on by the kids.

Day 1

Day 14

Day 1                                                                 Day 14

Neat, smooth, glossy, chip-free (2 weeks), almost no scratches -- amazing. I'm very impressed with this UV gel polish, and I received only compliments from my friends who also loved the gloss and the color on me. After giving my nails some time to rest, I'd definitely consider another fresh coat with Jennifer Lynn.

Check out Jennifer Lynn Professional UV Nail Colour on Facebook.

UPDATE:
15 March - I finally removed my finger nail polish with acetone.
I already expected it will not melt with regular rubbing. So, I decided to just peel it off since I noticed the edges were already a bit loose and I can easily lift off the coating from the side of my nails.

I pressed on for about 30 seconds on each nail. Then lifted and pushed with my own nails (I forgot to use the pusher tool!) since I got excited when it started peeling and chipping away from my nails. :)))

This is my hand now sans nail polish.  I'm happy to report that my nails did not become garishly yellow, but it's not as white as before. It appeared very dry after wiping with acetone and peeling, so I washed and quickly applied hand cream to moisturize over night. 

I'm sure my nails' natural gloss will come back in the coming days, but I don't think I'll have another manicure anytime soon.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  
If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
Get instant updates:
My Mom-Friday on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Also on Google Friend Connect, or Subscribe Via Email.
I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!
(Comments with links will automatically be flagged by Disqus.)