In this review, we will tell you everything about gel nail polishes. Let's find out the history of the creation of these products. We will also consider why gel polish is not removed and what to do in such cases. Here are detailed instructions for applying and removing nail gel formulations.
History of Creation
The idea of creating such a product has been in the air since the beginning of the nail extension era. The masters had transparent, pink and white gels in their arsenal. Some inventors added ballpoint pen paste to the transparent composition, getting a new color. The industry immediately reacted: they began to produce colored gels with the addition of pigments. These products did not come off with nail polish remover. They had to be filed down, just like the building gel. Although painting with acrylic paints was very popular, it was not possible to add it to the gel, since the material did not polymerize in the lamp. Then the avant-garde nail salons tried to add nail polish to the design composition. This broke his structure and made him weak.
The next step was the creation of biogels. A name meant to inspire confidenceconsumers is nothing more than a commercial move. There are no biocomponents there - solid chemistry. But these gels could be dissolved. This has become a new word in the nail industry. OPI launches a line of soluble color gels in the Axxium system, which includes new products for nail extension instead of Microbond. These colored compounds have the name Axxium soak-off on the jars, which means “soluble”, and below it is written gel-lacquer (gel polish) in small letters.
Despite the name, it was a real gel. It could be applied to the nails without filing. It was dissolved by nail polish remover, only the exposure time was increased. The upper top layer was broken by several strokes of the file, without which it could not be removed. At that time, it was all about gel polishes.
CND releases the Shellac product, the name of which immediately becomes a household name. There are many brands that claim the uniqueness of their product. What to do - it's a market! Finally, OPI releases Gelcolor, the only 6th generation gel so far that has left the competition far behind. It does not have a varnish component, like all other products, so the nails do not deteriorate. Due to the fact that the varnish evaporates from the surface, microcracks form on the coating. They do not protect against solvents and harmful environmental influences. The company did not have a 5th generation product - a hybrid of varnish and gel. Coating with LED lamp takes 15 minutes, one coat dries in 30 seconds.
Thin, soft nails
All about gel polishesbecame known after the release of Shellac from CND. This product seemed to be the ideal solution, but as time went on, everything changed. It turned out that this innovation is not suitable for everyone. Thin, soft nails still needed to be strengthened, not wanting to wear a new coating. The plate at the free edge is flexible, it bends when working at the keyboard and when washing dishes. The coating does not withstand and chipped. Shellac by CND is technologically applied in a thin layer, designed to prolong the durability of the manicure, not to strengthen the nails. There were single-phase gel polishes, more rigid. That is why the coating often had chips on the free edge (it just came off, so it still did not work to strengthen the nails).
To understand in which direction to move on, you need to know everything about gel nail polishes. Their adhesion to the plate is superficial. An acid-free primer is used here, otherwise the coating would be permanent. A new technology appears: the end of the nail is treated with an acid primer, and the gel polish at the tip of the free edge becomes insoluble. It was assumed that after 2 weeks the master would simply cut off the regrown length along with the insoluble coating and apply a new one.
But the flexible nails continued to bend. First, a network of small cracks formed on them, then the coating turned into a mosaic and lost its pieces one by one. The nail, exposed to acid and household solvents that penetrated through the cracks, quickly came to exhaustion and dystrophy. He detached from the bed and was a spectacle not for the faint of heart. We talked about the dangers of such products. Masters tried to tell their clients everything about gel nail polishes, but sometimes their knowledge and experience were not enough.
Gel polish removal: correct and barbaric
Shellac from CND is removed after destroying the integrity of the top layer with a file and wrapping fingers in foil with a sponge soaked in an acetone-containing agent for 15-20 minutes. Then the curled coating is peeled off with an orange stick. Gelcolor by OPI is removable without sawing off the top layer. It is not necessary to peel it off the nail, since everything flies off while still in the wrapper. How are clients filmed? By pulling on the detachment, they tear off the coating with the top layer of the nail.
Sometimes not everything about gel polishes is taught in manicure courses. For beginners, only the tip of the iceberg is open. The secrets of the profession are left for the refresher course. Materials science is not taught in every course, leaving you to be content with the brand on which you study. As a result, the masters remove the coating not with an orange stick, but with a metal pusher. Instead of movements on the nail plate from the side ridges to the center, a movement is applied from the cuticle to the free edge, making notches. Instead of an acid-free primer, an acid primer is applied to the entire nail, and the gel polish becomes insoluble. It can now be removed only by sawing. The market reacted immediately: a cutter for gel polish is being produced. This discredits the progressive cover.
Myths and truth
Deciding to make a fashionable coating, many try to learn everything about gel polishes, however, they do not always getinformation from reliable sources. At international exhibitions, such as Intercharm, you can get the most useful information and choose the brand of gel polish for yourself. Instructors will show how to apply, how to remove, how and on what you can save money, and where you should not. Will apply a coating to the nail to test the quality of its wear.
