Red Carpet Manicure Fortify & Protect Review
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The Red Carpet Manicure formula has the longevity and application experience of a professional brand. I suspect the reason is it’s owned by the same company, Nail Alliance, that also owns Gelish, a salon staple.
The formula is designed to nourish the nails, featuring beneficial ingredients like Biotin and Vitamin A (in the form of Retinol).
While the Gel Base and Top Coat do contain HEMA, I personally haven’t experienced any sensitivity with this line—despite having reacted to higher levels of HEMA in other brands.
I did notice that some online sources mention HEMA and phthalates in the Gel Color formulas. However, neither of these ingredients were listed on the label of the shade I used.
Ingredient lists can vary, so it’s always a good idea to double-check your specific bottle if you have sensitivities or ingredient preferences.
Ingredients aside, the formula is self leveling, cures quickly and is easy to work with. Once on your nail, it’s also long lasting.
Now let’s walk through a Fortify & Protect Gel Manicure:
Your gel manicure begins with prep.
Start with removing your previous manicure, pushing back your cuticles, filing your nails to shape and buffing your nail plate until the shine is gone.
When it comes to filing your nails - file in only one direction and use a smoothing file as your finishing step. This prevents snags on the tips of the nails that can lead to chips.
Now your nails are ready to be painted.
If you have a full size Red Carpet Manicure LED Lamp, paint a thin layer of base, capping the nail’s edge, on all five nails of whichever hand you’re starting on. Then cure.
Your curing time will depend on your lamp’s instructions - always follow your lamp’s recommended cure time.
It also has a compact size which makes it easy for storing and it plugs in via USB so you can plug your nail lamp into a back up battery pack and do your nails during a power outage or on a remote vacation.
Repeat the process with your color coat. You will typically need 2-3 coats of color, curing in between each coat.
Just like above, cure your thumb separately if you have a smaller lamp or paint all nails on one hand and then cure.
Typically with gel polish, you’ll work either 1 finger or hand at a time.
You will usually not be working on both hands at once. This is different compared to nail polish where you paint all 10 nails then going back in for the 2nd round.
Nail polish air dries and sets as you go, so your design sets as you work.
With gel, your design can shift or move until you cure it as it does not set until under the lamp.
So working 1 hand or 1 nail at a time increases precision.
When you work 1 nail or hand at a time, and cure after each, your work doesn’t have time to shift or budge before you get it in the lamp. This allows you to set designs exactly as you finished them.
Red Carpet Manicure Fortify & Protect Bite Size
Shown in 2 coats, this is Bite Size, a summery flamingo pink creme with warm undertones. Bite Size is a cheerful, happy shade, making it a perfect pink for a sunny day.
To recap, the instructions to use Red Carpet Manicure Fortify & Protect:
- Prep your nails well. Remove existing nail lacquer, push back your cuticles, file your nails and buff your nail bed until all shine is gone.
- Cleanse and dehydrate your nails. Use a dusting brush and lint free wipe saturated in nail cleanser to clean the nail’s surface. Apply a dehydrator to prime the nail.
- Apply a thin layer of the Fortify & Protect Gel Base Coat. Seal the nail tips. Remove any excess gel on the skin around the nail before curing. Cure under the lamp for as long as your lamp recommends.
- Apply 2 layers of Fortify & Protect Gel Polish. Sealing the tips each time, remove any excess gel around the nail and cure under the lamp between coats.
- Apply a layer of Fortify & Protect Gel Top Coat. Seal the tips, remove any excess gel around the nail and cure under the nail.
- Cleanse the nail with a lint-free wipe saturated in Red Carpet Manicure Purify.
- Apply Red Carpet Manicure Revitalize or any cuticle oil.
For a longer lasting gel manicure, I’ve found it helps to avoid submerging your nails in water for around 24 hours following your manicure. If possible, avoid showering until after you’ve reached this mark.
Continue to keep water contact minimal and oil your nails daily. Oiling your cuticles and nails helps keep the gel polish flexible, which prevents it from drying out and chipping prematurely.
Finally, don’t pick at the edges of your manicure. Picking at your nails can prematurely lift the seal and decrease the life of your manicure.
If you’re tempted to pick, oil instead.
All in all, Red Carpet Manicure Fortify & Protect is a quality gel nail polish line that offers a range of colors. For best results, use Fortify & Protect only with other Red Carpet Manicure products.
They sell several all-in-one gel manicure kits that contain everything you need to begin your at home gel manicure journey.
This is due to the presence of a small amount of retinol and the potential for phthalates—listed as an ingredient in some other shades, though not in the one I used.
Though, the absorption potential is probably low and my preferences may differ from yours.
It’s always great to double-check ingredient lists on the labels of the bottles you have if you're navigating specific concerns. The ingredients listed online often vary from your specific bottle - this is true across many industries.
All that said, Red Carpet Manicure’s Fortify & Protect line has worked well for me and I’ve been experimenting with it for about 3 months so far.
I’ve enjoyed how easy it is to apply and the longevity of the formulas. You can get up to 21 days of wear time depending on your prep, after care and how fast your nails grow.
To end, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to try the Fortify & Protect Gel Polish line and happy it came into my life. It’s a helpful addition to the at home gel manicure world that I’m glad exists, because it works.
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