Question: What Is The Best Diy Gel Nail System
The Best At-Home Gel Manicure Kits Gel Manicure Kit. Le Mini Macaron. Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit. Sally Hansen. Gelish Complete Starter Kit. Gelish. Foundation Pro Kit Pro LED Light. gelie-cure. Gel Couture Polish and Top Coat. Essie. Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit. Vishine. Gel UV Nail Lamp.
How To Apply Gel Nails At Home
Jenni Draper talks us through how to do the ultimate at-home gel manicure in 10 simple steps :
1. Ensure cuticles are pushed back using a tool like Tweezerman Dual Sided Pushy Cuticle Stick, £16, but avoid using cuticle clippers. If the cuticles are cut incorrectly it can lead to infections and cause the skin to grow back thicker, so leave that to the experts.
2. File your nails to your preferred length and shape . Dont seesaw with your file, just go gently in one direction and back again the other way.
3. Using a soft nail buffer, go from the cuticle to the free edge , removing shine and leaving the nails with a smooth, ridge-free base. Theres no need to over-buff, just go gently, before brushing any excess dust off.
4. Using a lint-free wipe and a nail cleanser for gels, scrub over the nails to remove oils and dust, leaving them squeaky clean.
5. Apply a thin layer of specialised gel base coat, being careful to only apply to the nail, avoiding the skin. If any touches the skin, use a cuticle or cocktail stick to remove it straight away, before curing in the LED light box recommended for your gel system, for the recommended amount of time.
8. Apply your second coat of colour, perfecting your coverage. Repeat steps 6 and 7.
10. Finally, wipe over the nails with a cleanser from your kit and finish off with a nourishing nail oil and hand cream. I love DadiOil, £7.50, and Chanel La Creme Main, £45.
How To Use A Gel Nail Kit At Home
- Get started with your gel nail manicure by making sure to use a good nail polish remover to erase any traces of your previous nail paint as a beginning step to getting the best at-home gel manicure.
- Next, take out your gel nail polish kit, which contains a base coat, gel polish, topcoat, and UV or LED curing light. The best DIY gel nail kits also provide simple grooming tools, including clippers and embellishments, for a more glamorous look.
- Start with clean, washed hands, and wipe your nails gently with an alcohol pad to remove any natural cuticle oils. Prep your nails by filing them to a uniform shape, and push back your cuticles using the right manicure tools. Next, you can buff your nail bed for a smooth foundation that is ready for gel polish.
- Every good gel nail polish deserves a coat of primer to get the nail surface ready.
- Then its time for the base coat. Depending on the brand, the base coat should be cured for 30 to 60 seconds, but its best to follow the directions for the specific items youre using. Most kits come with instruction manuals to guide you through the process.
- Finish with one coat of the top coat and 2 coats of gel paint, curing in between every coat. If you find that a sticky residue remains after the top coat has dried, you can gently wipe it away with another alcohol pad. To stop the gel colors from appearing clumpy, add them in thin layers, and make sure they are cured well.
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Other Diy Gel Manicure Kits We Considered:
- Le Mini Macaron Le Maxi Deluxe Gel Manicure Set : Overall, this DIY gel manicure kit is easy to use. The directions are straightforward, and the nail polish cures quickly and without a sticky residue, even without a top coat. That said, I was quick to notice the kit doesn’t come with a top coat or base coat. The directions also don’t mention best practices for how to apply them, either. Le Mini Macaron does sell two top coats: a shine formula and a matte formula. I wish the kit would include one or the other, especially given its price point. The kit also doesn’t work as well with other brands’ polishes, which is limiting.
- Enova Cosmetics Gel Nail Polish Kit : There’s a lot to love about this compact gel kit. For starters, it’s super portable, and will take up hardly any space in your home. It doesn’t require a base or top coat, and the gel polish applies beautifully through a tube. All you have to do is squeeze and the color comes through the bristles that are perfectly shaped to paint an even coat of color over your nails. The reason Enova’s gel kit didn’t make my top 5 list, is because I applied the color on a Sunday, and by Tuesday morning, it was chipping. As much as I love how convenient the system is, the wide array of color options, and how quickly it generated a fabulous manicure, I felt that the lack of base or top coat negatively affected the manicure’s potential for longwear.
