Gel Polish Like a Pro at Home

Today, make a beautiful manicure at home, is not difficult even for a beginner. Now you can purchase the necessary materials and apply gel polish by yourself. This can save you not only time but money.
I tried a lot to get a result that is not distinguishable from the salon and optain gel nails which keeps for 3-4 weeks. So i hope you are also inspired to try :)

Let's start!

What you’ll need to prepare your nails:

• Cuticle softener/remover
  
• Cuticle pusher
  
• Orange wood stick
• Nail file

To make semi-permanent gel nails:

• Buff
• Cleanser
• Lint-free wipes
• Primer
• Base coat
• Color gel polish
• Nail art stickers (optional)
• Top coat
• UV or LED lamp (I use 48W LED Lamp)

To moisturize your nails:

• Cuticle oil

I apply for easiest shape to maintain, the Round one. It's easy to do and looks very natural. If you have long nails and want something more trendy, try the Almond shape.

Apply a small amount of the cuticle remover to your cuticles. Read the instructions and leave it on for as long as needed. Well-manicured nails with clean edges help you gain more length and also is a better base for long-lasting gel polish.

Buff the nail plate to remove the shine. This is necessary for better adhesion of the coating to the nail surface. Be sure to buff the entire nail plate from edge to edge and especially near cuticle.

Tip: A good alternative to cleanser is Alcohol and Nail Polish Remover

Do not touch degreased nails and applied products until finish your work. The next layers will be sticky from layer to layer.

The Primer is used to enhance adhesion of the nail plate with artificial coating, like “double-sided tape”. There are two types of primer - an Acid Primer and Acid Free primer (I use acid primer, it works better on my nails). Put 1-2 small dots on the nail. It should spread by its own on the plate. Wait for it to evaporate completely.

The method:

1. Apply the base cover on first 4 nails
2. Turn your hand, with palm up, parallel to the table, for 3-5 sec.
3. Cure for 1 min. under the lamp
4. Apply base cover on thumb
5. Turn your hand, with palm up, parallel to the table, for 3-5 sec.
6. Cure for 1 min. under the lamp

You can cover all nails by one time if you are sure about the quality. Be careful when applying your base layer: you don’t want to get the gel on your cuticles. If it happens is necesar to clean the excess before cure the gel, use an orange stick or cuticle pusher. The contact of gel and cuticle can makes the polish to come off when your nails start to grow.

Apply thin layer of color gel polish (paint over the tip) and cure for 30 sec. Repeat for two or three coats.

• Cut the sticker to fit on your nail
• Place it in water for a 30 sec.
• Take out and remove the paper
• Use tweezers to lift the sticker and place on nail
• Gently soak the remaining water on the nail with a lint-free wipe

Cover the nails with top coat. Paint over the tip, like you did with your color gel polish. Cure for 2 min. This final layer will get a beautiful glossy shade to your polish.