Since the nail salons are closed, and most of us are home, I figured now would be the perfect time to share how I do gel nails at home! I love painting them myself because it is SO MUCH CHEAPER, it dries INSTANTLY and SAVES TIME!
I have put together a list of step-by-step instructions making it easy to follow. I feel like this turns out so much better than regular polish because you do not have to worry about getting lines in your nail polish etc while you are waiting for them to dry.
Supplies
For the supplies, you will need a nail file, nail cleanser, nail sanitizer, base coat, top coat, color, cotton pads, and gel light. You can purchase all the supplies together here.
Step 1: File Nails
File across the top of your nails with a nail file. I like this one from Ulta.
Step 2: Cleanser
In order for your nails to turn out, you NEED this cleanser. I use a cotton pad to apply the cleanser on my nails. I recommend Ising cotton pads instead of cotton balls so you do not end up having pieces of cotton stuck in the polish. I also make sure to look at each nail afterward just to make sure there are no strands of cotton or debris on my nails before I paint them.
Step 3: Nail Sanitizer
I use one coat of the nail sanitizer over each nail. It dries almost instantly and helps to prep them for the polish.
Step 4: Base Coat
Next I apply a thin coat of the base coat. I always start with my pinky finger first.
Step 5: Gel Light 60s
Nest step is to place your nails under the gel light for 60 seconds. You can also do 30s too if you are short on time. Either way it will work, but I have found that leaving them in for 60s keeps the polish on longer.
The light I use is under $30 on Amazon prime. It works great and I have not had any issues with it and I have had it for over a year. It also has 4 buttons for different timers and a big countdown clock on the top.
Step 6: Color
In my tutorial I used the shade My Walk of Fame. Unfortunately it is not available at the moment but I linked a similar one here.
Step 7: Gel Light 30s
Step 8: Color
I paint a second coat of the color.
Step 9: Gel Light 30-60s
Step 10: Top Coat
I apply a generous coat of the top coat.
Step 11: Gel Light 60s
Step 12: Nail Cleanser
This step is CRUCIAL! If you do not do this, your nails will be sticky and it will not work.
Take your cotton pad and rub the cleanser on each nail for a few seconds. That is the last step! Your nails will be completely dry and done after this.
Questions
IF you have any questions please comment them below! I absolutely love the entire gel process, because of how my nails look and the time it saves. I hope you love them as much as I do!
