The Best Cheap UV LED Nail Lamp? Review for SUN 5 48w Hybrid Gel Lamp

What is the best cheap UV LED Nail Lamp?

I think I have found it with this one!

I used to use a 36w UV only lamp and would sit for hours waiting for my gel to cure.  It would take 4 minutes to cure one layer of builder gel and then if I put on a layer that was a little too thick, my nails would get so hot I could have cried.

Now thanks to my new 48W lamp I have gel polish cured fully in 30 seconds, builder gel in two minutes and no heat spikes! I really think it is the best for its price on the market and would not choose anything else, plus the price is amazing for what this lamp can do.

If you would like to watch my full review, I have a video on my YouTube Channel, you can access it here:

The Best Cheap UV LED Nail Lamp? Review for SUN 5 48w Hybrid Gel Lamp - YouTube Video:

There are some amazing features that this lamp has which makes it stand apart from any I have used before.  If you place your hand underneath the lamp, it will automatically begin to cure, and the timer will begin to count up in seconds.  If you need a specific timer setting, you can also do this.  There are buttons for 10 seconds (for flash curing), 30 seconds (for gel polish) and 60 seconds (builder gels and top coats).  The feature I like most though is the 99 second timer which is a low heat mode - this will ensure that you will not get any nasty heat spikes or burning pain when curing your gel as it slowly builds up the heat rather than just blasting out the full 48W all at once. 

Here is the technical information on the box:

Specifications:
 Product Name: UVLED. Nail Lamp
Model: Sun5
Power: 48W
Rated Input: 100-240V 50/60Hz 1A
Dimension: 225mm x 195mm x 110mm

Features:
* No eye discomfort, daylight LED lamps
* Low heat mode to avoid heat spikes and pain when curing gels
* Double light source (365+405nm) LED's to cure UV
Gel/Builder/LED Gel
* 24 strategically placed LED's
* 50,000 Hrs lifetime

I am not a professional nail technician and I have not been paid to review this product, I bought it with my own money and paid full price.

I am open to suggestions for future reviews, just let me know in the comments what you would like to see.

If you are a company and would like me to review products for you, please email me using the contact page.

I hope you liked this review and I will see you in the next post!  My Social Media links are below if you would like to follow me, see you next time.....

****** Where I bought this product ******
 *contains Affiliate Links*

     
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Stamping Nail Fail with the Clear Jelly Stamper

How not to use the Clear Jelly Stamper and avoid a Nail Fail:

So I tried stamping with the Clear Jelly Stamper and it was a total Nail Fail! 

I have been seeing so many images lately of beautiful nails with amazing designs on them, created by nail stamping.  I tried this a long time ago and wasn’t able to make it work.  However I have seen lots of YouTube tutorials which have introduced me to ‘clear jelly stampers’ and I am hooked!  My old stamper was a hard stamper and I just had to wing it and try to get the image in the position I wanted.  80% of the time it ended up in the wrong place or wonky and in the end I gave up.  The clear jelly stampers have changed all of that, you can see exactly where to place the image and get it in the right place practically every time. 

Although I am raving about the clear jelly stampers I do have to say that whilst it is easy to see through and place your image, it is not so easy to actually put this into practice! I purchased my clear jelly stamper and anxiously awaited its arrival, thinking that once I had my hands on it I would be able to create amazing designs on my nails effortlessly – how naïve I was!

The truth is that my first time using my clear jelly stamper was a complete nail fail.  It was a classic case of ‘all the gear, no idea’ for me as I used the proper stamping polishes and a good stamper (the big bling from original jelly stamper), but when it came to actually picking up the images onto the stamp, I just could not get it right.  The images were not all there or they had been distorted or smudged so that when I placed them onto my pop sticks, they looked wrong. 

I knew that it could not be the tools I was using as I had seen with my own eyes how nail technicians and nail novices did not seem to have this problem.  The problem was obviously with me and I was more than a little frustrated that I couldn’t do it perfectly straight away.

If you would like to see this Nail Fail in real time, you can see it all on my YouTube Channel, click below for the YouTube Video:

Stamping Nail Fail with the Clear Jelly Stamper: YouTube Video:

So after this, I decided that I had better go back to YouTube to find the solution to my problems.

After watching many more videos I realised that I was using not just one wrong technique but many!

Firstly I was leaving the polish on the plate for too long before picking up the image.  I think this is because I am not used to being on a time limit – I can’t actually remember the last time I used regular nail polish, I am so used to using gel polish which obviously does not dry until you cure it in a UV lamp.

Secondly, I was pressing the stamper too hard on the image.  I was advised that only a light touch is needed and it should be picked up with a flick of the wrist rather than just pressing straight down.

My third and final mistake was that I was not cleaning my plate efficiently between pickups.  I was using nail polish remover to clean the polish from the plate after picking up an image with the stamper, but I don’t think I was getting all of it out and there was still a small amount on the plate which was drying onto it and this was why some of the images I was picking up had bits missing from them.

I have taken all of these points on board and I am not giving up this time, I will try again and then in my next stamping post hopefully I will have had more success!

I hope you have enjoyed this Nail Fail with the Clear Jelly Stamper post and I look forward to seeing you next time!

You are welcome to follow me on my Social Media, there are buttons to do this or you can use the links below.

