How To: At Home DIY Gel Manicure
Anytime I post about doing my own nails, I always get a TON of questions about everything from A-Z but most want to know specifics on the tools and products I use and some are just interested in the color I’ve applied haha but overall, the interest is always HUGE and since it’s been such a long time from my first post on the topic, I wanted to do an updated At Home DIY Gel Manicure post (read my previous DIY post HERE) featuring the new products I currently use.
What you should know before starting…
It’s important to share an overview of the specific step-by-step process but it’s even more important to make sure you have all of the essentials.
If you’ve never done gel before, you’ll want to invest in a nail kit.
You can either buy a starter kit, like THIS ONE for $40
OR
You can piece out each individual item. Overall, I was much happier with the end result when I purchased each item seperately so this is the way I prefer, although the cost is slightly higher, the end result was much better.
ESSENTIALS:
LED/UV Light
Nail Buffer + Nail Files
Cotton Balls/Pads
100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Or try The Magic Gel Remover
Gel Remover Tool
pH Bond (#01206)
Gel Top + Base Coat
Shop Gel Nail Polish starting at $5.99
EXTRAS:
Cuticle Away
Electric Dremel
Cuticle Nippers
Cuticle Oil
Brush for clean edges
Aluminum Nail Wraps
How to begin…
I still go by the same 12 steps as posted in my previous At Home DIY Gel Manicure post but it’s still important to share here as well.
THE PROCESS
▴ Start at Step 1 if you already have gel polish on –
▴ Start at Step 5 if you don’t have gel polish to remove first and
▴ Start at Step 8 if you want to skip the manicure ▴
1 ▴ Buff off the shiny top layer of gel, until polish is matte
2 ▴ Soak cotton ball in acetone polish remover
3 ▴ Place a small, acetone soaked piece of cotton on top of nail
and then wrap your finger with the aluminum squares, keeping on for approx 7-8 minutes
4 ▴Take off the aluminum wraps, one nail at a time, and use the cuticle pusher to remove gel by gently scraping the surface of the nail.
5 ▴ Once gel is completely removed, put a tiny bit of cuticle removing lotion on each finger, focusing on one hand at a time. Soak fingers in warm water for about a minute and then gently push back cuticles
6 ▴ Use cuticle nipper to carefully cut cuticles.
**Please go slow if you’ve never clipped your own cuticles before – it can go wrong fast if you rush.
7 ▴ Once cuticles have been cut away, buff your nail bed with a fine-textured buffer and the file or clip nails to size and shape
8 ▴ Apply pH Bond to nails – let dry.
9 ▴ Then evenly apply base coat of gel; a thin layer is best!
Then cure in LED/UV light for aprox 45 seconds
10 ▴ THINLY apply first layer of colored gel. REMEMBER: THIN LAYERS! At first, it will be streaky and sheer – that’s okay! You don’t want to apply with a heavy hand because it won’t set right and could ripple/drip. Before curing, use your brush to clean up the edges to ensure a clean and neat application
LED LAMP: Cure for approximately 30-60 seconds with each coat — I prefer 30 seconds for base coat, 60 seconds for each layer of color and 1 minute for top coat.
UV LAMP: Cure time 1-3 minutes
TO NOTE:
Most curing lights, like the one I use (and linked above) have both UV + LED lights in them but since the curing time varies greatly between the two light sources, make sure you either purchase a new lamp with both LED+UV, or be conscious of what type of lamp you already have and adjust your curing time accordingly, otherwise your nails will not harden properly. Also, know that some gels DO NOT harden under solely LED lighting. So if you are unsure, it’s best to purcahse an entirely new curing lamp just to be safe.
11 ▴ Apply 2-3 coats of color (I prefer 3 for a stronger nail)
12 ▴ Lastly, apply the top coat (thin layer) and cure for one minute.
And that’s it!
Let me know if you try out my At Home Gel Manicure and comment what you think about the process and products if you do!
