What is Gel Nail Polish? How To Use It? Some Perfect Gel Nail Polish Ideas and Gel Nail Designs.

Having a manicure and pedicure is one of those little treats that I really miss when I’m broke. As soon as I have a little money to spend on myself I head out to have my feet scraped and my cuticles trimmed by a professional. (Unlike many of my friends, my own manicures are a joke. I can apply liquid eye liner with a steady hand and paint fashion illustrations, but painting my own nails is nearly impossible. I don’t know why.)

The last last time I went to the nail salon the lady at the front desk asked me if I’d like to have the “gel” manicure. “What’s a gel manicure?” I replied. She then explained that the gel polish didn’t chip and could last anywhere from two to three weeks. I’m pretty hard on my hands. As a result normal gel nail polish ideas. If I really work at it and apply top coat and touch up bad spots I can keep a regular manicure going for about four days, but that’s it. So I decided to try out this exciting new polish.

Gel Nail Polish

Gel nail polish is officially called “Axxium soak-off gel lacquer” and it’s made by OPI. The colors all have the usual fun OPI names. The color below is called “Strawberry Margarita”. The photo was taken about one week after the gel was applied:

Yes, IT’S ALMOST PERFECT AFTER A WEEK and it looked great for another two weeks. I was amazed. The problem is when it does start to peel the color won’t come off unless you soak your hands in nail polish remover for at least 15 minutes. I’m don’t like the smell of nail polish remover anyway, and the thought of SOAKING my hands in the stuff really makes me unhappy.

Here’s the manicure at 4 weeks of age:

Amazingly IT STILL HASN’T CHIPPED! Instead, it peeled from the cuticle up. Also, my nails had not torn, broken, peeled or snagged. The polish protected them from all harm. They were LONG. I’m one of those people who’s nails are always breaking. My new 1/8 inch long nails seem almost miraculous.

Back I went to the salon to have it removed and reapplied. In the end I think the benefits of having my gel nail polish ideas looking great for three weeks outweigh the problem of removing the stuff. Because a gel nail polish is applied differently than regular polish I thought you might want to see the process, so I photographed it.

First the old polish is soaked in a special solution (that I believe is sold on Amazon) and then scraped off. (I forgot to get a photo, but after just a couple of minutes the old polish goes white and peels up.) Your cuticles are then trimmed and nails filed as usual. Because my nails have ridges they’re usually sanded down a bit. Mittens are pulled over your hands, (more on that later) and your gel nail polish ideas are prepped with a special adhesive.

There are a lot of gel nail polish ideas, so don't worry that it is a new thing and you don't get any ideas about it.

Next a base coat is applied. Between each layer you stick your hands in these ultraviolet cookers. You wear the mittens to keep the rays off your hands. This is probably the creepiest aspect of the whole process.

The polish has to be carefully mixed because it tends to separate. The second time around I chose a pale pearly sheer taupe called “Cosmo, not now honey” so the eventual peeling wouldn’t look so obvious.

The polish and top coat is applied as it would be normally. Your hands are massaged afterwards as the polish dries completely in the ray soaking devices. Here’s my new manicure, a few days after application. That was last week, and they still look great!

I’m not the only one of my friends who’s thoughts have turned to manicures and gel nail designs polish recently. If you haven’t seen it yet check out Beautifully Invisible’s “History of Nail Lacquer” and Grit and Glamour’s “Nail Polish: Faves, Tips and Tricks”.

Gel Nail Polish Ideas at Home Tips & How To

Thinking of doing it yourself gel manicure at home and not sure what products to use and how to apply it? Great, because I'd like to show you the how-to and tips for doing gel polish at home.

Doing Gel Polish at Home? Really?

The idea of getting your gel nail designs polish done at home is very reasonable since applying gel nail polish is getting way easier now and it will save a lot of money in the long run.

No more electric drill or strong-odor chemical because gel nail designs nowadays is just like regular nail polish in regular bottle without the painstaking steps. There are many brands of gel nail designs polishes to choose from. Esther's Nail Center offers CND Shellac, Gelish, OPI Gelcolor, IBD Gel and Daisy Gel.

Shellac or Gel Polish?

