For the last seven years or so I have been doing my own gel manicures. Prior to gel, I would mainly wear regular polish on my hands but it never held up longer than three days due to chipping or peeling. I’ve always enjoyed doing my own nails but wanted to make my polish last longer without breaking the bank at the nail salon.
Throughout the years I’ve learned that the biggest factor when wanting to make your nail polish last longer is nail prep. Prepping the nail properly before applying gel polish helps ensure that your polish will adhere to the nail properly, thus lasting longer over time. I usually do my nails about once every two weeks. Sometimes I like to switch the color up between then, but on average every two weeks is when I give myself a gel manicure.
Here are the steps I take when I apply an at-home gel manicure:
- File nails to desired shape (this is the filing and buffing kit I use)
- Buff the nails
- Push back cuticles
- Apply a nail dehydrator then a nail primer (I use these from Amazon)
- Apply gel base coat
- Apply your gel nail color (ideally two thin coats)
- Apply gel top coat
- Wipe nails with an alcohol wipe to cure (I ordered these from Amazon & use one on each hand)
- Apply a cuticle oil to the nails (I use this one)
- (Optional) Apply a thick moisturizer to hands / arms
If you already have a gel nail polish on your nails and you need to remove them, this is what I do:
- Lightly file down the painted nail until the polish gets to be a bit translucent in areas. You don’t want to file too far down and hit your actual nail and cause damage. Just enough that the top coat and top color layer is no longer visible.
- Soak a cotton ball in 100% acetone and place in a nail clip. I purchased these nail clips on Amazon and they are a game changer. No more tin foil!!
- Wait about 10-15 minutes, then use the metal peeler to take off the gel polish that has lifted.
A couple tips and tricks I have learned when giving myself a manicure:
- Wash your hands WITHOUT soap after you buff your nails. You don’t want any oil on the nail before you go in with your dehydrator.
- Go in with a light hand when applying polish. You don’t want too much polish on the nail or flood your nail bed.
- Try to not get the gel polish on your skin. Once you go to cure the polish it will harden to your skin and it’s just annoying to get off.
- Always cap the top of the nail / the free edges with polish- this helps prevent lifting and peeling.
- Once your base coat has cured, wipe your nails with an alcohol wipe. Your nails will be tacky from the polish, but the alcohol wipe cures the polish once it leaves the lamp.
- Take your time! This is a longer process, but you won’t regret taking your time on your nails versus rushing to get it done faster.
When I started researching at-home gel nail systems online I stumbled across Madam Glam. Madam Glam is a gel nail subscription where you pay $30 a month and receive $30 worth of credits to use on anything on Madam Glam’s website. The best part is you get $20 gel polishes at a discounted price ranging from $7-$11. Here are a few of my favorite polishes:
Aside from the multiple gel polishes I own that are Madam Glam polishes, I also bought my UV light from them as well! The light I have is older, but they have great price points for UV lights that aren’t overly expensive. This is the UV light from them that I have, but is the upgraded addition. With 10 second, 30 second, 60 second, and 90 second timers these lamps are great for multiple functions.
These UV lamps from Amazon have great reviews and great price points too!