These At Home Gel Nail Kits Are Totally Foolproof
When it comes to a manicure, gel nails are by far the best option in terms of durability. They resist the chips and loss of shine unlike your average paint job. A good one can last as long as three weeks. In a nutshell: they’re what everyone wants from a manicure. However, regular gel manis in-salon can leave you and your bank balance on bad terms. So, a DIY gel nail kit could be the way to go if youre in need of a little pick-me-up.
But how do you get that perma-shine effect without the expertise of a technician? You can opt for a gel topcoat or gel nail polish, which tend to be thicker in consistency and more hardwearing than your average polish. Or, you can invest in an LED kit for a pro mani at home like the popular Mylee Gel LED Kit, or the Le Mini Macaron Gel Manicure Set. We asked session manicurist, Jenni Draper gel manicure-lover and beauty blogger Josie Fear of Fashion Mumblr for all their top tips.
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Best Gel Nail Polishes For An Easy At
Youll look like you just left the salon.
Theres nothing more relaxing than a trip to the nail salon. An hour spent getting your nails trimmed, buffed, and shellacked is a self-care ritual that many of us look forward to. But since going to the salon isnt always in the cards, its important to know how to take that ritual into your own hands. Of course, you probably already know how to file and paint your nails. But a great at-home manicure comes down to which polish you use. We recommend setting your typical lacquers aside and opting for a gel nail polish formula. Youll find its the key to a long-lasting, chip-free manicure.
How To Remove Gel Nails At Home
Removing gel nails is more complicated and time consuming than regular nail polish removal. Its all down to the molecular structure of the polish itself.
I wasnt the greatest science student, so I wont attempt to enlighten you on all the scientific nail polish stuff! All you need to know is that gel nails need a longer nudge in order to rid themselves from your natural nails. I strongly recommend that you get hard gel nails applied and removed by a pro at a salon. It takes some heavy chipping and filing and its just easier, cleaner and safer to have someone else do it for you.
Were going to focus on soft gel nail polish removal, as youre more likely to be using soft ones at home.
13 Steps to Remove Soft Gel Nails
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What Is A Gel Manicure
Gel manicures are typically done in nail salons using a gel-based nail polish and a UV or LED light that seals the polish to your nails. Most gel manicures last from two to four weeks, making them useful for vacations, weddings, and other multi-day occasions.
However, while traditional gel manicures are long-lasting and give you a gorgeous shine, the removal process can often damage your nails. Thats why many nail polish brands offer gel-like formulas that you can apply at home to get that same chip-proof, lacquered look without the damage. Ahead, find our editor-approved gel nail polish picks to give you a salon-worthy manicure at home.
Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit Is A Salon
Pros: Last up to 21 days, comes with all the tools you need for a salon-quality manicure
Cons: Longer time commitment, removal process is very messy
Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit not only has rave reviews from customers, but their queue of UV lamps look like something you’d find at a professional nail salon. I’m pleased to report it performs like salon equipment, too.
The Pro Kit includes a pre- and post-application cleanser, remover, base coat, top coat, one gel nail polish, cuticle oil, adhesion sanitizer , a UV lamp, and prepping utensils. While the multi-step manicure can feel overwhelming, each serves a purpose and adds to gorgeous nails, so I don’t recommend skipping them.
This UV lamp also works on a timer, and cures nails in about 45 seconds. The entire process takes about 20 minutes. It’s a longer time commitment than other UV lamps on our list, but the end result is unparalleled, so I really appreciate Red Carpet Manicure’s attention to detail.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Green Spot Under Acrylic Nail
Do Gel Nails Ruin Your Own Nails
Picking off gels does a lot more damage to your nails than the polish and application process! To remove your manicure, buff off the top layer before soaking your nails in nail polish remover-drenched cotton pads wrapped in foil for 30 minutes. Use a wooden cuticle stick to gently push the gooey gel off. If in doubt, get them removed by a professional.
Sick Of Paying For Gel Manicures I Got Everything I Needed For Less On Amazon
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
If you want something done well, do it yourself and if you want to stop paying $35 every two weeks, buy some supplies and learn to do your own at-home gel manicure! Regular manicures are very important to my overall self-care routine, but the price tag that comes along with shiny gel nails often isn’t feasible, even for those with a bit of disposable income. A couple years ago, after paying $65 for a pedicure and a gel manicure, I hit a wall.
I logged onto Amazon and proceeded to spend two hours piecing together the perfect gel kit. I didn’t want to completely overspend after all, I’m trying to save money here but I also wanted to buy nice materials that would give me the same quality as a salon manicure. I bought a total of five products, but I also have an existing cabinet full of cotton balls and nail files. That said, if you don’t have the basics, you may need to invest slightly more money.
