To properly do gel polish manicure at home, these tips help out. In them – about the features of manicure and a detailed description.
What you need for home manicure with gel polish
- Coarse and fine grain files
The more options the better. Hard files with a grain size of up to 150 Grit will help remove old coatings from nails. For the cuticle and nail correction, fine files up to 220 grit are required.
- Apparatus for manicure and pedicure with different attachments like Remington MAN3000 Reveal or other
The more attachments there are, the easier it is to make your nails. These three are must-haves: cylindrical sanding (for removing gel), narrow (for cuticles) and tapered for sanding.
- Buff for the nail
Prepares the plate for coating, removes smoothness, making it grippy.
- Degreaser
Helps to remove dust or grease particles on the nail. Otherwise, the varnish will not lie flat. The marigold, of course, does not sweat, but it becomes greasy due to contact with the body and things, so you cannot do without degreasing.
- Dehydrator
Dries the plate and increases its tenacity.
- Primer
Serves as a kind of “primer” for additional adhesion to the gel.
- Base for varnish
Protects the nail from acrylic and gel, does not allow the pigment in the future to “break” onto the plate.
- Gel polish
Any shades. The choice depends on personal preference.
- Toper
This material anchors the drawing. Its task is to “keep” the coating as long as possible without chips and cracks.
- UV or LED lamp
It emits a narrow beam of light to quickly dry the gel.
This is it – the starter kit. If something is missing in your arsenal, then this will affect the quality of work. Only after purchasing the necessary equipment can you proceed to gel polish manicure at home.
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Step 1: do a manicure
Step by step – in the table:
| Action | How to do |
| Cleaning from varnish residues, if any | It all depends on the type of coverage: |
| 1. Nail polish | |
| Wash off with a liquid to remove it: moisten a cotton swab and wipe the nail until the remnants are removed. | |
| 2. Gel polish | |
| It is removed by a cylindrical coarse-grained nozzle. It needs to be held at an angle of 60-70 degrees and gently guided along the nail plate from bottom to top. You should not press, so as not to injure the nail. | |
| Define the shape of the nail | This is done with three tools to choose from: |
| · Scissors | |
| Cut off the excess plate. | |
| · File | |
| Take a coarse file (up to 180 Grit) and cut off the nail. | |
| · Hardware method | |
| Using the “reverse cone” nozzle, shape. | |
| Get rid of cuticles | Three ways to help: |
| 1. In the trimmed version, the cuticle is pushed with a pusher and cut off with scissors. Beginners who are afraid of hurting too much can try to cut the skin with the Nuvita 0m + Safety Scissor Kit. | |
| 2. When working with a ceramic bar – the cuticle is pushed with the sharp part and cut off with the blunt side. | |
| 3. In hardware manicure, the task of removing the cuticle is occupied by a thin cutter, with which the skin is cut out. | |
| Polish the nail | Here are 2 ways: |
| · Using a file | |
| Take from 180 grit by polishing the surface. | |
| · Hardware method | |
| Use a cone-shaped nozzle with a high grain size. |
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Step 2: preparing nails for coating
- Grind the nail with a buff.
Do this until the nail gets the required roughness. - Remove dust from the nail
This can be done with a lint-free or paper towel. - Apply the degreaser to a lint-free cloth and wipe the nail. A
cotton pad will not work because of the lint-free. - You need to apply a dehydrator to the plate
If you have excessive sweating or oily skin. This will improve adhesion as it will dry out the nail further.
5.Lubricate the plate with primer
For maximum adhesion to the base.
And only after that you can apply the gel polish at home.
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Step 3: applying gel polish and drying
First, you should have a base, gel and topper with you. And of course a UV lamp. There is no way without it, the gel will not dry out by itself.
For those who are interested in how to make gel polish at home, you need to adhere to the following algorithm:
- Apply base
It protects the nail from the color of gel polish. - Fix the varnish by placing the palm of your hand in the lamp chamber.
Many models switch off automatically after the optimum drying time. If there is no such function, you should be guided by sensations. Marigolds will start baking – it’s time to remove your palm. As a result, the base will be dry and ready to go. A sticky layer should remain on it – you do not need to remove it. - Do not touch the adhesive layer
. The varnish will be attached to it. - Apply the gel
It is possible in two layers, however, each will need to be dried. Leave the stickiness – otherwise the subsequent actions will be useless. - Dry the coating by placing your fingers in the lamp chamber
. Do not fight the stickiness. It will hold the fixer. - Apply a topper and dry your nails
It will protect the coating from scratches and chips. If using a sticky topper, dampen a lint-free cloth with anti-tack gel and wipe the plate. If the topper is not sticky, dry enough.
