Happy Mani Monday! Yesterday, I did a gel set of Sensationail Nude Mood, which I used for the first time. Check it out:
Sensationail USB LED Lamp
This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content has been updated for clarity, but opinions are the same!
Back in 2016, I went shopping for the Sensationail Polish to Gel. There, I was faced with two options: just the Polish to Gel, $7.99, or a Starter Kit with the new Sensationail USB LED Lamp, $23.99. I was like, “Wait, NEW lamp?!”
I bought the starter kit. Yes, I already have a lamp – but I wanted to see what was so, “new and improved,” (or if it was indeed, ‘improved’) about the new lamp.
Power
The new lamp is powered via an included micro-USB cable, and comes with an AC adapter.
My desk is also where I usually do my nails, so it being USB-powered is perfect for me. If I choose to do them at my vanity, I just bring a power bank over there with me. USB power makes it way better for travel, should you need to bring it with you – it (generally) means you can travel with fewer cables, fewer things to need adapters for. Less competition for AC outlets, too.
Lamp Features
Instead of an annoying switch-and-button combo, the new Sensationail LED lamp has a motion sensor. The lamp detects when something is placed within and automatically comes on, as well as powers off when nothing is inside. This is awesome for flash-curing any colors that may be fussy about shrinkage.
Additionally, the new Sensationail LED Lamp’s base is magnetic and pops off to support easier use for pedicures. Some professional lamps are bottomless for this precise reason; it’s really nice to see this in a small, home-use lamp. I don’t do gel pedicures very often, but it is SO CONVENIENT to have this option. It’s great for when you’re dabbling in messy manicures (like embedding glitter in gel), too.
Curing
Sensationail base and top coats cure in just fifteen seconds (compared to the old lamp’s 30). Color polishes cure in 30 seconds rather than one minute. That means the new Sensationail LED Lamp literally cuts your curing time in half if you’re using Sensationail’s polishes. Your manicure time will not be halved, but perhaps reduced by up to one-third.
In my experience, most gel polish brands either required the same or less cure time than Sensationail’s polishes. I would expect similar behavior from other brands but YMMV. In my experience, the 15/30 rule has been perfectly fine so far for Sensationail, Gelish, China Glaze Gelaze, and ORLY Gel F-X.
Sensationail also eliminated the shrill chirp that occurs when at power-on as well as when the halfway point is achieved. Instead, the light blinks to let you know that 15 seconds have elapsed.
The Bottom Line
Two words: Worth It. My Sensationail USB LED Lamp is going on two years old now and is still running like a champ. There’s never been a better time to get into gel polish. If you’re already into it, the upgrade is inexpensive, and entirely worth it. You can buy the new Sensationail LED Lamp for $29.99 from Sensationail – but why, when you can get it with the Polish to Gel or in the updated Starter kits for $22 – $24?
PS – Target’s site shows the old lamp in its starter kits, but I bought one of the regular starter kits recently too as a gift and it has the new one.
Noob question, but would this help dry regular polish, too? How about Revlon Gel Envy?
Hey, sorry for the delayed reply! No, unfortunately not. It needs to specifically be a UV or LED gel. If the bottle doesn’t say that, it won’t work with a lamp like this – you have to dry it the old fashioned way.
Products that claim to offer the benefits of gel (like Revlon Gel Envy, Essie Gel Setter, OPI Infinite Shine, or Sally Hansen Miracle Gel) won’t cure in a lamp – they’re just an alternate formulation of conventional polish that stays shiny longer. Most of those products to offer enhanced longevity, but in my experience they are incorrect.
Ok I bought the new express polish at Target a couple of weeks ago (the new lamp was not available at the time). I was so excited. I tried it with my old lamp, but a couple of hours later, the polish was peeling off. So, does the new polish need the new lamp? Does the new polish need to have the primer? Thank you for any info you can give me.
I’m not sure what you mean about the Express polish. Do you mean their Fuse product?