LacQit One Step Gel Polish Removal Process

Well, it's been 21 days since I applied the LacQit One Step Gel Polish so this weekend it was time to remove it.  Wearing LacQit has been a unique experience for many reasons.  First, the fact of being able to wear polish for longer than 3-5 days without it chipping is a phenomenon in itself.  Second, having access to polish for home use without spending a fortune is amazing and budget friendly.  Third, the attention it draws from others when they find out I did it myself as some people have asked, "Who did your nails" and look at me in disbelief when I say, "Oh, I did them" as they take my hand closer to their eyes to examine my nail application ability AND with the look of disbelief in their eyes.

I've been paying closer attention to gel polish worn by others and inquiring about their gel polish experience.  Recently, I ran into a friend at the mall as she was heading to a nail salon to have her gel polish reapplied.  She had been wearing a pretty nude color for 3 weeks, but I noticed that it had a significant amount of chipping.  The cost to have the old polish removed and  fresh polish applied was $20.  This was a good price because a fellow grad student recently told me that she paid $60 and her polish started chipping during week 2.  Okay...let's calculate this up from these 2 examples.  There are 52 weeks in a year, so if you get your nails polished every 3 weeks then that averages to be roughly 17 trips to the nail salon per year.  In ONE years time, that would equate to $340 for the polish application and removal at the $20 rate and $1,020 for the polish application and removal at the $60 rate.

With the yearly cost of gel manicures ranging from $340-$1,020 and beyond, you still should take into consideration the sanitary condition of the tools used on customers.  A workout buddy of mine was telling me about someone she knew who had to have a toe nail removed due to a bacterial infection she picked up in a "high-end" nail salon.  More of a reason to reduce or eliminate visits to nail salons.        

Using an at home gel system, such as LacQit would currently cost $59.95 + tax and shipping.  This price includes the LED lamp, 1 color (Cosmo to go), timer, cuticle oil, 2 cuticle sticks, 2 nail buffers, and a nail file.  Additional colors cost about $16 each.  A big savings  overall compared to going to the nail salon.

Now on to the LacQit (Pronounced: Lac-it) removal process:
I used the foiling method to remove the LacQit polish.  By doing so, it prevented the acetone from quickly evaporating from my nails.  So using cotton balls, I soaked each with 100% acetone, applied to each nail, and covered with a piece of foil (NOTE: use a piece just large enough to wrap around and cover the nail). Using this method, I soaked for 10 minutes.  I then removed the foil from ONE nail and in a downward motion, I used the cuticle stick to scrap the polish off.  When finished with that nail, I decided to reapply the acetone soaked cotton ball and the foil back to the nail to soften the remaining residue on the nail; thus making it easier to do my final clean up.  I repeated this process until all nails were polish free.

So I know you are wondering what challenges I had during the removal process of the LacQit polish.  For me, the challenges were applying the foil because I was basically working with one hand, which kind of made me feel clumsy.   When you watch the video, you will notice the awkwardness of wrapping the foil over the cotton ball.  Also, another thing I did was over saturate the cotton balls, so the acetone did drip out until I secured the ends of foil. However, I had a paper towel underneath my hands to catch the leakage and my technique improved by the time I got to my second hand.  Keep in mind this was my first time EVER applying and removing a gel polish, so the challenges too me are minuscule.

Below are the items I used during the removal process:

1. 100% Acetone: Purchased at Wal-Mart for $2.50 for a 16 fl oz bottle.
2. Cotton balls: Previously purchased store brand at Wal-Mart.  
3. Aluminum foil:  Previously purchased the inexpensive generic brand at Wal-Mart.  I just used the same foil used for cooking.  
4. Cuticle Stick: Provided in the LacQit kit. Used to scrap off polish after the soaking process.
5. Yellow Nail Buffer: Provided in the LacQit kit.  I actually didn't have to use the buffer but you can use it to buffer away any polish residue on your nails.
6. Paper towel: Used to catch the polish shavings as I scrapped off the polish.  Makes for easy clean up after you are finished.

Be sure to check out the awesome NEW colors at www.lacqit.com

Take a look at my video demonstrating the removal process of LacQit.

LacQit One Step Gel Polish still going strong after 15 days...

In my 8 day follow up video on the LacQit gel polish, the same radiant shine of the gel polish was as visible as it was on the 1st day it was applied.  Well, I'm PLEASED to announce that as of my 15th day wear of LacQit Gel Polish that the only noticeable difference is the significant nail growth (notice the natural nail growing from the cuticle in the pictures below).  I strongly feel that the nail growth by the end of next week (which will be 3 weeks of wearing this color) will make it mandatory to remove this polish.  So at that point, I will do a video demonstration on the removal process and share my experience.  

The pictures below show the 15 day results of LacQit One Step Gel Nail System.  

This polish was applied on April 6th. Here's a link to the video demonstrating the application process.

This is the 8 day follow up video of the LacQit application.

LacQit One Step Gel Polish…Reduced severity of nail breaking

This is my 8^th day wearing the LacQit (Pronounced: LAC-IT) One Step Gel Polish.  From the video below, you can see that I have the same lustrous shine that I had on Day 1.  However, I did have a nail emergency…I broke my thumb nail while doing BURPEEs (see Wiki description) at the gym.  The impact of quickly hitting the floor in push-up position did cause the polish to rip along the torn edge of my nail.   However, the nail did not break into the skin, which has always been the outcome for this particular thumb nail.  I contribute this to the firm support and density of the gel polish, which acted as a buffer between my nail and the floor.  I was able to cut the remaining fragmented edges and file without massively disfiguring the remaining polished area.  I opted not to retouch the thumb nail to see how well the gel polish manages after the bonding of the polish has been disturbed.

