Monday, March 4, 2013

Haute Nail Polish Kit Review (Gel Nails)

I won a Haute Nail Polish Kit a week ago. I was really, really excited. I haven't painted my nails in over 4 years. Mainly because I wash dishes with bleach, use a mop that requires me to wring it with my hand, type a lot and I work outside a lot. It's pretty impractical to wear nail polish. In the past, I got some pretty nasty comments from males and females alike about my nail polish chipping. The length of time that the nail polish lasted versus the time it took to apply the nail polish, wait for it to dry and remove just didn't seem worth it. I left painting my nails for special occasions, Sundays and days when I needed some TLC.

I've heard about gel nail polish for a while now but when I saw how complicated the process was if you decided to use tips, that you needed to apply a base coat, gel color and top coat, wait for each to dry under a lamp, that some systems can cause up to $160.00, that you had to soak your nails to remove the polish and that each bottle of color/coat can cost up to $16.00 each (that's almost $48 for the base coat, gel color and top coat), there was no way as a student that I could afford the system.

The Haute Nail Polish Kit comes with an LED Talking Smart Setting Light (affectionately called 'Emily'), AC Adapter, Classic Red Polish Shade (0.35 oz), Remover Pockets, Cleaner & Finisher Wipes, Nail Buffer and Detailing Wands. You can turn talking 'Emily' off by simply holding the button on the lamp for 5 seconds. The lamp is timed and automatically turns off after the 60 second setting period. The kit is neatly packaged and promises fast, easy and beautiful gel nails in minutes. After using the product, this was true for me. The kit also promises to last up to 2 weeks without the need for a base or  top coats for nails that are 500% shinier than regular nail polish and have a chip-free shine.

The One & Only Haute Nail Polish Kit

Clear Instructions with Pictures

Nail Swatches

I was lucky enough to win a Haute Polish System and a bottle of their Classic Red Haute Polish. This system only requires the use of the Haute Polish, a buffing stick, cleaner/finisher wipes and their LED Talking Smart Light to apply the gel color. The process is simple. So simple in fact that after watching a video on youtube and their instructions that come with pictures, I felt like a pro. As with all new things, it's good to use trial and error. I did and found it to be fun.

TIPS: I buffed my nails and wiped them with a cleaner wipe. I used the same cleaner wipe to remove the tacky film that is left on the nails after setting the nails under the LED lamp. I also applied three coats of polish to my nails. I applied a thin layer at first and then added two thicker layers. Each time I dried my nails under the LED lamp twice and wiped away the tacky film.Online this product has been getting some negative reviews. I was hesitant to write a review and didn't have to if I didn't like the product. Some complaints have been that the polish doesn't dry and still feels sticky.  I think one of the fears that people had was after drying their nails under the lamp, the nails still felt sticky and they didn't want to wipe the nails with the cleaner wipe because the color might come off. I had the same fear until I used the cleaner wipe to wipe the sticky feeling off of each nail. There will be some color residue on the wipe but my nail color was fine and my nails did NOT feel sticky. The polish didn't completely wipe off. Again, WIPE OFF THE TACKY FILM AFTER DRYING!! I've had problems with regular nail polish coming off an hour after applying. I didn't have this problem.

Also, people have complained about the polish colors appearing brighter after application. This is true. Please keep this in mind. I think of  gel nails as a plastic and as a result, the polish is expected to look brighter after setting. I was also okay with this.

REVIEW: Overall I was pleased with my nails. I thought they looked so cute and shiny (even in dim light). I couldn't stop going to look at them in brighter light. Yes, I applied three coats but I would prefer to do that as opposed to buying the top coat, base coat and gel color. The instructions also recommend applying a second or third coat to intensify colors and with regular polish I typically apply two coats. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to try additional colors and I am curious to see how long the color will last on my nails. I've never tried gel nails before so this is a first for me. The process was simple and fun especially for an evening of much needed alone time. I really like the look and feel of my nails. I will post updates on the nails. Please remember to seal the edges of your nails to avoid chipping.


Trying to catch the glossy look in better light.

