{Tested} Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 June 12


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If you’ve had a gel manicure in a salon, then you’ve probably sung the praises of this super-polish more than once. It’s chip-free, dries instantly, last up to two weeks and gives you nails that are shiny as a new penny…but, it will cost you! Salons charge upwards of $40 for one application.

Now, one company Couture Gel Nail Polish sells a kit (retail value: $129) that includes everything you need to get an “invincible 3-week manicure,” according to the company.

We sent 6 testers the kit which includes 3 polishes, a base coat, top coat, carrying case, UV lamp and an instructional DVD. Did this kit nail it? Read on.

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club now!

**Quick take: 6 out of 6 testers would recommend the Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit to other FOFs.**

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DORINDA HALLENBECK – West Chester, PA

Was this product easy to apply?
I received a broken bulb at first, but the company sent me a new one at which point I realized it was the actual light that was defective. The company then sent me a new fixture and it worked. It was easy to apply.

Did it dry quickly? Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
Yes. I did my nails the day new product arrived [three weeks ago]…and still have no chips.

Did your nails appear stronger?
Yes, to some degree.

Would you continue using this product?
Yes, it will be a great money and time saver. The price for the Couture Nail Kit and polish is well worth it. The finished product is very professional looking, as long as you know how to manicure your own nails. They also have many great polish color choices to choose from.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Yes, I’d highly recommend it.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5

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JEANIE GRUPP – Jeannette, PA

Was this product easy to apply?
Yes, the product went on smooth and easily. [I] just followed directions, less polish on [the] brush is better.

Did it dry quickly? Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
The polish dried after the last step (when the alcohol is applied to remove the tackiness).

Did your nails appear stronger?
I believe so. [I] was surprised that they felt harder with the polish on. I liked the result!

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
Absolutely! I love the way the polish goes on, but more importantly, how it saves money in the long run–no more trips to the salon and your nails look wonderful and shiny after two weeks of wear. My nails never looked this good with regular polish. My friends were impressed as to how long I had the polish on without any chipping (2 weeks and one day). [After that,] I changed the polish [because] I was anxious to try another color and my nail beds were growing out. This is a great product and [there are] many colors to choose from.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Definitely. It is an investment but it pays in so many ways. The products were nicely packaged and presented. The instructional video was easy to follow.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5

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SANDRA BULLOCK – Spokane, Washington

Was this product easy to apply?
Yes, very easy!

Did it dry quickly?
[It was] very quick to dry, just a couple of minutes.

Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
Yes, 3 weeks exactly!

Did your nails appear stronger?
Yes! That is what is so great! My nails were weak and brittle [until I used this].

Would you continue using this product?
Absolutely! It is so user friendly.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
You bet!

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5

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MARY K. FLAA – Minneapolis, MN

Was this product easy to apply?
Yes.

Did it dry quickly? Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
It dried quickly using the dryer in between coats. I put mine on 4 weeks ago, [and] it is still intact on all nails. I freshen it up as my nails grow out.

Did your nails appear stronger?
Yes. I work with my hands and have been able to keep them longer with the gel polish on them.

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
Yes! It stays on so well and always looks good.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Yes.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5

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LINDA HILL – Las Vegas, Nevada

Was this product easy to apply?
It was very easy to use.

Did it dry quickly? Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
[It] seemed a bit tacky for a little while, but the alcohol dried it pretty quickly. It has lasted almost 3 weeks now except for one nail that broke off, but I don’t think this was the fault of the product.

Did your nails appear stronger?
My nails are definitely stronger with the gel polish.

Would you continue using this product?
I love it and will continue using it.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
I have recommended this to my friends and a lot of them have used it and love it.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
4 (I had a little bit of trouble getting the light to come on several times.)

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KRISTINE PHELPS – Huntington Beach, CA

Was this product easy to apply?
This was easy to use yourself, but may be even easier if you and a friend apply [it], especially if you don’t have a steady hand. You need to take extra care not to get any polish around the cuticles.

Did it dry quickly? Did you get up to 3 weeks of wear?
It was completely dry after curing under the light! I did get 3 weeks wear from the polish.

Did your nails appear stronger?
They were extremely strong with the polish on. I was not careful with them during the review period to see if they would chip or break. I did nick the tip of one [nail] when opening a hard plastic package about four days in, but was able to file the nick without reapplying it. To remove, you have to soak your nails in pure acetone and scrape off [the] excess. After this, the nail seemed to be weakened a bit, but not as much as after removing artificial nails.

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
Absolutely! I love the look of manicured nails, but hate how quickly regular polish chips or dulls. This gel polish looked like it was just done for weeks and made my natural nail stronger. I would recommend giving your nails a day or two break between uses just to give them some time to breathe and recover from the removal process. The added benefit is the cost savings from having to go to the salon for regular gel manicures.

