When it comes to nail polish, I have an unhealthy obsession with a collection of over 250 different polishes. I love trying new polish formulas, and seemingly every brand is bringing out their own interpretation of a gel nail polish system without the need for any curing.
I spotted the new Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish and Top Coat collection on the new section of the Superdrug website and decided I’d purchase one of the shades of polish (there are 20 shades to choose from) and the top coat as they had a buy one get one half price deal.
Rimmel is one of my favourite drugstore nail polish brands, and I particularly love their Kate Moss range, so I assumed that their new Super Gel range would be equally impressive – wrong. Kate Moss’ range with Rimmel is one of the brand’s most popular ranges, so I figured the Kate version of this nail polish would be impressive, but it’s completely the opposite of impressive.
The Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish and Top Coat system is described by Rimmel as being a patented two step gel colour system for salon-style nails giving you gel-effect nails without you needing to cure your nails…
- Only 2 steps to salon quality nails
- Up to 14 days of gel colour & shine
- Apply 1-2 coats of Super Gel colour, followed by Super Gel Top Coat to activate curing
- Quick to apply, remove with nail polish remover
- No UV lamp needed
I opted for the shade 052 Blue Babe as pastel blue polishes are my favourite, and I thought it would be perfect for Spring and Summer. What first surprised me about the Super Gel collection is that the top coat and nail polish colours are £5.99 each, so you have to pay £12 for the two step system and that’s for just one shade. Plus you’d theoretically only be able to buy the Super Gel colours to use with the system and £5.99 is pretty pricey in my opinion when the majority of Rimmel polishes are around the £4 mark.
I know the photo above is out of focus, but I did it purposely in order to show you the awful finish of the polish and I apologise for the state of my cuticles, as I know there’s nothing worse than manky cuticles in a nail polish post. They are super dry with the cold weather.
In order to make my review as balanced as possible, I have done the following to thoroughly review this two step system; I’ve used the top coat with the nail polish as part of the system, I’ve used the Super Gel Nail Polish alone without the top coat, I’ve used the Top Coat with a standard nail polish and I’ve used the Super Gel Nail Polish with my holy grail Seche Vite and I’m thoroughly disappointed.
I really did hesitate writing this review as I knew it was going to be extremely negative, but if I can save you £12 then it’s very much worth it. When I used the two step system together, I had to apply four very careful thin coats of Blue Babe as the finish was very streaky and uneven with bubbles. Within two hours of the nail polish being on my nails, I noticed awful ridges and texture to my nail polish which I hope you can see in the above photo which is something I’ve never experienced with other nail polishes.
When I used one coat of Blue Babe without using the the top coat, it dried very quickly (within a minute) but it dried to a chalky, matte finish which scratched and flaked off my nails within hours. When I used Blue Babe with Seche Vite, the exact same happened with the awful ridges/grooves and texture and when I used the Top Coat with a standard nail polish I didn’t notice any improvement to the shine or finish of my polish.
It’s fair to say I have tried this system in every way possible, and I’ve been super patient with my application and I always buff and prepare my nails for polish for the smoothest application possible but never have I been so disappointed. I have no idea why this system is so bad, but it really is awful and I would wholeheartedly recommend skipping the Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish and Top Coat system completely.
No nail polish will ever give you the appearance of gel nails, without the necessary curing needed but these polishes didn’t make my nails look nice at all never mind gel-like, and they chipped within hours which never happens with Rimmel nail polishes.
I’m sorry to write such a negative review, but I have really really tried to get this duo to work but it’s just a massive disappointment and I’ve been reading some reviews of the polishes this past week and it would appear I’m not alone in my experience which is a real shame as I’ve wasted £12 on this duo and I’ve since binned them as neither of them are worth using.
**Edit November 2017 – Rimmel have extended the shade range of the Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish collection multiple times since I wrote this post on the original lineup. I’ve received multiple emails asking me if I’ve tried any other shades and I have tried Flamenco Beach, Purple Splash, Dive Right In, Sun Fun Daze and Coral Queen and I’ve had exactly the same issues with other shades.
The formula is very thick and gloopy from the beginning which makes them incredibly difficult to apply without streaks and they don’t last on the nails. If streaks don’t bother you, you might love these polishes but they don’t give a flawlessly smooth finish which really bothers me.
Have you tried the Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish and Top Coat system? Have you had an equally disappointing experience?