Semilac Hybrid Gel Polish Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone,

A few weeks ago I was sent some gel polishes from Semilac UK to swatch and review, unfortunately my current illness hasn't been playing ball so this review has been a bit delayed but I wanted to give them a wear test before posting anything as I hadn't tried them before.

Semilac is a brand from Poland which has now been launched in the UK and you may know it more from the face of the brand - Amy Childs.

The press info I received with my polishes says - 'The highly pigmented nature of the range creates intense colour that means often one coat of Semilac polish is required to last up to four weeks. Semilac also offers a high building formula used to extend the nail plate by up to 5mm.'

'Competitively priced at £8 per bottle, Semilac's range is a highly durable, long lasting and striking nail range that rivals the top gel nail polish brands currently on the market'

So after reading all of this I was keen to get these on my nails.

I was sent 2 gel polishes and a 'normal' polish to try -

When I opened the bottles I was really happy with how the polish looked, it was a nice consistency, not gloopy or thick or runny - it was just what you expect when you hear 'Gel' I was also over the moon with the brush. Any regular readers will know I am a big fan of a big flat brush and this is exactly what they are - personally I feel you get a better application with these brushes.

I was asked if I had and favourite colours and at the moment I am loving dusky tones and as you all should know by now blue is my go to colour and although I would have been excited to try any colours I got a dusky pink and blues which in the bottles look gorgeous and so pigmented.

074 - Prussian Blue - This blue is gorgeous, I know with blue I am easy to please but honestly this one really is a must have...But it was hard to capture the true colour in a photograph! Here it looks navy but its much more of a teal blue, my 1st thought when I saw it was Tartan! (Keep an eye on my social media because tartan nails are coming soon)

 057 - Nude Beige Rose -  Another gorgeous polish that is best describes as a dusky rose colour. When I hear the term dusky rose I instantly have an colour in my head and this polish is it, for me it's perfection. It is such an easy to wear shade that would suit anyone and again I had nail art ideas popping into my head straightaway. (again watch this space)

So they are the Gel Polishes I was sent and I can definitely say this is a brand I want to own more of!

Application - the formula of this polish meant it just glided on, it covered perfectly and leveled itself for a flawless finish and yes if you were in a hurry you could do 1 coat and it would be perfect but for the true depth of colour always 2 coats. The shine on them even before I had top coated was so glossy and it looked smooth and just brilliant.

I 100% recommend this brand and can guarantee I will be trying more.

I said I wanted to do a wear test on these before posting and I had them on for 10 days and they were still perfect (I forgot to photograph...sorry!) and could have easily got longer out of them but I needed a colour change! Obviously I have acrylic overlays so gel does last longer but I do still get chips and wear with other brands. 

I always tell my clients that its not the same for everyone - gel polish can last weeks but the condition of your natural nail and how they are looked after in between application will effect the wear as can hormones, health, medications etc so some people get longer than others.

My Application -

I have acrylic overlays on my nails so my application does miss out base coat, I just ensure they are clean and have a slightly rough surface for the gel to bond to but this is how I would apply with a base.

• Clean nails, push back cuticles and wipe over with wipe off to remove any oils.
• Apply a thin, even coat of base and cure UV 2mins, LED 45secs (I use LED)
• Apply thin coat of chosen colour and cure UV 2mins, LED 45secs
• If you require it (I chose to) apply another coat and cure UV 2mins, LED 45secs
• Finally finish with top coat (I used my normal one for these swatches) and finally cure UV 2mins, LED 45secs or for the appropriate time for your chosen brand.
• If its a tacky top coat use wipe off/cleanser on a lint free pad to remove
• Finally cuticle oil!!

I was also sent another standard polish appropriately named Cobalt - Cobalt blue really is the best description for it. This polish was also very highly pigmented, as it's not a gel it wasn't as thick but the formula was still great. It applied well, dried fast and was super shiny. It definitely need to coats for full depth coverage.

Thank you Semillac for sending me these bits I was really happy with brand and will definitely be trying more.

If I have tempted you with these you can find them here - Semilac UK
You can also find them on Twitter - @Semilac, Facebook Semilacuk, Instagram @Semilac_uk

I hope you have enjoyed this review - Please leave me any comments below

Love
Helen aka Cinderhellie xx