This is the only way to find out what is suitable in a particular case for a given person with his condition of nails. By choosing several brands, by trial and error, you can learn everything about gel polishes. Myths are sometimes born from improper adherence to technology or illiterate selection of materials.
Myths:
- Gel polish ruins nails.
- After such coating, the plates should rest.
- Nails don't breathe under gel polish.
True:
- If you choose a low-quality product and do not follow the technology, you can really ruin your nails. Before coating, the plate is treated with a soft buff to remove the effusion and lift the scales. The buff has a low grit (this is the amount of abrasive per square centimeter), it cannot be compared with a rough file (100 grit). But the self-taught woman boldly wields such a tool, arguing that this way the gel polish holds better. Having cut off half the thickness of the nail, the unfortunate master applies an acid primer for the same reason. It burns the top layer of nail scales. The material is eaten away. When the gel polish grows to half of the nail, it is cut off, but not quite, but to the base layer, then a new coating is applied. If the client got into a regular salon,working on certified materials, he will undergo the removal procedure, but to no avail. The case will end with the cutting of all layers, as a result of which the nail plate with a chemical burn will be exposed. After that, the client will no longer go to the salon, but will continue to make an appointment with the master at home - he does not see the nail bed with him, because he simply does not remove the coating to such an extent. In such cases, not only gel polish is discredited, but also a certified master, as well as a salon that meets all the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor.
- The statement that nails should rest after varnish can be compared with the phrase - "boots should rest after the cream." Well, let the boots rest, then instead of the cream, reagent s alts will settle on them, dry out and destroy the structure. Everyone understands this and constantly wash off the old layer of the composition and apply a new one. Why don’t they take care of nails, allowing unprotected plates to absorb detergents that dry them out? No cream will save you if you constantly wash your hands and dishes. In fact, the coating, at least ordinary varnish, protects the nails from the external environment. Gel polish does the same, you just need to monitor its integrity and seal chips in time.
- Nails can't breathe at all. Under the artificial material, they are protected from harmful chemical and mechanical influences.
That's all about gel polishes. Myths and truth give a complete picture of these products.
Advice to young masters. UV or LED - which one to choose?
Some gel polishes are designed for UV lamps, others for LED. In the first variant, noLED gels polymerize, and vice versa. Those who are just starting their journey in the profession want to know everything about gel polishes and how to use a UV lamp. If you are not going to build, then you can immediately buy an LED device. On sale you can find UV varnishes. To work with them, you should purchase drops for polymerization in an LED lamp.
If, nevertheless, a decision is made to purchase a UV lamp, then a 36-watt tunnel device enjoys an undoubted advantage. It is designed for 4 interchangeable elements. There are two types of such devices, and they need lamps of different designs. The service life of a replaceable element is approximately six months, then it changes properties, although it turns on and burns, but the gel polish stops drying. To avoid an unpleasant moment, it is better to always have 4 replacement lamps in stock.
We recommend getting a starter kit with a small LED lamp and five single phase gel polishes. These kits are available online. Application of single-phase products should begin with standard nail preparation. Then, very thinly applied gel polish is used as a base, rubbing with movements. This layer polymerizes. Then spend two more layers with polymerization. After the final application, the nails “cool down”. Further, the polymerization process started in the lamp ends, and a beautiful shine is acquired. Only then is the oil applied. It's all about LED gel polishes. Since not all brands of gel polishes are freely available in stores, two Chinese products are attracting attention: Kodi andBluesky.
Bluesky is a Chinese brand
Bluesky products are certified. It has 152 shades of color. To find out everything about Bluesky gel polishes, just familiarize yourself with the coating technology. It includes the following steps:
- Manicure. This is the standard nail preparation for applying artificial nail polish.
- Applying the base, sealing the ends, curing in a UV lamp 1 minute, LED-device - 30 seconds.
- Applying the first layer of colored gel polish, sealing the ends, curing in a UV lamp for 2 minutes, LED - 30 seconds for a light and 60 seconds for a dark shade.
- Applying a second layer of colored gel polish, sealing the ends, curing in a UV lamp for 2 minutes, LED - 30 seconds for a light and 60 seconds for a dark shade.
- Applying a top coat, sealing the ends, curing in a UV lamp 3 minutes, LED - 30 seconds.
- Removing the dispersion layer, applying cuticle oil.
Coating time is 30 minutes in UV lamp, 15 minutes in LED.
And finally, everything about Bluesky gel polishes will be told by the process of removing the coating. Manufacturers advise using the “varnish square” technique (before applying the base, the middle of the nail is covered with a regular base for varnish coating) and not treating the nails with a buff before applying the coating.
- Use a 180 grit file to remove the top layer of the coating.
- Wet a quarter of a cotton pad with acrylic nail remover, apply it to the nail, wrap it in foil the size ofcandy wrapper. We put plastic gloves on our hands.
