Gel nails at home – straightforward guide for beginners!

Any fans of gel nails here? Did you know that doing them is a child’s play? I’m sure you will all get the hang of it. With my guide, you are bound to succeed. Let me tell you what to prepare and how to do gel nails at home step by step. Ready, steady, go!

Gel nails at home. What are the must-haves?

1. Surely a lamp. For home use, it might be quite small but pick one that has some power. LED 48 W and up are pretty good.
2. Gel nail polish of course. The choice is up to you, go crazy! Let me just give you a hint: don’t forget about the classics like nude, beige, gray and red. Others are a matter of taste.
3. Wooden pusher to push the cuticles and get the polish off the skin if it happens to go too far. Choose wood because it doesn’t cause damage to the nail plate. Forget all nasties like plastic or (horror!) metal pushers!
4. Lint-free cotton pads are cool and don’t leave anything on the nails.
5. Acetone gel remover cause you need something to take your nail polish off.
6. Cleaner is a MUST, too bad it’s left out by many girls. A cleaner is a guarantee your nail polish, primer and top won’t come off after a week. Big thing, isn’t it?
7. Buffer – you need to buff the nail plate, just a tad!
8. Nail file – use it for getting the desired almond or pointy shape – up to you.
9. Gel polish base and top. If you’re a beginner, get a two-in-one product.

Gel nail lamp – LED or UV?

Hands down, LED! You don’t need to change the bulbs. It’s ideal for gel nails and frequent use. At the same time it’s safer than UV lamps. LED lamp is also faster: nails cured within 30 seconds.

Gel nails at home step by step

1. I assume your nails are already clean and polish-free. File them, push the cuticles, cut the nails, give the final shape. I hope you already know the basics.
2. Wipe the nail plates with a cleaner aka the must product for long-lasting gel nails. Use lint-free pads.
3. Apply a thin layer of primer (e.g. 2-in-1 base and top) and cure in the lamp for approx. 60 seconds.
4. Apply a coat of gel polish. Note! Keep it the thinnest possible so it can cure not leaving air bubbles. Do it slowly, carefully, not going too far… In case of failure, wipe the polish off with your finger or cotton swab. Cure for 60 seconds.
5. Apply another coat of the polish and cure for 60 seconds.
6. Apply the top (clear one) and cure for 60 seconds.

THE END

Hope everything goes well with your at-home gel nails and you’ll get lovely effects. Let me know! 🙂