If you read the part one of this (What You Need, Why You Need It & Where To Get It) you will be oh so very ready to get to the pretty nails part! So let’s do this…
You really need a good, clean canvas to get a neat and lasting gel manicure. That said you don’t want oils or water near your nails before applying gel polish. So don’t go doing dishes or having a shower within an hour of applying gel polish. For this reason I like to take my polish off on Sunday night and get my nails in shape and put on polish on Monday (more about this in removal).
Before applying gel, perform a dry manicure:
- Remove any polish as normal (see below for removing gel)
- Cut, shape & file nails as desired
- Gently push back cuticles
- Lightly buff the shine from the nail with a buffing block
- Use a brush to remove excess dust
- Use a lint free wipe and alcohol to clean the nail of dust and oil (clean under the nail too!)
- Remember, no hand washing or oil!
I didn’t really get why all of this was so import at first. Moisture and oil effect how the gel adheres and can cause lifting, chipping and peeling. Not getting the nail clean (with alcohol) can create unpleasant, bumpy textures or again interfere with adherence. Those cuticles are a big deal too. It’s very hard to get a smooth, clean shape with uneven cuticles. It is worth getting it right and it doesn’t take very long. Reading this probably took longer than actually doing the prep.
Getting Set Up
I like to get my little station set up before I start. I fold a bath mat in half longwise and cover it with paper towel. Then I lay out my light, an orange wood stick (for clean up), alcohol wipes and any tool so might want (dotting tools, brushes etc). To keep me from getting my steps out of order, I put all the polish bottles in front of me, in the order are going to be used:
- Ph bond
- Foundation
- Coloured polishes
- Top it off
- Nourish nail oil
This tactic is especially useful if I’m using multiple nail colours! I also like to loosen the polish lids, it’s really hard to undo a tight lid when you’re have polish on already. Having everything at the ready prevents unfortunate smudges and dings. If you’re using alcohol wipes, cut a couple open but keep them protected by the packet until you need them.
Pro Tip – Set yourself up with a drink and put on a playlist because you won’t be moving for a while! Probably good to have a quick bathroom break too!
Get Painting!
- Run an alcohol swab over the nails on the hand you are painting. Look for any rough spots or bits you missed in your manicure, this is your last chance to fix them.
- Paint each nail with ph bond – don’t skip this! Your mani may peel or lift if you do.
- Paint each nail with a thin layer of foundation gel, being sure to cap the tip and not to touch the skin or cuticle
- Cure for 2 min in UV light or 45 secs LED
- Paint each nail with a thin layer of colour gel polish, again being sure to cap the tip and not to touch the skin or cuticle
- Cure for 2 min in UV light or 45 secs LED
- Paint each nail with a thin layer of colour gel polish, again being sure to cap the tip and not to touch the skin or cuticle
- Cure for 2 min in UV light or 45 secs LED
- Paint each nail with a thin layer of top it off, again being sure to cap the tip and not to touch the skin or cuticle
- Cure for 2 min in UV light or 45 secs LED
- Remove tacky layer with alcohol swab
- Wash hands if desired and apply nail oil
So that seems simple enough right? Well, it is but there are some tips and tidbits of knowledge that will really help you to get a great application…
Getting it on right
- I find it nearly impossible to do both hands at once like they do in the salon. I do one hand from start to finish and then do the other. I am right handed so I paint my right hand first because it is harder. I tend to loose concentration by the end and I get better results this way.
- I tend to start with my pinky and do my thumb last. Because of the way that your thumb is (kind of sideway when you hand is just relaxed) I find that the polish can tend to pool in my cuticle when I do it first.
- Each layer (foundation, colour, top it off) has a different consistency, so applying a thin layer can take some getting used to. Also, some colours go on thicker or thinner or opaque or streaky. Most are fine and come good in 2 coats but some will need three. Just keep things thin.
- Sometimes polish will wrinkle or shrink when cured. Again, thin coats help.
- And by thin, I really mean thin. Not so thin that it drags on the layer below but you don’t want it thick or it will look chunky. Or it will end up pooling in your cuticles or sidewalls or getting on your skin.