I love trying new products so if you would like me to test products for you, let me know in the comments or if you are a Company wanting me to review your products, please use the contact page to send me an email.

************** Where I bought these products ******************

US and Universal Links (Affiliate Links):



UK supplier of clear jelly stamper: http://www.nail.supplies/bigbling-stamper
(Here you can get the stamper, plates and polishes)
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Aurora Unicorn Chrome Gradient Nails Tutorial

How to Create Aurora Unicorn Chrome Gradient Nails:

If you saw my last post you will have seen this design on my nails and I just had to include it in my blog - I also made a YouTube video for this tutorial which you can find below or by going to my YouTube Channel.

Aurora Unicorn Chrome Gradient Nails Tutorial - YouTube Video:

Step by Step Tutorial for Aurora Unicorn Chrome Nails:

Firstly I applied white gel polish to all of my nails.

Then I used my silicone tool to clean up around the edges, removing any gel polish from the skin and cuticle area.
After this, I cure the first coat for 30 seconds in my UV/LED lamp, and then repeat the process so that the polish is opaque.








The next step is to apply the neon pink gel polish to the free edge of the nail, leaving it wet.










Next, I used an ombre or gradient brush (link below) to feather the pink upwards, thinning out the harsh line and beginning to form the gradient.  This was my first time using this brush and I thought it was very easy to use, the fine bristles worked much better than a normal flat brush.

When I am happy with it, I cure it for 30 seconds.

After this I repeat the process so that the pink is darker at the free edge and lighter in the middle.  I do not cure this second coat of pink.






Then I apply more white to the top half of the nail and gently use the brush to press the two colours together in the middle, and when I am happy with the result, I cure again for 30 seconds.

I repeat this process for all of the nails and then I apply a no wipe topcoat. I cure this for 30 seconds so that I can use the unicorn chrome powder over the top of the design.

Now it is time to apply the Aurora Unicorn Chrome Powder.  I do this in two stages, firstly I gently rub a small amount over the nail using a makeup sponge. 













Then I really burnish it in with a silicone tool which gives a super smooth finish and high shine.

I cleaned up any excess glitter with a fluffy brush, before applying a final topcoat to seal the finished design.








I like to use a tempered top coat because it gives a high shine and it doesn't work with any pigment powders so there is no risk of ruining my design by accidentally rubbing anything into the topcoat. 

 I learned this the hard way when I had used my bluesky topcoat as my finish coat on some unicorn chrome nails and then the next day I had been swatching a new holographic powder.  To my horror,  the holographic powder went all over my nails and sank in to the topcoat, I was not happy!



I have included links below to the top coats I use - the regular no wipe top coat for rubbing pigments into and the tempered top coat to finished design - speaking of which, here it is!

I hope you liked this tutorial, let me know if you have tried a design like this, and if you liked the YouTube Video, please give it a like and subscribe to my channel for more videos.

Just a little heads up - the next post will be a nail fail post - I tried stamping and let's just say it did not go to plan!

See you next time!

*** Where I bought these products ***

US Links (Affiliate Links):  

        

UK Links: (Affiliate links)

        

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Kuka Aurora Unicorn Powder Tutorial and Review

Tutorial and Review for Kuka Aurora Unicorn Powder

I have had this powder for a while and I love it so much. I have been playing with it and testing it over different gel polishes and I have included the ones which I thought looked best in this tutorial.  I recorded the tutorial and so if you would like to see the application in real time, you can watch my Youtube Video below.

The Kuka Unicorn Chrome Powder transforms any gel polish into something amazing, a beautifully shimmery look that you just can't get from polish alone.

If you would like to watch the video for this tutorial on my YouTube Channel, then just click the link below:

Aurora Unicorn Chrome Powder: Video Tutorial and Review

Firstly I applied gel polish in different colours (links below) to my popsticks, two coats of each, curing in my hybrid UV/LED lamp for 30 seconds for each coat.

The next step is to apply a no wipe top coat to all of the nails, this is what the powder is rubbed into and what helps it to achieve the chrome look.

After this, I began to apply the Kuka Unicorn Chrome Powder, firstly with a makeup sponge and then I used my silicone tool to really rub the powder into the nail and give the most shiny and smooth effect.

Finished Result using Kuka Unicorn Chrome Powder:

Here are the before and after photos.  You will notice there are two pictures of the white nail, this is because I wanted to really show off the colour shift that you get with this powder over white gel polish, it is gorgeous and I have worn it on my nails many times.  

The last step is to apply another coat of no wipe topcoat to protect the effect, otherwise it will all come off when you shower or wash your hands and you don't want that!

Which is your favourite? I love them all and can't decide which is best!

As I live in the UK, I have included the link for this exact powder below but unfortunatley I cannot find the same one on Amazon US so I have linked the same powder from 'whatsup nails', which is pretty much the same as I have them both!

Let me know in the comments if you have tried this powder and what types of looks you create with it.  I decided that I loved the white and neon pink together so I created a gradient design using both colours and that will be in the next post, along with a Youtube tutorial video so I hope you can join me for that one as well.

All my social media handles are listed below if you would like to see more images and videos of my nail designs, see you next time!

*** Where I bought these products ***

US Links (Affiliate Links):  Unfortunately I cannot find the french pink in US, sorry!

            

UK Links: (Affiliate links)

             

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