Gelish MINI Mali-Blu Me Away

Press Sample 
Happy Monday! As I said last week, I started a new job today. I will be closer to home and my hours are different so I'm hoping that means lots more time for blogging! I have missed showing you what I'm wearing, and it helps me learn what I like and what I don't. This falls into the latter.

Gelish MINI Mali-Blu Me Away is from the Colors of Paradise collection. I had decided one day that I wanted to wear blue polish on my semi-long nails. I normally reserve my non-traditional colors for shorter nubs but I wanted to be wild. Are you one to wear the non-traditional colors on long nails as well? Let's just say this look won't be my go to for the office.

I followed proper Gelish MINI steps for a manicure - cleanse & prep the nail. I used the Gelish MINI pH Bond which is a dehydrator followed by a thin coat of Gelish MINI Foundation (base coat). I cured that in my LED lamp, then started on the colored coat.

Gel polish is its own animal. You have to really shake, and I mean SHAKE the bottles to make sure if they have separated, that they get put all back together. I even have a craft paint machine to help me in case my hands just won't have it. However, even with shaking, this baby took three, count them THREE, coats to be opaque and even then... Yeah, I still have VNL (visible nail line). I finished with Gelish MINI Top It Off, and then used the Gelish Cleanser to take off the tacky layer.

Now, my gel application isn't perfect but I'm definitely getting better. Thin coats is where it's at, even if you want to glob that sucker on. You'll just end up with pockets of uncured gel and that's a huge issue. You can barely see the VNL here in my light box, but it's there.

Outside, my hands just looked washed out. One thing you HAVE to do after a gel manicure is use some type of oil for your hands -which I forgot. Gelish MINI kits come with a bottle of Nourish, which is an oil that soaks in fast, but I forgot to use it. Therefore, you see dry cuticles.

This last photo was after a few days of wear and with the flash inside. The color definitely looks deeper but you can still see some VNL. Additionally, I have a bit of scratching and wear across my nails because I was pretty rough on them.

So would I wear this color again? I'm not entirely sure. I may use it for a special occasion like a baby shower for a boy or maybe something with my alma mater as this is the same blue that in our school colors. But otherwise, this bottle will be collecting dust.

Gelish® MINI products are available exclusively at Sally Beauty Supply stores nationwide and online at sallybeauty.com. Follow Gelish® MINI on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and on Instagram (@GelishMINI).

Gelish® MINI comes in an array of colors, applies like polish, with a twist cap and applicator, but are cured in an LED lamp for 30 seconds or in two minutes with a traditional UV lamps, just like gels. Gelish® MINI stays on the nail for up to three weeks of beautiful wear, with no chipping or peeling. Gelish MINI® soaks off completely in only 15 minutes. For more information, please visit www.gelishminis.com. 

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.