- You don’t want polish on your skin (including your cuticles) because it may hurt/burn under the light and it won’t grow out nicely. But because gel polish doesn’t set until you put it under UV, you have as long as you like to clean it up or be fussy about application.
- Use an orange stick to remove polish that is in you cuticle or sidewall. Or dip a nail art brush in alcohol or acetone, get rid of the excess liquid by patting on a towel and wipe the mess away.
- Or if you screwed the whole nail up (often when attempting nail art) use an alcohol wipe to gently remove the uncured layer. Don’t press to hard or you’ll damage the layers beneath.
- Be sure to cap the tip! That means applying polish to the free edge of the nail. Check under your nails for globs before curing under UV and if you have one, see above tip.
Some stuff that is just good to know
- Don’t leave any gel product open while your light is on. It will harden on brushes and render them unusable!
- Sometimes a little colour will come off of the brush when you apply top it off. This can mean that your light is not sufficiently curing the polish or some dark colours can benefit from a little extra curing (1min for UV or 20 sec LED) but some colours are just like that. Use an alcohol wipe to remove any colour traces from the brush before putting it back in the bottle or you will end up with a murky mess.
- The tacky layer that you remove with alcohol at the end actually exists in other layers too. It’s where the oxygen stops the gel from completely curing. There is no need to remove it from each layer as you go but it’s interesting to know and can be useful for nail art.
Removal
This is where salons (not all salons but I have spoken of some of the bad things I have had done to me in my previous post) have done so much damage to my poor nails! They want you out the door asap and don’t mind ruining your nails for speed! I like to give my nails a breather and break up the process of DIY nails. So, I tend to remove my polish on Sunday afternoon and paint on the following Monday – if I can. Which is what I said in the beginning of this post because I really it really is a loop…
Some will disagree with me here but I like to cut and shape my nails before I remove my polish. The jury of experts seems divided on whether this is a good idea. It works for me but you decide for you. I feel like my nails are less prone to splitting and I tend to make a nicer shape. Plus it breaks the seal at the tip, which you are going to want to do anyway. So, if you are not cutting and shaping, go ahead and lightly file the free edge to break the seal. Now to gently file the shine off the polish. Don’t do hard! You just want to degrade the top coat and allow the acetone to penetrate.
As I said in my previous post, I really like these acetone nail wrap things and find them pretty inexpensive. I only wrap one hand at a time so I can still do stuff but do both if it suits you. I find that if I soak a bit and then unwrap and rewrap, it takes ages. I just set a timer for 20mins and relax. This is almost always long enough unless I have a zillion layer because I messed with nail art. If it needs longer then I put a fresh wrap on that nail (it’s usually the on nail that was an accent) and give it 10 mins more.
Once you remove your wrap (or foil if you are doing it that way) it should be blistered and come away pretty easily. You can push any stragglers off with an orangewood stick (never metal) but you shouldn’t have to really scrape. Scraping is bad. Yes, the polish will come off but parts of your nail will too! Gently coax off any bits that need it, give it a good rub with acetone and it will all come off.
And if it doesn’t don’t freak out! Early on I had some pretty thick coats and some need a second round of soaking. These days I have no trouble but I did panic back then and didn’t realise I could soak twice, if needed.
If I am not polishing straight after, I wash my hands and put on a great hand cream and nail oil. I repeat the hand cream and nail oil over the afternoon, gently pushing back my cuticles back with the pad of my finger. Then I wake up with super soft hands and moisturized nails in the morning.
So that leaves us where we started or perhaps a little way in!
Again, this was a big post, so you’ve done well to get to the end! I’m know you are excited to get started and play. As you can see sometimes I break away from my standard red nails and play with colour. I’ve also had a little play with nail art too. Although I’m far from expert, I’m happy to put up some nail art tutorials if you want them. Go forth and enjoy your shiny, chip resistant manicure xxx
2 Comments
As an absolute beginner this is the Best post I have read on DIY gel nails, thanks!
So glad to help!