I’ve been loving all the meme’s out there about salons being closed, leaving us all ugly and haggard. you know like these… These leave me WEAK!
I used to be an avid salon goer for my nails. acrylics, gels, pedicures, every 2 weeks, anywhere from 35-65+ dollars a visit! It can definitely add up, and I’m not always in the mood to go and hold an appointment and sit for an hour or so. In an attempt the year after we bought our house to save money, one of the sacrifices I made for my husband was to do my own gel manicures at home!
So where to turn when you need supplies for something like this? Amazon of course! Amazon is my go to for EVERYTHING before I look anywhere else! They have anything you need, and it arrives at your door in 2 days with Prime!
You will get a beautiful result, or at least a solution during your down time of not wanting to go to a salon! Gel nails at home has proven to keep my nails intact, strong, and doesn’t chip. A step below acrylic in terms of strength, so no breakage for me!
Disclaimer: I am by no means a nail professional, I do not carry a license for nails, this is for sharing purposes only. I am by no way affiliated with any of the products being shared, and am not responsible for any reactions to any products sustained by improper use or any reactions that may occur due to allergy or negligence, or UV light exposure.
Here is a list of the items you will need!
- Gelish brand starter kit (items included below) Click Here to buy from amazon
- Nail cleanser (Used after top coat is applied to wipe of the “sticky” residue)
- Acetone (used to remove nail polish and gel
- PH base (dehydrates the nail to prepare adherence of polishes, no UV curing)
- Base coat (used prior to gel color to stick to nail Cure for 60-90 seconds)
- Top coat (last step, cure for 120 seconds, will need wiped with nail cleanser once cured to remove the sticky residue)
- Nourish (an amazing smelling cuticle oil to finish off!)
- Nail files and other accessories such as scrapers and cuticle clippers
- Gel Polish
- I’ve linked some of the ones I’ve purchased here in my @Liketoknow.it
- UV/LED Curing light
Some optional accessories once you become a pro can be found on Amazon as well such as rhinestones, stamping, foiling, and tools to draw and create your own designs! But we can talk about those later!
Don’t be intimidated by the process, I have been very pleased since purchasing. So much so, I haven’t gone back to a nail salon and it has saved me tons of moolah. Now, I’m not advocating for you to ditch your loyalty to your nail tech, its a personal decision and we love our salon ladies! But, if you choose to take this route, it takes practice, but its worth it!
You want to make sure to clean up the cuticle area. There is solutions you can use to dissolve them, and you will want to use a scraper to push them back.
A cuticle cutter has become my best friend…almost an obsession even before I was doing my own gel. My stylist used to comment that I’m the girl with no cuticles. Just be careful, if you get carried away, you will find yourself with some injuries!
Once you have cleaned up the nails, filing them to the shape you want, cleaning up the cuticles, you will want to take a rough buffing block and “rough up” the nails a bit
You want the surface of the nail to be rough, this is what will help the polish adhere and stick! The days of buffing the nail shiny and smooth are long gone!
Now the fun part! 
1) Start with the PH bond. This step dehydrates the nails as said above, and helps dry out the nail so the gel can adhere the best!
2) Next paint on a thin layer of the base coat. Remember, if you miss any part of the nail, the gel color will not stick, as it will only stick to the sticky “base.” Cure the base for 60-90 seconds
3) Paint the color! Tip: try your best to not let the color pool into your cuticle, or touch the skin on the side of your nails. You want to try and keep it on the nails as best as you can. This took me some patience and time, but I for the most part mastered it! Repeat this step for great coverage
4) Last step, Top coat! Now I have a a tip for this as well…paint a nail or 2 and put it in the light to cure for 10 seconds at a time. The top coat by Gelish is “runny” and will seep down the sides of the nail if you aren’t careful. Cure this for the full 120 seconds when all nails have been topped off, wipe, and VIOLA!! You got yourself a dry, hard as nails, ready to go manicure that shines like the sun! Unless of course you use the Matte top coat ;0)
Bonus tips:
-If you have brittle nails and need an and need a little extra “structure,” you can get yourself a product call “Structure gel” This is an added step I do right before the top coat! Its thick, it adds an extra hard layer of gel, and really keeps my nails feeling like I have acrylics on! This is also essential when using rhinestones. this will add some thickness around the decoration to keep it from chipping off.
-Want polka dots, Dalmatian print, or other DIY easy designs? Snag this tool kit that includes the universal ball tools (thats what I call em!) and check out youtube, its pretty much where I learn everything in my life!
-REMOVAL: I have found with these items I’ve listed, that after about 2-3 weeks, (around the time I am getting sick of the and want a change) they easily peel off! The tips begin to pull up and they are easily removed! HOWEVER, if you need to remove them, or they are not peeling…You will want to soak a cotton ball in acetone and place on each finger wrapped with foil or these handy clips, let it sit for a while, and use the scraping tool to remove! Easy peezy!
Here’s to a more beautiful and happy quarantine!
Have questions, or need suggestions? comment below!