The drying time depends on the light intensity. The higher the heat, the faster the coating dries. It is necessary to take into account the indicators of lamp power and time to consolidate the result:
| Lamp type, power W | Drying time for colored nails, sec |
| UV lamp, 36 | 120-150 |
| CCFL + LED, 36 | 25-40 |
| LED, 24 | 12 – 30 |
If you planned a manicure without decor, this completes the process. And for marigolds with bright prints, this is only half the battle. You also need to stock up on sparkles, ornaments or other elements for an original design.
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Step 4: nail design
Varnish creates a color base, and individuality lies in a unique pattern that no one else has. To do this, you will have to stock up on:
- stickers for the nail plate,
- sliders and nail foil,
- top coated and foil glue.
To make it easier to understand how to properly decorate marigolds, see the sequence in the table:
| Steps / Decor Type | Slider | Stickers | Foil |
| 1 | Do not cover the nails with a topper | After applying and drying the main gel polish, find the stickers you need | Dry the base coat (without the topper) and take the manicure foil |
| 2 | The slider should be soaked in water, dried and separate the film from the base | Remove the adhesive layer from the varnish | Leave a sticky layer |
| 3 | Apply the base to the painted nails and glue the decoration | Remove the decor from the base and attach it to the nail plate | 1. Press the matted side of the foil against the nail and tear it off sharply. |
| 2. If the stickiness of the varnish is not enough for the decor to be printed, you should use the “foil glue”. The rules for its operation are described in the instructions. | |||
| 4 | Dry the nail with decoration | Trim the sticker if necessary | Dry stuck foil residues |
| 5 | Apply top, dry the nail | Secure the result with a topper | Apply top coat |
After decorating, the manicure is considered complete. And to keep the handles beautiful longer, they are regularly lubricated with cream.
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Step 5: grooming procedures
Our pens give out age. If you take care of them, you will appear younger. This will require a special oil to soften the cuticle and a moisturizing hand cream.
Then it will be easier to take care of your nails. And a moist cuticle grows more evenly, without burrs. It can then be carefully removed without cutting yourself.
There are two types of oil worth paying attention to:
- Mineral – forms a film that retains moisture
With frequent use, it has the opposite effect – it dries out the cuticle. It is recommended to lubricate your nails every 15-20 days.
- Natural oils from plant extracts
They can be applied every day to the skin and cuticles. They moisturize your hands, thereby minimizing the appearance of cracks and burrs.
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Manicure with gel polish at home: the main mistakes and how to avoid them
If there is no experience, the perfect manicure will not work right away. Certainly not on the first try. Experience comes over time, so we have collected for you 7 popular mistakes and ways to solve them:
| Problem | How to solve it |
| Uneven coating | Try coating on thick paper, and when it starts to work, you can go to false nails. |
| The varnish shrinks when dried | There are 2 reasons for this: |
| · Thick varnish | |
| While the top is dry, the inside is still soft. It is better to apply the gel 2 times than to overdo it with a thickness. | |
| · Weak lamp | |
| If the gel is heavily pigmented, a low-power lamp will not be able to dry it out. Better then take a model from 48 W, like UVLED | |
| Applying varnish to uneven surfaces | The nail must be leveled with a file so that there are no creases, cracks or bumps on it. Otherwise, the coating will begin to peel off in a couple of days. |
| Bubbles in gel polish | The bottle was too cowardly. To get rid of excess air, you need: |
| 1. Open the bottle slightly. | |
| 2. Put it on for 5-10 minutes in a dark place. | |
| 3. Stir the gel with a brush. | |
| 4. Close the vial. | |
| 5. Twist it in your hands and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. | |
| Coating comes off in less than a week | At some stage of the preparation of the nail, a misfire occurred. Most often this happens due to the lack of buffing (the nail turned out to be glossy) or it was not degreased. Remove the varnish and reapply, following the instructions above. |
| Moisturize cuticles immediately after removal | Butter is extra fat, so the gel rolls off. It is better to apply this product after the composition has dried on the plate. |
| Take your hands out of the lamp whenever you want | If you need to answer an urgent call, it is better to do it with your free hand. Otherwise, there is a risk that the varnish will take on wrinkles. |
| Exceptionally – when there is a tingling sensation in the fingers. Then you need to stick your palm out of the camera for a while |
This is how manicure gel polish is done at home. If you have read the material to the end, then you know the nuances. Now it remains to get a handle on this business, then the nail polish will last for two or three weeks. Checked!
