With Christmas quickly approaching, I was thinking about one of my favorite gifts I have ever received. Six years ago, when we lived in California, Justus got me a gel manicure kit and I have been using it ever since.
It was a great gift for several reasons. First of all, I didn’t ask for it, but he thought of it and knew I would love it – it can be hard to surprise people like that. Second, it has lasted me years. I’ve made a few upgrades over time on some of the tools and polishes, but I still use the original kit. Finally, it is practical and fun. I enjoy using it and it saves me a lot of money by not frequenting the salon. I still go to my local nail salon every once in a while, but I really do prefer doing it myself and it lasts just as long. I still think this would make an excellent gift for any occasion!
Throughout the years, I’ve turned so many friends onto DIY gel nails, and still get a lot of questions about what I use and how I do it. So, I thought I would share all the details on today’s post.
What I use:
- Red Carpet Manicure kit – this has the basics I use each time
- MelodySusie nail light – this was an upgrade I made to a stronger light after a few years
- OPI gel polishes or Red Carpet Manicure gel polishes – I started using OPI polishes when I found a bottle at TJ Maxx. I haven’t seen it there since, but I look every time because it was a great price compared to buying them online. It really is a high-quality polish, but I have used the Red Carpet colors for years too, and love them as well. For starting out, I recommend grabbing white, red, nude and pink – those are staple colors for me.
- Nail clippers
- Nail file
Step by step:
- Clean up your nails by clipping and filing them. You can also use cuticle oil and a press to push your cuticles back.
- Wash your hands to get off any dust and nail pieces. Gel works best on a clean surface.
- Apply the “purify” blue solution from the kit with a lint-free wipe.
- Apply the “prep” like a polish to each nail.
- Now, it’s time to start with the application. First, apply a layer of “structure” to each nail. I like to do one hand at a time and let it cure under the light for 60 seconds before switching hands. Don’t apply it too thick. Start at the bottom of the nail and go up.
- Next, apply a layer of the colored polish of your choice in the same way. A thin layer on each nail for one hand, cure for 60 seconds, then move to the other hand.
- Repeat with a second coat of color on each hand, curing in between. If you get polish on your skin, gently wipe around the nail before you cure it under the light. Once it bakes, it’s a bit harder to get it off your skin. Also, I like to cover the top of the nail with color too. This helps to prevent chips.
- After two coats of color, apply a layer of “Brilliance” to each hand, and cure for 60 seconds as well. When you stick your hand under the light, you can look at your nail to see if you missed a spot – the whole nail will glow if it is properly covered. If you missed a spot, re-apply and cure that nail again.
- Finally, use the lint-free wipes and apply the “clean” solution one more time to each nail. That’s it – you’re done and your nails are ready to go. No need to wait for them to dry.
- When it comes taking off the polish, I gently peel it off when it starts to peel on it’s own. This doesn’t damage my nail at all, and it starts to naturally peel around the one-and-a half to two-week mark.