Would you recommend this product to other FOF members?
I would highly recommend this product.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5

{Tested} Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 May 29

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In the early 90s, celeb dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross, MD, launched his first at-home product, the Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, designed to bring his signature, skin perfecting formula to the rest of us. More recently, he’s launched a new Extra Strength version (retail value: $88 for 30 applications). The two-step peel comes in the form of two containers of pre-soaked towelettes (similar to makeup remover pads.) Step one contains a proprietary blend of five different acids, including Alpha and Beta Hydroxy that Dr. Dennis Gross promises will minimize the appearance of pores, wrinkles and fine lines, and leave you with firmer, brighter, more even skin. Step two contains retinol, natural antioxidants (such as Resveratrol and green tea extract), and Genistien, an ingredient in soy extract that boosts collagen production and soothes the skin. Sounds apeeling but did it actually work? We sent it to 6 FOFs to test. Read on for their reviews.

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club, now!

**Quick take: 5 out of 6 testers would recommend the Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel to other FOFs.**

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M. DIANE GIBSON – San Marcos, NY

Was this product easy to use?
Yes, very easy. The entire procedure took only minutes, and I could feel it working immediately.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
The texture felt softer.  I liked it.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, and reduce pore size and dark spots?
I never had much of a problem with my pores.  However, I have dark patches near my temples.  The product hasn’t done much for this particular problem, which is disappointing.

{click here to read all the reviews!}

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
Definitely yes. It’s much softer and moister.

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
Yes, especially if it starts working on those brown patches. Even still, I like the softer texture it gives my skin.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Of course.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
4.

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CHRISTINE NORMAN – Boise, ID

Was this product easy to use?
Yes, very easy. I used it every morning.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
No, my skin actually broke out in irritating small bumps at one point, which I treated with another product.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, reduce pore size and dark spots?
No.

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
No.

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
No, because I did not see any improvement in the skin on my face. I felt I can get better and much less expensive results with cotton balls and a bottle of astringent and a daily moisturizer.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
No.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
2

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MICHELLE NARVAEZ – Sacramento, CA

Was this product easy to use?
Yes, very simple.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
Yes.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, and reduce pore size and dark spots?
Yes.

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
Yes.

Would you continue using this product?
Yes.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Yes.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
4

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MARLA RUDONI – Santa Rosa, CA

Was this product easy to use?
Yes, extremely easy. The presoaked towelettes/pads are a great and easy way to distribute the product.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
Yes, a very slight difference in my skin’s texture.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, reduce pore size and dark spots?
I think some of my light wrinkles look a bit better and my pores appear less visible. I have melasma and this product did not decrease the color or lighten the pigmentation.

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
The texture was slightly improved but there was no improvement in my skin’s tone. My skin got a bit red and peeled slightly around the folds of the nose area. Nothing a good moisturizer or Clarisonic couldn’t take care of…Other than that, my skin tolerated the product very well.

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
I will not continue to use them. Even though it states the product is ‘best suited for stubborn skin conditions that have not responded favorably to other anti-aging treatments,’ it might not have been strong enough for me to see results.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Yes, because everyone’s skin is different.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
4.

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CELESTE M. CRAGO – Bluffton, SC

Was this product easy to use?
Yes, very easy. It is a two-step procedure, two jars of product used two minutes apart. The pads are very thin, but hold a lot of  liquid. There is enough product in one pad to cover my face, neck, decollete and hands, which was impressive. I actually look forward to using the product. It makes my face feel fresh.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
I used it on my face, neck, decollete and hands. I was a beach babe in my youth and now my skin is doing all kinds of weird things.  I was impressed to notice a difference in only 5 days, and by day 7, I knew I wasn’t imagining it.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, reduce pore size and dark spots?
My dark spots on my hands have noticeably improved.  Lines around my mouth and eyes are more smooth, and my pores are tighter.

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
Most definitely!

Would you continue using this product? Why or why not?
I will definitely  want to use this product, at least three to four more months. I still have discoloration that I would like to fade or hopefully, erase. I think using this product, I am likely to get these results.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Definitely, but I think you’ll have to use it for several months to see if it will work for you.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
5.

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BERTI KATZ – Suffern, NY

Was this product easy to use?
Yes.

Did you see a difference in your skin?
Yes.

Did the product diminish wrinkles, reduce pore size and dark spots?
It reduced pore size noticeably, reduced dark spots very slightly, however, it did not diminish wrinkles.

Did it improve your skin’s tone and texture?
Yes, a little.

Would you continue using this product?  Why or why not?
No, because I do think that it was effective enough to warrant the price.

Would you recommend this product to other FOFs?
Yes, if they are willing to pay that much for it.

Please rate this product from 1 (Ugh. This was the worst) to 5 (Loved it!):
3.5

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