(02-24-2012, 11:20 AM)sobeit Wrote: Nancy I'm not sure you read me right, I said Gelish minis are the same exact product as the full size. Making it a PRO grade item. It's not a cheap consumer drug store item. I think these gel polishes in the drug store are poorer quality than what we use in the salon.
I understand that, I guess where we differ is in considering Gelish mini a Pro item. I think that its being sold at Sally's without a pro card requirement makes it a consumer item, even though it is the same as the pro item (but smaller). Also, the way it's packaged, the Basix kit for example, makes it a consumer product. And RCM and Gelish are essentially the same product. Like Lomasi, I'd say that these are PRO
GRADE products, but packaged and marketed to consumers. I think they are good products. Sensationail is a consumer product and is, in my opinion, a poorer quality product, particularly because it does not provide or even recommend the things that prevent damage - cuticle oil, removal wraps, etc.
So, I'd say there are two categories of consumer marketed SOGPs - the drugstore grade - Sensational; and the Pro grade - Gelish mini, Red Carpet Manicure and Lomasi (there are probably others). Perhaps the difference is their origins. The pro-grade kits were developed by companies that already had a professional line, while the drugstore grade kits come from a company focused on other drugstore nail products.
But my original point remains - that I don't think DIY kits and/or DIYers are at all a threat to the professional nail tech. I think we are in agreement that clients don't go to professionals because they can access better products; clients come because pros have better skills.