- We stand for 15 minutes, wrapped in a warm towel. Additional heat is a catalyst for the process. You can use a heating pad with hot water.
- Slightly twisting the wrapper, remove it from the nail. We process one finger at a time. If the coating is not completely removed from the plate, gently pry the gel polish film towards the center of the nail with an orange stick.
- After removing the remaining coating, we do a manicure and re-apply the composition.
In practice, you may encounter non-compliance with the technology of applying and removing gel polish. In general, Chinese products are not so easy to remove from the nails. To facilitate the task, we can recommend the use of an OPI base and top. In this case, the top layer should not be removed, since it is soluble in OPI. In conclusion, we can add that the Bluesky manufacturer accurately transferred the colors of the Shellac palette from CND to their materials.
Cody is an American brand
This product is certified. To find out everything about the Codes gel polishes, the palette of which has more than 400 shades, it is enough to conduct a test by analogy with Bluesky. For this, an LED lamp is used, polymerization in which is 30 seconds.
Coating:
- Manicure, standard nail preparation for artificial nail application.
- Base application, end sealing, curing.
- Applying the 1st layer of colored gel polish, sealing the ends, curing.
- Applying the 2nd layer of colored gel polish,end sealing, curing.
- Top coat, end seal, cure.
- Dispersion removal, oil application.
Removing the cover:
- Remove the top layer with a file.
- We soak a quarter of a cotton pad with Kodi's special liquid, place it on the nail, wrapping it in foil the size of a candy wrapper. We put plastic gloves on our hands.
- We stand for 10 minutes.
- Remove the wrapping from the nail. We process one finger at a time. The coating must be removed, like Shellac from CND, gradually cleaning the nail from it.
- After removing, we do a manicure and re-apply the composition.
It's all about gel polishes for beginners. To fully exploit the potential of Kodi, you should purchase the base, top and accessories of the same line.
Mirror Manicure
The starter kit contains the minimum items required for the service. Most likely, a novice master, having seen the price list of a large nail company, will want to know everything about gel polishes, and why you need a top without a sticky layer. Some designs are made using this particular top. For example, a mirror manicure. For its implementation, the following technology will be required:
- Standard nail preparation.
- Gel polish in 2 coats.
- Top without sticky layer.
- Rubbing mirror powder.
- Top cover.
Rubbing is done with a firm sponge in a circular motion. In the middle of the nail, you can help yourself with padsthumbs. At the side rollers, the powder is placed with an orange stick.
Cat Eye Manicure
Beginners want to know everything about Cat Eye gel polishes. To create it, you need a special composition and a magnet. The technology is as follows:
- Standard nail preparation.
- Gel polish in 2 coats.
- Place a magnet for 1 second, curing in a lamp.
- Apply top coat.
To make the strip narrow and clear, the magnet is brought 1 mm to the surface of the gel polish, and if you need a strip with more blurred borders - 5 mm.
It is not necessary to buy all the magnetic gel polishes that the manufacturer offers. To create pastel designs, the first layer is made white, for bright designs - black. The second layer is colored. Having three varnishes colored, black and white, you can create a rich palette. It can be blue, red and yellow shades. If the colors are pure enough, that's enough to have the entire palette of the rainbow in your arsenal.
Which firm is better
When masters meet, professional conversations begin - everything about gel polishes is clarified. Which firm is better? No one will argue with the fact that dental implants are the best type of prosthetics. Another question - how much does it cost? The conversations of the masters working in salons for well-known brands will reveal the top 5 well-known respected brands:
- OPI is an industry leader, Hollywood brand.
- CND is a hyped American product that many craftsmen are devoted to.
- Formula Profi is a Russian brand withmany fans.
- Runail - domestic economy class products.
- Mozart House is an Austrian brand outperforming the competition.
The conversations of non-professionals will reveal a completely different segment of the nail industry market. It will be Chinese products, sometimes bought in an online store or ordered on Ali Express. Such a product does not have certification, so the buyer is responsible for its use.
Many girls, trying to learn everything about gel polishes on their own, following the trial and error method, talking on forums and getting closer to the truth, realized that it’s worth studying in a good school on good materials, otherwise the master’s path will resemble wanderings in darkness.
There are principles for combining products of the nail industry:
- do not go beyond the chosen brand;
- materials can be of any company;
- before applying another brand, you must either completely remove the previous coating, or go through the buff and start from the base of the new manufacturer.
Usually American products are combined with each other, American and Chinese - not all are combined, the rest may surprise in the form of a wrinkled coating in the lamp, completely moved out due to lack of adhesion, peeling and poor removal of the material.
In this review, we have covered everything about gel polishes, but new products continue to be released, we are looking for the perfect formula that suits everyone. With the advent of such a coating, the era of nail design has come. The classic has changed colors: now it's not palepink and red tones. What else will prepare gel polish? Let's wait.