Nails in Dim Light 

Picture of finished nails (My camera doesn't capture how shiny my nails are.)


I want to thank Emily P-S for sending me the kit and the Luminess Air team. I wasn't paid to give a review but I loved the polish so much that I decided to write a review.

More information on the kit can be found on www.HautePolish.com  or you can call (877) 384-0396. The site is user friendly and has videos, nail polish colors, FAQs, purchasing information and so much more!

What do you guys think of the nails? Have you all tried gel nails before? Which systems do you use? Which ones are you interested in? Don't be afraid to leave a comment below.

46 comments:

  1. Hi! I'm thinking of buying this system. How long did the nail colour last, and was it difficult to remove? Thanks!

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    1. Hi,
      Interestingly, I used the Sally Hansen Salon Insta Gel Strips that I got as a gift and my nails are brittle and damaged after removing; they take a while of soaking to remove. It also required a lot of steps and did not look as neat as I wanted it to. I use the Haute Nail Polish Kit and it's just one bottle of polish that I use. I apply two coats and dry in between each coat. You don't have to do do much. Remember to seal the nail at the edge. It's great if I'm in a rush to go out and have 15 minutes to spare (I do one coat).I love how shiny they are. I do dishes and it usually lasts me a week because of all the wear plus I don't like to keep things on for long. I sometimes wear gloves too when doing dishes (I do that with all polish that I put on). It really isn't difficult to remove and a tip is that sometimes I use rubbing alcohol to remove the gel polish (if you run out of removal packets). I like the kit. Hopefully, you can get the kit on sale. They have had several sales over the past few weeks. Maybe it would be useful to buy a small nail brush to seal the edges. I haven't tried any other gel kits but these two and I am pretty satisfied with the Haute kit. There are quite a few reviews out there and I hope that I was helpful. Don't be afraid to ask questions!Thanks for reading the review.

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  2. Thanks for the info. I'll definitely buy it if I can get it on sale

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    1. No prob! HSN has a sale (http://www.hsn.com/products/gel-haute-polish-gel-nail-kit/10063131). I think one bottle of polish comes with it not the three that are displayed. Don't be afraid to ask me questions if you do get it!Take care.

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  3. Hi I am trying to understand the 3 coats you put. you applied a thin layer first and then added two thicker layers. So each time you dried my nails under the LED lamp twice and wiped away the tacky film? The twice does not make sense to me since you did 3 layers I am confused on this part
    TIA

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    1. Hi Mary,

      Sorry for the confusion. The only time that I wiped away the tacky film was after the final coat had dried. Also, I just dried the nails twice after each coat b/c I'm sorta anal (I wanted to make sure that the coats were hardened). You can apply 1 coat and put your nails under the LED light. Then apply another and put nails under the LED light and then apply a final coat and put under the LED light. The amount of coats you apply is your personal preference on how dark you want the polish to be or how thick you like your nail polish to be in general. I like dark colors and nail polish to be thick on my nails so I used three coats. Don't be afraid to ask anymore questions. I hope that I was able to answer you question adequately.

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  4. I bought the GHP Nail Systems Shellac kit on a Groupon for thirty bucks. I always get shellac in the salon and now see the kits at the store. This particular system has the polish color that does not paint on bold at all. The color is sheer at best. The UV light that comes in the kits is small, which is fine for me, but it is very very very weak! I had to leave my nails in it three times the recommended time and it took me about an hour to get all the coats on. I would recommend buying a powerful UV lamp and trying not to go the cheap route.

