Proper application techniques and curing times help achieve a professional-looking gel manicure with long-lasting results.
First: Prep the Surface
- Shape: Use a coarse file to file down existing product and trim nails.
- Manage cuticles: Push back cuticles, trimming if necessary. Apply cuticle oil to protect skin from the havoc you’re about to wreak.
- Clean: Wash hands, cleaning nails under water.
- Refine: File and buff nails with emphasis on scraping off dead skin on nail plate (epinycium) and again pushing back cuticles.
- Prime nails: Apply acetone to lint-free towelettes (or, less ideally, cotton balls), and rub over dry nails. Use a second lint-free towelette to apply 90% isopropyl alcohol (or, less ideally, 70% alcohol) and rub over nail surface.
- File into shape, following with a surface buff.
- Remove debris with alcohol-soaked lint-free towelette.
Then: Coat and Process
- Targeted repair:
- Identify problem areas like the nails whose tips tend to peel.
- Sparingly, apply a bit of base coat to just those areas by “scrubbing” on in two directions.
- Cure under LED.
- Base coat:
- Apply a thin layer of base coat to the nail’s top 2/3, leaving its bottom 1/3 polish-free.
- Tap brush and press remaining polish toward cuticle, but without touching it.
- Reload brush slightly and finish with a final drive-by from cuticle to end of nail.
- Repeat for each nail.
- Cure under LED.
- First color coat, emphasizing coverage:
- Using color gel polish, follow the routine used for base coat.
- Second color coat, emphasizing depth of color:
- Place a lightly loaded brush at the nail’s center, close to cuticle, then stroke color gel polish upward to the nail’s edge.
- Follow with a stroke on each side of the nail, ensuring that it is well-coated.
- Swipe brush along the nail’s edge to “wrap” the color around the tip.
- Repeat for each nail.
- Cure under LED.
- Top coat:
- Apply top coat, following the routine used for the second color coat.
- Cure under LED.
- Enhance shine and remove excess:
- Use a lint-free towelette to apply 90% isopropyl alcohol (or, less ideally, 70% alcohol) and lightly rub over the nail surface in a single stroke per nail.