Shellac/gel manicure

[leebee]

Have you ever done a shellac/gel manicure at home? The process is pretty straight-forward and the UV "drying" light isn't terribly expensive to buy. I am curious as to how the "at home" process looks, once done. I don't do anything fancy- just shaping and solid color on my nails- so it's killing me to pay $40+ every month! Have you done a shellac/gel mani yourself, at home, and were you happy with the results?

 

[mjkacmom]

I bought a kit for my girls a few years ago, I don’t think it worked well, as they still pay to get their nails gelled ($25 here).

 

[JediBonas]

Both Essie and OPI make top coats that work like gel manicures without the UV lamp (which can cause skin damage BTW. Trust me, you do NOT want to have to get a biopsy done on the skin around your nail, it HURTS). I use that now after noticing how horrible my nails were after a while of getting the gel/powder manicures at the salon. I do it myself at home, stick to the better brands like Essie, and they come out just like at the salon. They might not last quite as long but my nails are so much healthier.

 

[SueInBoston]

I have the Butter Gel polish set with UV light, it's easy but it doesn't last as long as the ones I get from the salon. I think the most I get out of it is about a week, the good thing about it is that it dries instantly and comes off easily after soaking. My problem with salon gel mani is the damage, I have very thin nail bed and my nails get weaker after each time.

 

[Skylerwalker]

I did it for years at home. They looked amazing!! Used Gelish (fav), CND and Red carpet. After falling in love I formed an allergic reaction to all Gels and my hands from the nail beds up and also my face now breaks out every time I try Gels and can only use regular polish. It itches like crazy and lasts about 5 days and I’m forced to take them off immediately or the rash will continue to spread. I wish I would have stuck to the salon, they looked great but I’m pretty sure I caused this allergy by misuse and everyone thought I was amazing at it..

My advice, proceed with caution. I can never have manicures that last a whole vacation again.

 

[gillep]

I do hard gel over dip powder at home, so a little different, but I have done some of the soak-off gels I just don't prefer them. I found that as long as you purchase quality products and equipment and really prep the nails properly I can get an at home look that is even better than the salon and lasts just as long. I have invested quite a bit of time and money purchasing quality products and learning about proper technique. YouTube is a great resource. I am so glad I switched to doing my manicures at home, my nails are so much healthier and I love how it looks, it just takes a bit of time to learn.

 

[iivye]

I do my own gel manicures at home. I usually redo them after two weeks because I don't like a lot of space between my cuticles and the polish. I use Gelish products. The photo is 12 days after application. My cuticles need a little oil but the polish still looks good to me.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

On me gel polish peels off quickly taking a couple of layers of my nails with it. My nails are thin for a few months afterwards, so no more gel nails for me. I hate it because regular nail polish last about 15 minutes on me.

 

[C&Jx2]

I do my own. The trick is to gel is to remove any oils or residue off of the nails (I use rubbing alcohol), buff any shine off of the nails, and make sure you don’t get it on the cuticles because as soon as you get lifting they’ll come right off. You want to get a good seal so no moisture or air can get under the polish.

 

[nkereina]

It takes some practice. My nails didn't look as nice or stay on nearly as long as when they do them at the salon. And as a right handed person, using the cuticle trimmer with my left hand was a bloody experience. LOL!

I've used the Essie Gel Couture polish that doesn't require the UV light. Its basically heavy duty regular nail polish. I found this easier and less time consuming than trying to do a traditional gel. It stays without chipping for a good 3-4 days, which was acceptable to me doing it at home. I've found some of the Gel Couture polishes in the clearance aisle at Ulta before as well.