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    1. Thanks for your response. I don't get my nails done in a salon so I've never experienced Shellac or Gel Polish by a professional. I think that Shellac and Gel Polish are two very different things. Also, Haute Polish uses a LED lamp not a UV lamp. One of my main concerns as a college kid is getting nice looking nails on a budget. Paying $30 for a start up gel kit that has given me good results to me is pretty nice. I have friends that pay $30 per salon visit. I recently bought ORLY's Liquid Vinyl nail lacquer for about $7 and applied it today. I forgot how regular nail polish never seems to dry properly, doesn't have a finished looked, is a hit or miss on some nails with certain polish brands and is so easily ruined. I'm about to take it off. It's nothing like gel polish. I also think that in the long run because Gel Polish's use LED lamps as opposed to UV lamps, the cost is less because you don't have to change bulbs with the LED lamps as opposed to UV lamps. I typically apply three coats and it takes me maybe 30 minutes at most and my polish is dried and has a glossy finish. It's up to you as a consumer. Some people like permanent nail polish (Shellac) others like gel polish. The Shellac kits that I've seen are definitely out of my budget until I get established in a job and I'm ready to commit to a single system. Also, the Gel Haute Polish is the first generation of the system. The Haute Polish system is 'second generation' and is a much improved product. It's cool that you get your nails done in a salon. How often do you get them done? Which hues do you prefer the most?

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  5. Please do me and yourself a favor and DO NOT BUY THIS! I bought this and extra products through a living social deal. Two of the nail polishes were dried out, the bright blue was sheer at best, the light does not stay on for more than 60 seconds and it DOES NOT dry the polish. When I tried to call the company for a refund (which operates under Luminess Direct LLC) they said it was final sale because of the livingsocial deal. They would NOT offer me ANY refund at all, even for the extra products I bought through them, not covered under the livingsocial deal, and just kept saying it was final sale. The best they were going to do was send me more polish, but if the light doesn't work the polish will do me no good. They tried to give me tips about using a cleaning cloth to wipe off the excess after using the light, but since the light was not drying it, we all know that if you wipe off something that is wet it is just going to all come off, and that is exactly what happened when I tried. They said they would not replace the UV light. I currently have a dispute filed with them through the Houston Better Business Bureau and through my credit card company. PLEASE save yourself the headache and DO NOT buy any products from GHP Nails or Hautepolish.com

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment. I appreciate your honesty. I'm sorry that you have to go through so much trouble to get your complaint justified. It seems as if this has something to do with most likely the fine print associated with the deal that you made on Livingsocial as opposed to buying the product directly from the manufacturers or from a distributor like Target. The uv light is supposed to stay on for 60 seconds. That is the way that it was designed to work so that you don't have to time the light yourself. There have been several complaints about the polish not drying. I think I wrote about this in my review. After the polish has been cured for 60 seconds under the light, there is a 'filmy' coat. The POLISH FEELS STICKY and sort of wet BUT IT'S NOT WET. You just have to remove that tacky film by using the cleaning cloth that was sent with the product. The polish will not feel sticky afterwards. The gel polish that you are using is not like regular nail polish. I had to keep that in mind when using the product. Also, it is recommended that you use at least two coats. The manufacturer has noted that the polish dries lighter than what is noted on the bottle. Apply the polish, dry under the light. Apply another coat, dry under the light. Wipe off the sticky coat with the cleaning cloth. I can understand them replacing the polish. That seems fair. Try the recommended procedures with an open mind just for the sake of it to see if the product really works before passing judgement. If you have any questions or need assistance, you can contact me again. I don't have a problem with it. Good Luck.

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    2. I had the same problem as the girl above. I didnt get to the color part because my problem was the base coat wouldnt dry at all. It wouldnt cure and I tried 3 times under the light and used a very thing coat. It seems that if I tested to see if it had cured, it was still as wet as when i put it on before I put it under the light. If I could get to the final step, I would totally understand the sticky part b/c I get them done in salons all of the time and that is normal. But I can't get to that point :(

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    3. Humm...I've never experienced this problem. I would advise you to contact customer service via their facebook page. Usually, my base coat is sticky but that is to be expected. I just add 2 more coats and let them cure. I'm sorry to hear you had this experience.

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    4. Would someone please tell me how much the kit costs after the $14.95 trial, for hautenail.com? They don't even tell you in the terms and conditions. I want to know how much it will be if I decide to keep the set. I understand you get two free bottles of your choice of colors, but how many comes with the kit? also they send you a kit for a friend too. I just need to know the price.

