For me, doing my nails is not a priority because within a day or two they start to chip and look horrible! I don’t have the time, inclination or money to have them professionally done on a regular basis.
But I just learned how to do a gel manicure at home, and I couldn’t believe how long the polish stayed on my nails without chipping, and keeping that shiny, clear, “just polished” appearance. They last at least a week, and usually several days longer.
Since you do need to let each application dry slightly, I typically do this while I’m watching TV.
Here’s how:
I used Gelous gel base coat and Out the Door top coat. I got the Gelous gel at Sally Beauty Supply for around $5.99 and the top coat was about $4. (I also looked online before visiting Sally’s and found a $3 off $12 coupon!)
Step #1
Apply 2 coats of Gelous nail gel to each nail then let dry slightly (about 2 or 3 minutes)
Step #2
Apply a layer of your nail color and let dry slightly (about 2 or 3 minutes)
Step #3
Apply another layer of Gelous nail gel and let dry for about 5 minutes
Step #4
Apply another layer of nail color and let dry for 5 – 10 minutes
Step #5
Apply Out the Door top coat.
Voila! Done! Beautifully manicured nails for a really inexpensive price without going to the nail salon!
Tip: Don’t worry to much if you get polish on the sides of your fingers when using your nail color. After it dries well, it’s really easy to get off.
Tip: Swipe some of the top coat across the top of your nail to seal in the color and keep them beautiful longer.
Your nails look great! I have never tried gel polish, but I really want to….I don’t have the time or money to go to the nail salon, and I would love to be able to get professional looking results at home.
Your nails are beautiful. I love gel nails the most!
That’s a great idea – nails are a low priority for me, too! I will definitely be checking this out next time I’m at Sally’s!
I am a nail aholic and think that part of looking feminine is having nice nails. I spend way too much and this could be a much more affordable answer for me. Your nails look beautiful and like they were professionally done.
Awesome! I so have to try this! My nails are always destroyed minutes after I finish them :/
It looks great
I should make more of a priority to do my nails and pamper myself at home too
This is something that I am going to have to try. It can be rather expensive running to the nail salon every week to make sure my nails are maintained properly.
What a pretty nails you got! I hope I can do the same on my own because I had to go the the nail salon to get my nails done.
I’ll have to give this a try! I love having my nails done, but doing them at home always ends in chips which I can’t stand! I love getting them done, but there’s not really room in the budget for that right now. I’m pinning this so I don’t forget!
This is a great idea if you want a traditional manicure to last a week instead of just a few days. However it’s not a gel manicure or carry the results of one you would recieve in a salon. Salon gel manicures last two weeks or more, gel is a resin that is cured with a uv light binding the product to natural nails and sealing them much like shrink wrap. I think your your process is fantastic for an at home manicure but maybe it shouldn’t be labeled as a gel manicure.