Customers obsessed with $6 gel nail polish: ‘I’m never spending $50 on my nails again’
Australians are obsessed with a $6 nail polish that can make your hands look manicure-ready at home in just 20 minutes.
As the country struggles to emerge from a cost of living crisis, women are giving up ‘luxuries’ like nail styling.
The Kmart OXX gel nail polish ($6) is being touted as the ultimate solution to keeping more money in the bank.
Gel nails typically cost $65 for the first set and a minimum of $50 for each refill after that.
A mother of two recently showed off her at-home manicure using her brand new nail polish from Kmart, with women across the country flocking to their nearest store to emulate her fabulous results.
“This gorgeous gel polish cost me $6 at Kmart. $6! I will NEVER pay $50 to get my nails done again. I’m entering my DIY era. It’s not perfect, but for someone who is very particular about her nails, I am happier with the work I’ve ever gotten at a salon,” she said in a Facebook post.
The mother said that she often has problems with the nail polish not being applied close enough to the edges or with the layers being too thick.
“I hate having my nails cut and filed by someone else, I’ve always done it myself. So now I can do it all by myself,” she added.
Australian women are obsessed with a $6 ‘hidden gem’ nail polish that makes your hands look manicured at home in just 20 minutes
A mother of two recently shared her at-home manicure featuring her brand new Kmart nail polish
The mother said she was skeptical about how long the nail polish would last because she “constantly washes her teeth.” [her] hands and picking things’ – but there had been no chips in it for 24 hours.
Since this is a gel product, you will need to cure your nails under a UV lamp.
Since the product is a gel, you will need to use a UV lamp to cure your nails
“I first gently buffed the tops of my nails to remove the slickness. Then I applied a base coat, cured, two coats of color, cured between each coat, then a top coat and cured again,” the mom shared.
Many others shared their experiences with the budget nail polish.
‘I’ve used a few colours now and I think they’re super pigmented! The bright red is my favourite,’ said one mum. ‘Two coats is more than enough, mine lasts about a week on my fingernails (also a mum of two) and two weeks on my toes.’
‘I bought the clear nails, painted them myself with the $2 Kmart polish and they’ve been on for two weeks now. No chips, no fading. Very happy,’ said another.
Some pointed out that customers should be careful with allergies.
“Be careful, you can get allergic to gel,” someone warned. “These polishes are not exactly safe and contain a lot of dangerous ingredients.”
Another shared: ‘My daughter started doing her own nails and developed an allergy to gel polish. Now even if I do one fingernail I get a really horrible itchy rash on her hands and face that can last a week before it goes away.
‘Trained nail technicians teach what not to do, but there is no warning about the risks of the nail polish.’