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    5. Lovely Linda, I don't want to give you a price because what I say today may not be the price tomorrow. I would advise you to look up the product on Targets website or speak to a representative from Haute Polish's website or facebook. I know that they respond quite quickly on facebook. I hope that helps. If you have any more questions about contacting them don't hesitate to ask. Thanks!

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    6. seems to me the neg reviews are not following directions to the exact ! the base & top coats are meant to be wet/sticky this when done properly is your beautiful shine/no chipping & lasting 2 weeks. Its great if done right, but u need to set aside ur nail time & devote with no one distracting u. keep practicing its worth it & UR worth it. once u do u will be doing then in 12 min like the nail salon's & saving that 20+ dollars they charge. i love it because i have to keep nails short & this makes short nails look great........good luck to all!! ~peace, de

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    7. Thanks for the positive comment. I've been using Sensationail and let me tell you, getting that polish of my nails is a disaster! I love this kit. Keep me updated and thanks for commenting!

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  6. I deleted the previous comment because it was spam with a link. I value my readers safety and chose to remove the link for that reason.

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  7. Have you tried painting your nails with regular nail polish and then putting a clear coat of gel polish on top? I'm just wondering if that might be a cheaper way to get loads of colors but still the protection of the gel on top.

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    1. Hi Karen,

      You know I am curious to try that out. The thing is that because this polish is an all in one, a top coat isn't needed with the kit. I think this may be the only drawback if you did want to experiment. I may purchase a top coat from another brand or the top coat from their 1st generation version and try it out...It may take a few months though. I'm out of the country for the summer break.

      Although. I did look online at http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/04/extend-manicure-clear-gel-top-coat.html and this is what I found out:

      "Yesterday I received the following email from a colleague here at Allure:
      "This weekend I was at the salon getting my hair done and the woman shampooing my hair said she always gets a gel topcoat on her manicures—JUST the topcoat is the gel. She said that way you don't have the limited color selection of gels, it doesn't take any longer than a reg manicure + drying time, and it comes off easily, just a little filing (not the crazy removal process when you have color + topcoat in gel form)."

      My first thought was, Wow, what a smart trick! But the more I thought about it, the more this technique seemed too good to be true (not to mention that the safety of gel manicures is still debatable, until further research is available). So I emailed manicurist Elle to get to the bottom of it. Here's what she said: "It doesn't always work, and you need a lot of patience to get it right. With a regular manicure, your drying time at the salon is about 20 minutes, but it actually takes 24 hours for the solvents in regular polish to fully dry. If the solvents aren't fully dry, then putting on a gel topcoat is going to seal in wet polish. Or the topcoat could just slip right off."

      "Elle did say that you could go back to the salon the next day to get the clear gel cured on top of your polish (not exactly a practical solution), or use an at-home gel kit (but we've never tried this). And in terms of removal, yes, it will be easier to take off and less damaging to your nails because it's just regular nail polish on top of the natural nail, and you won't need to soak them in pure acetone (which is extremely drying). But really, Elle wrote, there's no guarantee that this technique will work. "You may be lucky, but if you don't do it correctly, you don't get the benefits."

      I did look around on google and many are saying that you have to make sure that the regular nail polish is dry before applying the top coat. If you have time and lots of patience this does seem like an option. Thanks for asking. I hope it was helpful!

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  8. Thanks for researching! It sounds like you'd have to be verrrry careful and wait the 24 hours without chipping the polish LOL.

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    1. Sure, no problem. I may put up a review of the Sally Hansen gel nails in a few days. Sigh... my experience horrible. I am thinking about writing more posts but I'm not sure exactly what people are interested in. If you don't mind me asking, what types of posts do you like to read? I can do more reviews of stuff. I can also write about life lessons and things like that. Also, have you purchased a gel nail kit? Which one do you normally use? BTW, Haute Polish does have a sale on polishes. They are now $12 a bottle. Maybe they can be my end of the quarter treat or something. Thanks for reading!

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  9. I recent got my haute polish kit. I love it and
    rst round of polish I out on lasted a good long while! The second one that just out on doesn't want to stay on. It keeps lifting, and then will just come off in one piece. I did all the steps and took my time, also used 3 coats, just wondering if you had any advice? My polish did get left in my Carr
    So I wonder if the heat may have ruined it?