I've applied the LacQit cuticle oil to my cuticles approximately 3 times within these past 8 days, so they are not showing any signs of cuticle damage from the gel polish or the use of the LED lamp.  The oil, which is a blend of almond oil. jojoba, and rice bran oil, is very light and does not leave an oily residue.  It absorbs within seconds, so I haven't had to worry about getting oily stains on my clothing.  Let’s see what happens going into week 2. Stay tuned….. 

New Product...LACQIT: A One Step Gel Nail Technology for Home Use

At home gel nail systems have caused a BIG BUZZ in the nail and beauty product communities for about the past 3 years.  Why is this phenomenon so important you might ask?  Well, those who visit manicure/pedicure salons are very familiar with the longer lasting polish wear, averaging 14+ days with minimal chipping that gel nail polish offers.  However, the cost averages around $25 and up for ONLY a manicure.  For those who prefer to be budget conscious, realize that $25 every 2 weeks averages to be around $650 per year... AND this is on the LOW end.  Think about how you could redirect that money if you could achieve the same professional look at home.  

Well, the nail industry is making it more affordable with the at home nail systems.  Retailers like Sally's, Ulta, Sephora, and Amazon have showcased brands such as Gelish and Redcarpet. More recently local stores, like WalMart, Walgreens, and CVS have brought attention to SensatioNAIL and other gel systems.  Although, I've never tested any of those brands, a lot of reviews that I've read indicate customer satisfaction.  However, a caveat to those gel systems is the use of 3 polishes (i.e. base coat, gel polish, and top coat) which cures using a UV or LED lamp within 3-5 minutes. 

Since being introduced to the gel nail systems for at home use, I couldn't decide which one to try...not until I ran across a new ONE STEP product in Canada...YES....ONE STEP using a LED lamp.  The product is called LacQit (Pronounced: LAC-IT).


U.S. retailers should take notice of this product, especially before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons because the LacQit system would definitely draw the attention of women from every socio-economic background.  Mother’s Day is right around the corner, so if you are looking for a gift, this would make your mom/wife/sister/friend VERY happy!  Think about it…for the cost of about 3 manicures at a nail salon, they can continuously use this gel nail system at home.  Each 10ml bottle of polish equates to about 30 applications.

LacQit is on Facebook and Pinterest.  The web site is www.lacqit.com

The application process was as easy as applying 2 coats of regular nail polish, but WITHOUT the long drying time, thanks to the LED lamp.  I’ve done a demonstration of the application process, so check out my video below:

The kits contain the following:

Technologies used	Action on my Nails
LacQit Pro LED Lamp	Cured the nail color.                   1st coat: cured for 30 seconds              2nd coat: cured for 60 seconds
10 ml Nail Color (Cosmo to Go included in the kit)	Added a high gloss color pigmentation to my nails.
10 ml Moisture Cuticle Oil	Replenished moisture to my cuticle beds after the polishing process.
Nail file	Shaped nails.
Buffers	Used to remove shine from nails BEFORE applying gel polish.
Cuticle (Manicure) Sticks	Used to push cuticles back BEFORE applying the gel polish.
Timer	Used to accurately time the use of the LED lamp to cure gel polish.

The Hair Process through the Eyes of Technology

When doing various tasks, we often think of the finished outcome without thinking of the steps used to achieve the end result.  Before the use of the Internet, learning occurred from books and classroom teaching.  However, in the 21^st century, we learn how to perform various tasks from visual aids (i.e. YouTube) and/or support guides (i.e. manuals) that are available on the Internet.  YouTube, viewed as a communication medium, has transformed learning into a social event.   Think about it for a second…as spectators, we access YouTube to find content on an assortment of topics.  However, the funny thing is that you never really think about the “learning” that is taking place.  Instead, it is viewed as entertainment that provides unlimited access for continuous use.  Through repetitive use, learning is taking shape.

In my first YouTube video, I demonstrated the shampoo & conditioning process used on my hair with a specific product (i.e. Alba Botanica).  The focus of the video is not on my hair type or length, but the effect the product had on my hair.  

The second video goes further by illustrating the combination of my styling technique (i.e. Heat styling) with a customized product mixture (i.e. Lanolin mixture) to obtain my desired finished style.  In the table below, I have listed each technology used along with an explanation of the action it performed on my hair. 

Share your technologies and the actions they provide for you.  What are you learning about those technologies and actions you encounter?

Technologies used	Action on my Hair
1.       Shampoo	Cleansed hair while providing softness.
2.       Conditioner	Allowed for easy detangling and manageability.
3.       Water	·         Removed shampoo & conditioner. ·         Aided in restoring moisture.
4.       Wide Tooth Comb	Separated and detangled hair into sections.
5.       Hair Claps	Held sections of hair in place which reduced re-tangling of hair with other sections.
6.       100% Cotton Towel	Absorbed excess water from hair after the shampooing & conditioning
7.       Hand Dryer	Stretched the state of hair from curly to straight.
8.       Lanolin Mix ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycerin, Liquid Lanolin)	·         Protected hair from heat damage while blow drying. ·         Added moisture. ·         Added shine. ·         Reduced frizziness.
9.       Flatiron	Used to add slight curly to hair before applying rollers.
10.   Rollers	Applied nightly to define curls.