SNS Dipping Powder Gel Base, Top Coat, Sealer Dry & Ea Bond - 4 Piece Nail Kit for Salon & Home Manicures (Packaging May Vary) - Perfect for DIY Nails, Professional Salons & Long-Lasting Gel Manicures

When used correctly this set works amazingly! I’m sort of new to SNS powder nails and it took me a while to figure it out/get the hang of it. The instructions on the Amazon page for this set are great and when followed yield excellent results. The only thing that was a bit tricky is that in order to get the hard shiny nails like you do at the salon you MUST dry your nails using a fan after the clear coat on top. I don’t think the instructions say this and when I finally figured this out I got the same results I get in the salon!Love this stuff!! BUT!! Make sure you get the SNS brush cleaner because you will need it! Alot! My only gripe about this stuff is the step 4s brush gets all stuff from the activator, even if you wipe after every use.Its easy to use, works with any powder, and its hard! Hard to break!My main problem so far with other acrylic dip systems is that they get lumpy and the top coat doesn't have very good shine. I do not have these problems with SNS! I've converted. I love it. It's simple to use with clear instructions--although, do know that the instructions didn't come in the packaging. I googled it and found a PDF that explained how to use it. You can find it here: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1H8yI2CxuS.pdfI do it a little differently from the directions, though. Instead of buffing prior to sealer dry, I buff after. I find it leaves less residue on my buffing blocks and I feel like it gives me a more realistic idea of what my nails are going to look like in the end. Sometimes I stamp on my nails (see picture). In that case, I buff after sealer dry, wash my hands, and then stamp.They really aren't kidding when they say the top coat has to be applied SUPER thinly! The thinner you apply it, the shinier your nails.The manicure I've shown pictured was done sixteen days ago and still hasn't chipped, though it does catch my hair a little. I got right up against my cuticles on a couple nails, so as it grows out it does get a little catchy. User error, though.This stuff is great! I prefer it far more than TP, Gelish, and OPI. With TP, I didn't get the same shine and my manicure only lasted a week. Gelish chipped after a week and a half. And my friend's OPI top coat bottle was glued shut on arrival and she couldn't get it open. Everything else worked fine, but it's kind of pointless if you're forced to use a regular top coat. Also, there aren't a lot of reviews for OPI's gel dip system (that I could find) on Amazon, so I decided to try SNS.I've done three manicures with this product. It soaks off fairly easily. I use those plastic tips to remove my manicures, but they don't retain the acetone as well as tin foil, so tin foil allows for easier removal. It lasts incredibly long. Stamping on them is easy and effective. Over two weeks into each manicure, I was still waiting for it to chip and really just removed them because I wanted something new. I'm obsessed with SNS.If I can get the same professional looking and feeling manicure for this price, and have such fantastic, long-lasting results, I can only say heck yes!I got SNS done at a salon a few weeks ago, and I instantly wanted to try and do it at home for cheaper! I came online and saw this product, and was a little skeptical after the 3 star review. I decided to order it anyway and give it a shot for myself. After a slight learning curve, I'm in love!The first time I applied it, I absolutely hated it. The product was lumpy, and just did not go on smooth. The brush for the gel base had hardened in an area, and was making the application not come out even at all. After doing some research online, I had found that with the base and the top coat, you are supposed to wipe off the brush of each of these after 2 nail applications. This prevents product build up and from hardening. I was able to pull the lumpy part out of the bristles, and soaked it in acetone, and the brush has been fine since then. After I apply the product on two nails, I just rub the bristles between a paper towel. The other thing I learned offline is to keep it from hardening, once you are completely finished with application, I wipe the brush off on a paper towel dipped in acetone, as well as wiping the inside part of the bottle with the same. Definitely a pain, but this has prevented the hardening so far!My second application, I used the above techniques and my nails turned out great! Definitely will be using this product in place of my at home gel system!For those saying theirs does not come out shiny, while I didn't have any issues with this, the tips I found online are:1. After applying the base and powder to all nails (with the desired number of coats), apply the sealer in a thing layer.2. Once dry, buff and file nails. You want them to be more smooth than gritty.3. Wash your hands.4. Apply the sealer again, wiping each nail off after application.5. Apply a thin layer of the top coat.6. Wait one minute, and apply another thin layer of top coat.I read online that the thinner the layers of top coat, the more shiny it is. Hope this helps anyone that is thinking about buying or that is having issues with their application!Product dry to fast impossible to used love it but umm ?