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    1. Hi Cody,

      I'm going to assume that it's because you left the polish out in the car. You want to keep the polish stored in a cool, dark place. I keep the kit in my linen closet (I like to keep all the parts together and I can easily find it there). Even with regular nail polish this can be a problem because the heat can cause the polish bottle to break or leak or to separate the chemicals and oils in the polish. This summer has been extremely hot and I try to encourage my mom to do all my makeup in the house just to avoid leaving them in the car, especially the lipstick. I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Also, make sure that you are filing you nail plate a bit for traction and that you are wiping all the oils off your nail plate and pushing back the cuticles. I also like to give my nails a break from polish every so often.

      I just looked it up and they have a sale on polish on their website. It's 2 for 15, 3 for 25 or 1 for 12. Thanks for reading and I hope that this helps!

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    2. Hello,

      I actually had the same problem with the polish just coming right off. In addition it burns when I put my nails under the LED light. I found out that this is due to me using thick coats instead of thin coats of the gel polish. However, I was applying thick coats because when applied the polish thin it was sheer, almost clear. I love how it looks when I apply thick coats but the burning and the polish coming off the next day doesn't seem worth it. Has this ever happened to you when applying thick coats?

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    3. Hi Monica,
      The burning part I know about. It's because the polish was on your skin when you put it under the LED light. Because the polish is a plastic polymer (I think) when it cures under the light you have the effect. I just push my cuticles back and make sure to just apply the polish on my nails. Other than that I've never had a burning sensation on my nails. When I first experimented with nail polish in general I would put a glob of polish on my nails and it would look a mess and take forever to dry. But I just apply 3 thin coats and I'm good to go. What colors have you tried out in the polish?

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  10. Can anyone tell me the price of the system? They won't even say when you call

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    1. You can check out the price of the system at:

      Target: http://www.target.com/p/haute-polish-gel-nail-polish-starter-kit-classic-red/-/A-14288867

      Luminess Air: https://www.luminessair.com/Store/ATI_ViewProduct.aspx?CategoryId=79

      or their website. All the prices are listed on each of the websites. Good luck!

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  11. I was looking this up because last night when I couldn't sleep I saw an add on TV. It seemed to good to be true with a buy 1 get 1 free kit for $14.95. Plus I think they said that you get 3 bottles of polish with each and maybe 2 extra bottles? I was sort of zoning because it was way after my bed time. Thank you for the nice review. Does the polish make your nails any stronger? My nails are very thin and flexible. I think that's one reason my polish starts chipping within hours and I know it's why my nails break so easily.

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    1. Hi Patti,

      Thanks. Humm...it doesn't make my nails stronger but I am a nail biter so having the polish on that long deters me from biting my nails. Wow! I didn't know that you get the buy 1 get 1 free for $14.95. Where did you see that? I'm sure readers would love to buy one at that price. I'm curious about the 3 bottles of polish. It shows a picture of 3 bottles of polish but usually you only get 1 bottle. Thanks for commenting!

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  12. web site says about by one get one free for @14.95

    "Try Haute Polish for only $14.95. Then after 30 days when you love Haute Polish, it's only one easy payment of fifty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents." So rounded up the total cost is $75 plus S&H for orders under $100
    Laura

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  13. Oh wow Laura! Thanks so much for the update. I didn't see the fine print. I apologize. Then it maybe best to purchase off of Target's website for $59 or off the Luminess Air website. They are having a Labor Day sale so the kit is for $29.00 today on sale and it is regularly priced at $60.

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  14. Hello, I found your site to be very helpful! I was looking for the final cost of Haute and was able to find out through here. Also your info on the usage was very helpful. I am thinking about taking advantage of the bogo they offered and it did offer two additional polishes with the one that came with the $14.95 offer. They didn't have one of the colors that I wanted so I'm going to wait them out and see if they restock. Again thank you for the information!

