DIY Gel Manicure for Fall

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DIY Gel Manicure:

Anyone who knows me, knows that my fingers and toes are a good gauge for the kind of week it’s been. My toes are rarely unpolished, as that’s my one thing, my one thing that helps me feel put together. That and I was a dancer for most of my life, so these toes deserve a little love in their retirement. However, if they are lacking polish…then it’s clear that this mama is spent.

In addition to toes, I have always tried to keep my fingernails polished too. But constant hand washing, chores and laundry seem to wage war on newly polished fingernails. In recent months I discovered that you could DIY a gel manicure from the comfort of your own home. So after trial and error here is a list of the 5 things you need to have a successful DIY gel manicure experience. The upfront cost is slightly high but it is far cheaper than frequenting a nail salon on a bi-weekly basis.

Nail Hardener:

Sally Henson Nail Hardener is an essential tool in preparing your nails for a gel manicure. Gel nail polish binds to your nail bed, without proper care of your nails the application and removal of the polish can be quite harsh. The hardener helps strengthen your nails and protects against clipping and or breakage.

The Best Starter Kit:

The Modelones Gel Nailpolish Kit is the perfect kit for a person just starting out with DIY gel manicures at home. It includes seven gel nail polishes in nude shades perfect for the upcoming Fall and Winter season. Your base coat and top coat are included as well. Though the UV dryer is slightly smaller than traditional lamps it gets the job done. All of the necessary tools for nail maintenance and polish application are featured in the kit as well.

This Fall themed gel nail polish kit from Modelones features hues in red, tan, black, grey, gold and silver. With twelve different shades to choose from you are sure to find a complimentary color to your favorite fall fashions. The kit is reasonably priced at $22.00 where other kits run upwards of $40.00. I have found that Modelones wears the longest, though I have never gotten to wear for 21 days. Mine typically last 10 days at most, but it could absolutely be user error.

Remover Kit: This last step is the most important of the DIY gel manicure, the removal process. Though it’s tempting, you mustn’t peel your gel nail polish off. I learned this the hard way and damaged my nail beds, something awful. Some suggest soaking your nails in soapy, hot water for fifteen minutes prior to removal. But this causes the nail bed to become fragile and soft , which in turn can cause peeling. The best removal is a non-immersive approach using a minimal amount of acetone. These nail clips allow you to place acetone on a pad that then sits on top of your nails to break up the layers of nail polish. It is really difficult to remove gel nail polish without the clips.