The first thing people usually ask is which brands of gel nail designs polish I should choose. In my opinion for doing gel nail polish ideas polish at home, each brand has its own pro and contra. Shellac requires no buffing on nails (so it's more gentle) but costs more. gel nail designs, such as Gelish, has many more colors to choose from and more affordable. But there is more buffing process involved in application and removal process so it's rather harsh for the gel nail polish ideas.

There are a lot of gel nail polish ideas, so don't worry that it is a new thing and you don't get any ideas about it One best way to find out is to try them out. You may go to a salon and see what and how the gel nail polish ideas does your nails. Then see which one stays longer on your nails as everyone has different nail condition. Some people has better application with one brand while not on the others.

Gel Nail Polish Ideas at Home Step-by-step

What You Need

Basically what you need for doing gel nail polish ideas at home are listed below. It's recommended to use gel polish as a system to ensure the optimum result.

1. Gel base coat such as Gelish Foundation Base Gel 
2. Gel top coat such as Gelish Top It Off
3. Nail cleanser such as CND Scrubfresh or Gelish Cleanser (blue liquid)
4. Gel nail polish such as Gelish Soak-off Polish or Daisy Gel Nail Polish
5. UV light 36-watt or LED Lamp
6. Nail bonder such as Gelish phBond 
7. Gelish Structure Gel - optional, only if you have weak and peeling nails
8. Cuticle Oil - important to use it daily
9. Lint-free nail wipes or Cotton ball
10. Fine nail buffer block - Gelish recommend using 100/180 nail buffer but we like to use a fine nail buffer because it's less coarse so less harsh to the nails.

To make things easier, you may purchase a Gelish Starter Kit that includes nearly all products above (except structure gel, cuticle oil and nail wipes). This kit is a great choice for everyone who wishes to do gel nail polish ideas at home.

Gel Nail Polish Application

1. Prepare nails by cleaning the nails or removing old nail polish.
2. Push back the cuticle and clean the surrounding nail plate.
3. Shape the nails with 240/240 grit nail file.
4. Buff nail lightly with nail buffer block.
5. Remove the dust and wipe the nail with Nail Cleanser using a lint-free wipe.
6. (Optional) Apply a coat of nail bonder. Wait until it dries. Why nail bonder? Read tips below.
7. Apply gel polish base coat in a very thin application and seal the edges of the gel nail designs. The key to successful application is to apply in a very thin later. Make sure the gel doesn't touch the cuticle. If it does you can wipe it off later with wood cuticle stick.
8. Place hand (all fingers) in the UV Lamp for 1 minute setting. 
9. Using clean dry, lint-free nail wipe, remove tacky surface of the base coat.
10. Apply gel polish color in a very thin application from cuticle to free edge. Be sure to seal the edges.
11. Place hand in an UV light for 3 minutes for dark colors or 2 minute for light colors.
12. To even the coverage, repeat step 10 & 11. 
13. Apply gel polish top coat from cuticle to free edge using a thin light application.
14. Place hand in UV Lamp for 3 minutes.
15. Wipe of tacky surface with nail cleanser.
16. Apply cuticle oil to the skin surrounding the nail. 

Tips for Applying Gel Nail Polish at Home

• Shake, shake, shake your poiish before application to make sure it mix well. 
• The purpose for applying nail bonder is to ensure optimal performance by increasing the bonding between natural nails and the gel polish. If you feel that your application doesn't last as long as it should be, try using nail bonder.
• Get a yourself a nice and handy cuticle oil, like CND Solar Oil or this cuticle oil pen, because you often need to keep the nails moisturized as using gel polish can be dehydrating.
• Any brand of 36-watt UV Lamp works as long as it has a tunnel model with 36 watts bulbs (4 of 9-watt bulbs). Some have switch on the back some on top. I prefer on the top just because it's easier to reach the buttons. I also prefer UV Lamp for starter because it's cheaper than LED light. The drawback is just you have to change the bulbs regularly.
• If you are concerned with UV Light exposure you can apply sunblock on hands or wear the UV Lamp fingerless gloves before application.
• If you find out that your gel nail designs is thick, use gel polish thinner before application. The thinner can't be used for gel polish that has become hard solid.

Article Source via: http://thestyleconfessions.com/2011/06/06/gel-nail-polish-whats-the-big-deal/

http://www.esthersnc.com/nail-beauty/gel-nail-polish-home-tips-how