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    1. Hi it's no problem although there was a previous commentor that said that the $14.95 deal meant that after 30 days you would have to pay the full price. This is also for the BOGO. Please make SURE AND READ THE FINE PRINT. I don't want you to spend any more money that you intended to. Times are hard. I'm thinking about buying some more polishes for a Christmas present for myself. I've been watching for a restock for quite a while and I haven't seen any...maybe they are coming out with some new colors? You may have to wait quite a while for the restock of colors that you want. Thanks for commenting and I'm happy that I could have been of help.

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  15. I looked at the website about 45 minutes ago and today is 10.24.13 @ 9:32 am. Its 14.95 for a 30 day trial at the end of 30 days its 3 monthly installments of 33.00. and its buy one get one with Free shipping so if the stuff works...it breaks it down to about 56.00 a kit which would be great ..if it works.

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    1. Thanks for the update and doing the math! That's about the price of one of the gel kits in CVS or Walgreens. I think you can also just purchase 1 off the target website for about the same price. You can also check out the HSN website. Thanks for the advice and reading!

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  16. Hi there how was the removal process? I always have a problem with my nails getting damaged with gel polish.

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    1. It's a pretty simple process. Just use the wipes and foil that they provide or you can use your own foil and nail polish remover to soak away the polish. Thanks for reading.

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  17. Only was wondering...your nails look like they are dark pink..I thought the commercial said they send only bottle of red...are your nails painted pink or red? Sorry seems like a silly question...BTW they look lovely..mine can't keep polish on either and I have never tried gel or anything other than doing my own nails w/polish and trying all the sally hansen hardening systems that don't work. Thanks, sherri.

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    1. My nails were bright red. I should have taken the picture outside. There are no silly questions. It's cool. If you have any other questions you can always ask. Thanks for reading.

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  18. I love my new haute polish kit. I gave my mother inlaw the second kit. I also noticed that some colors were out of stock so I going to wait to order more. I like the clear though. I have to remember you have to call and cancel or you will get random polish every 3 months for $20 a month. I rather pick the colors I like and order when I need them. Right now on their site there is couple sales. Some colors are $9 right now and the trios are on sale also.

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    1. Thanks Jane for the update! That sounds like a great deal. I can't wait to check it out!

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  19. Hi Callie
    I'm in the UK & just received the polishes I ordered but the colours bear no resemblance to the ones on the website.Also I'm finding that they are really sheet & it's difficult to get an even finish. Any suggestions?

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    1. Hi Mim,

      Sorry you had a bad experience. The polishes are lighter than they appear on the website. I would say add about 2-3 coats. As for the uneven finish, I typically apply thin layers. It takes some practice. If you are still having problems you can contact them on their facebook page or you can ask me more questions. Thanks.

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  20. I had this whole system for xmas,I did everything by the book,it looked brilliant,the dissapointment came after 2 days when it started to come off.so much for it lasting up to 2 wks.i can't make my mind up weather i want to keep the system or sell it & stick to waht I know just painting them with my normal polish,I may try what you you wrote paint them twice then use then wipe the stickiness off.sounds like a plan.

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    1. Yeah, I always do two-three coats. Also, I would advise pushing the cuticles back. I hate pushing my cuticles and have never done so but if you paint on the skin or the cuticle, the polish will most likely come off. Also, please use caution when pushing your cuticles back! They have a purpose to protect the nail and I would advise you to do some reading on the proper way to do this. Don't remove your cuticles! I hope this helps.

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  21. What a disappointment to find out that one is unable to return polishes unopened. We had such high hopes when we found out about the “Haute Polish System” that we bought the upgraded LED light dryer & extra polish. We were very happy after we applied the first application & it was dried. When it came time to remove the polish it turned into a real ordeal. The packets didn’t work nor even 100% acetone. Yes , we made sure the packet pads were directly on the nail & left- wrapped for 15 min. Our disappointment didn’t end there. When I called in I was informed that the order for the extra polish , that we hadn’t even received yet, was non returnable. There were not any further suggestions for the process to remove the polish. What a “BIG” disappointment in Haute Polish.

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