Long-term nail coating is called differently: both shellac and gel polish. The meaning remains the same - the material is a hybrid of gel and varnish. It is applied easily, and lasts a very long time - up to 27 days. You can do a gel polish manicure at home, but you must adhere to strict rules.
General information
Initially, the hybrid of gel and nail polish was called only Shellac. It first appeared at CND (an American brand) specializing in hand care products. This innovation was quickly picked up by other companies, which also began to actively produce gel polishes. It is noteworthy that it is Shellac that stays on the nails for the longest possible time - 4 weeks. And it's much easier to apply than other brands.
Nail preparation
Manicure (we will consider the step-by-step procedure below) is performed in several steps. The first of these is preparation. Do-it-yourself manicure is no different from a salon one. And you need to prepare your nails the same way. The first thing to do is wash your hands with soap and then dry them with a soft towel. Thereafterit is recommended to disinfect the fingers with an antiseptic. For example, formic or boric alcohol are very cheap products that can be purchased at a pharmacy. The free edge of the nails is filed with a soft file to give a certain uniform shape. The cuticle is also subject to processing.
What to do with cuticles
It is not recommended to use the cutting method to remove the cuticle. First, there is a risk of injury with sharp instruments. Secondly, if the material gets on the cuticle treated in this way, an unpleasant burning sensation will be felt, since the skin is very tender and sensitive after the cut. Manicure with gel polish at home, and in the salon too, involves the removal of dead areas with the help of a special tool. The cuticle softener not only makes it more supple, but also facilitates its easy discharge. In addition, you can remove excess skin with a special manicure device, if you have one at hand.
What materials are needed
It is worthwhile to prepare in advance all the materials that will be required during the work. There are not so many of them, but without them you can’t do a manicure with your own hands with all your desire:
- gel polish top;
- color gel polish;
- finish coat;
- cuticle oil;
- gel polish remover (remover).
Agree, not the most extensive list. Before you do a manicure with gel polish, it is advisable to make sure that the products are suitable for each other. If aThey are all from the same company so there shouldn't be any problems. It is worth remembering right away that not all brands are compatible with each other. So, for example, if the top and colored gel polish are from different companies, then the period for maintaining the integrity of the coating may be reduced. This is more of an exception than a rule, but you need to take everything into account in advance.
Manicure tools
The list of necessary tools is also not too big:
- file for natural nails;
- orange sticks or pusher (not metal);
- UV lamp (a small 9W lamp is also suitable for the home);
- flat gel brush.
The latter is required only if the gel polish is too thin or thick. It is easier to apply with a flat brush, but the result is more accurate.
Easy Gel Polish Technology
The advantage of shellacs is that they are easy to apply. After the nails are prepared, they are covered with a top. The layer is thin and transparent, like a substrate when building up. It dries in a UV lamp for a few seconds. After that, a thin layer of colored gel polish is applied. It is not necessary to make it thick for saturation of the shade, otherwise the material will chip and bubble when dried. In the lamp, the nails must be held a little longer than the top - about 60-90 seconds. If a saturated color is required, then the action is repeated. The final stage is the final gel polish. They cover not only the nail plates, but also the ends so that the manicure does not chip off. Use finishing agentextensions are not recommended, otherwise it will be very difficult to remove. The step-by-step manicure described above is as simple as possible.
Tricks
Gel polish manicure at home is often complicated by the fact that there is too little color material. But there is a little trick, how to get a lot more out of two shades. They just need to be mixed in the palette, like paint. If this option does not work with a simple nail polish, then with gel polishes it is quite possible. First, the funds of one firm are usually of the same consistency. Secondly, they are well combined with each other. In order not to acquire large palettes of gel polishes, it is enough to take the base colors as a basis. Mixing them allows you to get many shades that will decorate the manicure.
Design with decorative elements
The most daring can try to spice up their nails with unusual designs such as rhinestones. First you need to perform a manicure with gel polish according to all the rules, except for the final stage. When the color base dries in a UV lamp, it will be a little tacky (this is normal). Rhinestones are attached to this layer. You can hook them with a toothpick, then place them in the desired place. Only then should the top coat be applied. A beautiful manicure (gel polish, photo No. 5 in the article) is obtained by mixing several designs: painting and rhinestones. Or, for example, as a result of drawing and fine sand for nail art. It all depends on the imagination.
Tips for beginners
Those who do gel polish manicure for the first time should remember thatthe rules for applying this coating are the same as for conventional varnish. The material should not get on the cuticle or skin around the nails. If this still happened, then you can remove the excess with a cotton swab dipped in a remover.
To correctly place your hand to apply the product on your nails, you can first practice on a piece of paper. Gel polish manicure lessons teach the following: a stencil is drawn on a sheet with a pencil to fit the size of the nail plates. It is filled with gel polish so that the material does not crawl out over the edges. It usually works out on the second try. If there are severe difficulties, then you can use a gel brush - it is thin, narrow and plastic.
Recommendations
To learn how to perform a manicure with shellac, you need to try it at least once on yourself or on a model. There is nothing complicated about applying a hybrid of gel and nail polish. When choosing a product, it is worth relying not only on the advice of sellers or manufacturers, but also on what kind of consistency the chosen material is. So, for example, it is more convenient for some to work with liquid compositions, although they spread somewhat, which requires quick movements, while others are more accustomed to thick ones that need to be stretched over the surface of the nail.
Manicure with gel polish at home is not much different from a salon procedure, except that the cost is several times less. The material is removed very simply: a remover is applied to cotton pads, then they are pressed against the nails and insulated (for example, with foil). After some time, which is indicated in the instructions for the tool, the disks are removed, andgel polish is cleaned with an orange stick. It cannot be torn off, otherwise the upper epithelium will be severely injured (nail he alth suffers from this). If the material is not completely soaked, then the removal procedure is repeated.