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Apply Cuticle Oil To Your Nail Beds
Another important part of nail prep: cuticle oil. Itll soften your cuticles so youll be able to push them back gently. And please dont forget to wash or soak your hands afterward! You need to make sure the oil is completely off your nails before you start the gel processany leftover oil could cause your gel nails to lift . To be extra safe, swipe your nails with a bit of acetone before washing your hands to remove any excess oil.
What Do You Need For Gel Nails At Home
Before you attempt an at-home gel mani, you need to make sure you have the right supplies. Youve got two options: You can buy a gel nail kit online, or you can buy all the pieces separately. Youll need a UV or LED lamp, a cuticle oil, a nail buff, a top coat, a base coat, and gel nail polish to get started. BTW: While you technically could use a regular nail polish and a gel top coat, Id recommend staying on the safe side and opting for gel nail polish. Regular polish wont last as long as gel, even if you use a gel top coat.
How to do gel nails at home
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Zoya’s Gel Kit Prioritizes Nail And Cuticle Health Which Sets It Apart From Other Gel Manicure Kits
Pros: Can create a naked or color manicure, easy to remove
Cons: Only available on the retailer’s website, colors sold separately
The Zoya Gelie-Cure Foundation Pro Kit makes nail health a priority. The kit comes with a slew of products to help strengthen and nourish nails, including a hydrating rescue serum and a repair base to smooth any ridges or separations.
The kit also includes the brand’s Gelie-Cure Naked Gelie coat, the first demi-gel multipurpose gel formula of its kind to hit the market. You apply it directly over Zoya’s Repair Base before curing, and it adheres to the base coat, as well as the rescue serum, in order to ensure “high shine, flexible, fileable and damage free results,” per the product’s description. Naked Gelie is the last step in achieving a “naked manicure,” aka a manicure void of color, enhancing your natural nails, and also only takes two minutes to remove, without acetone, scraping, or pushing at the nail.
What sets Zoya’s DIY gel manicure kit from its competitors, is its versatility. You can create a gorgeous naked mani, or opt for traditional, colorful tips. Unfortunately, the kit doesn’t come with color polish, but you can apply your favorite hue over the foundation, top it with Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Topcoat, and follow up with a drop of the Zoya Fast Drops to accelerate your drying time.
Manicurist Green Flash Basic Kit
Unlike regular gel nail polish, the Manicurist Green Flash Basic Kit cures polish using an LED lamp, rather than UV, which means theres none of that unnerving aching sensation you get when your fingers have been under the light for a little too long.
You first paint on a base coat, followed by two colour coats and finally a topcoat, setting under the light in between each layer. The key is making sure each layer is as thin as you can manage. This is what makes sure the polish cures quickly, and stays put for longer.
Acetone-free, this kit is perfect if you hate the dehydrated feeling that can come with traditional gel manicures.
Recommended Reading: Hongo Cura Reviews
Red Carpet Fortify & Protect Pro Starter Kit: Best Gel Nail Kit For People With Weak Nails
Price: £100 | Buy now from Nail Polish Direct
Red Carpets kit promises to be gentle on nails. It includes both vitamin A and biotin, which makes it a great choice for anyone who suffers with nails that peel, snap or bend easily.
Theres a lot packed into this box, with plenty of files, sticks, pads and a brilliant oblong buffer to help you prep your nails.
We thought the varnish was lovely and light perfect for building up in thin layers. The brush also made it easy to cap the nail at the free end without the polish going onto the hand, which can be damaging during the curing process. The result was smooth and firm nails that have cured beautifully and feel like theyre going to go the distance.
Key specs Colours included: 1 Lamp strength: 6W Contains removal equipment? Yes Quantity of polish per pot: 9ml
Price: £60 |
This set comes in a super chic box which smacks of quality from the moment it arrives. Inside, all of the elements the polishes, the base and top coats, the nail files, the lamp are laid out clearly. This sense of simplicity and clarity permeates every aspect of the kit.
We loved the instruction manual. It uses simple, clear language which we found easy to follow theres absolutely no room for confusion.
We think this is the pick of the bunch here, but there is a downside: the kit doesnt include removal equipment so youll need to budget extra for that.
Price: £35 | Buy now from ASOS
Price: £45 |
Price: £85 | Buy now from Manucurist
