DIY Gel Manicure: Tips From an At-Home Pro

COVID-19 seems to be hitting us ladies a bit harder.

With spas and salons closed, Suddenly our lashes need filling, our hair needs highlighting, our tans need re-spraying and our nails need re-done.

While I’m no fairy godmother, I can show you how to do your own at home gel manicure

For the past six years or so, I’ve been doing my own gel manicures… and not to brag, but I have to say, I’ve gotten pretty decent.

Here’s a few tips so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.

(But before you proceed, please promise to ignore my horrifically dry hands and sad little short nails. They’re dry from excessive washing and they’re short to help with easier hand hygiene during COVID-19.)

Getting Started

Things you’ll need: LED light, pure acetone, cotton rounds, nail file, base coat, color coat and top coat.

The first kit I bought was a three-in-one polish with a single finger light. Don’t make that mistake. It took forever curing only one finger at a time and I’ve tried a few brands of three-in-one and none seem to stay on very long… some even peeled off later that day.

The second kit I purchased was from Walmart, it was the Sensationail kit that included everything and cost me less than ONE professional manicure!!

Note: It looks like the Walmart one is out of stock, but for just a couple more dollars you can get it on Amazon.

Buff it Rough

A lot of kits suggest buffing the nails’ surface, but what they don’t tell you is, the rougher the better. You’re essentially creating a grippy surface for the base coat to attach to.

Note: don’t do it too much or you’ll make your nails weak. During this time you’ll want to shape the nail too.

Acetone it Twice

Oil is a gel manicure’s enemy. It’ll literally make the polish shrink away from the nail. I use the 100% pure acetone to wipe off the buff dust, then I swipe them again right before putting on the base coat.

Keep it Thin

When applying the gel polish, keep each layer thin. You’ll know if you get it too thick because it’ll actually burn a little when your nails are under the LED light. This can be challenging because gel polish tends to be a bit thicker than normal polish, but its critical for a successful set.

Avoid the Edges

Curing polish on the cuticle or the skin around the nail will cause the edges to lift much quicker. And we all know, once the edges lift the polish on that finger will soon be gone.

Twice as Nice

I always do two coats of colored polish. It really helps the color pop and adds a bit more strength to my nails (critical since I seem to pinch my fingers in my camera’s tripod all the time) It’s important to note that each and every layer needs to be cured. Don’t speed past this step, it’ll ruin everything.

For this manicure, I actually used three color coats. Two Sensationail Pink Chiffon and one OPI Pedal Faster Suzi. Both colors are a bit translucent and I wanted an opaque chalky, sparkly look.

Shiny not Sticky

After adding and curing top coat, you’re almost done!! Now, just grab a cotton round and do one final sweep of acetone. It will remove that tacky residue that’s left. (You don’t need to do this for each layer) Fun tip: Anytime your polish is looking a bit dull, another sweep of acetone will amp up the shine again.

The first few times you do this you’ll prolly hate your life. But, once you get the hang of it, it’ll only take about half an hour and you’ll wonder why you used to spend a couple hours and a hundred bucks each month maintaining your mani.

Wait… what do I do if I have old gel polish on my nails already?

If it’s professionally applied, this will be a bit annoying. Start with a hot shower. Start working at the edges while you’re in there. As soon as you’re out, soak cotton balls in acetone and put them on top of each nail. Wrap in little pieces of tin foil and check every few mins. Use a cuticle pusher to essentially scrape off the melting polish. Be warned, acetone is very strong and some say it can burn the skin.

If you’re removing a home gel manicure, these seem to come off a bit easier. A long, hot shower about two weeks after applying the polish seems to work for me. I wait till they naturally start lifting, then in the shower just peel off the polish. If there’s any little bit left after, I just buff it off with my nail file.

Let me know how it goes and share your favorite colors. I’m always on the hunt for something fun!

XX