In this post I’ll be sharing my easy at-home gel manicure routine and tips on how to make your DIY mani last longer!
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It’s officially the year of DIY beauty routines (thanks to this global pandemic). But, truthfully, I’ve always been one to do my own nails whenever possible, and can probably count on one hand the amount of times I’ve willingly gone to a nail salon.
Although I do enjoy the at-home manicure process as a fun little relaxing “self care” activity, I also see the value in a longer lasting set of claws that don’t start chipping within a few days.
So I caved and tried one of those DIY gel manicure kits.
At first I was a little intimidated by the entire process – the prep, the UV light, the removal, AH! But after doing a bit of research, I figured it wasn’t too far out of my skillset and I purchased this complete starter kit from Amazon.
It’s now been several months and I think I’ve nailed my at-home gel manicure routine, plus gathered up a few tips and tricks to make them look profeshhhh and last as long as possible.
Let’s get into it!
My Mani Essentials:
- This complete kit (it comes with basically everything you need to start off with, including the base and top coats.)
- a strong nail polish remover
- cuticle nippers
- cuticle oil
- nail glue
- a small bowl – keep it specifically for nails only
- paper towel
- a small hand towel or something to protect the area
And of course, you’ll need the gel nail polish color of choice. I have used the following polishes from different brands and can honestly say they are all great to work with and have really good lasting power (Although I do think the nail prep and top coat application are the MOST important factors in the lifespan of your mani. But, we’ll get into that a bit later):
The Nail Prep
Step 1
Removing an old or grown out gel manicure. (Click here to skip straight to the prep & application part if you don’t have a previous gel mani)
Start by filing down the top of each nail with a 100/180 file. This step is important as it will start breaking down the top coat and some of the gel polish, making the soaking/removal process much quicker.
Step 2
Fill a bowl with a small amount of extra strength nail polish remover and let your fingertips soak for 5-10 minutes with your nails facing down. I find this is the least damaging method of removing the gel. I’m also not a fan of covering each finger with foil and find this to just be more comfortable overall.
Step 3
This is how the nails should look after soaking for around 10 minutes.
You can start checking on the nails after a few minutes so you’re not over soaking them. Once they start to look like this, you’re ready to move on to the next part of the removal.
Step 4
Next, use the metal cuticle pusher tool to start gently scraping off the polish.
Step 5
Once you finish scraping off all the old gel polish, your nails should look something like this.
Make sure to look carefully at all the edges and scrape off any little areas of leftover gel.
Step 6
Now, cuticles are a personal preference. Some like to cut them off completely. But, I personally just take off any really obvious hang nails.
Step 7
For my cuticles, I gently push them back using the metal cuticle pusher tool.
Step 8
At this point, I like to take care of any emergency broken nails. I dab a few drops of nail glue directly over the broken area of the nail. Wait for this to fully dry before moving on.
Step 9
Next, gently file down the top of each nail again. This will create a better surface for the gel base coat to cling to.
Step 10
After filing the tops of the nails, use a brush to remove any excess dust. Use a more gentle nail file to shape your nails to your desired length and shape. I prefer a more oval shape as I find this prevents the most breaks and snags.
Step 11
Take a paper towel dipped in nail polish remover, and wipe down each nail to give your nails one last final cleaning. You want your nails to be free of any dust particles before starting with your new mani.
Step 12
Your nails should be clean and dull looking (not shiny). Now you’re ready for a base coat!
Applying the Gel
Ready for application
Apply the base coat. This part is super important because you are setting down the foundation for the rest of the layers of gel polish.
A key part of this step is to avoid letting the base coat polish touch the cuticle or skin around your nails. This is referred to as “flooding the cuticle” and you want to avoid this so that the edges of your mani don’t start to lift around the areas as your nails start to grow out.
I like to take my time with this step and get as close as possible to my cuticle while still leaving a small gap and not letting it touch.
Gel doesn’t “dry” or set until you cure it under the UV lamp, so you can really take your time as you do your nails.
Another one of my little tricks is to flip my hand upside down after I finish applying the gel on each nail, before curing in the UV light. This allows gravity to pull the gel polish down towards the apex of your nail and create a nice rounded shape. This also helps to avoid having thick pools of polish on the bases or tips of your nails.
When curing the polish in the UV lamp, I like to cure my 4 fingers first…
… and then I cure the thumb on it’s own.
This allows each nail lay nice and flat on the table while curing so that the polish doesn’t run over to one side of the thumb and create an uneven finish.
I also ALWAYS use the 120s curing time TWICE for each cure. I know it sounds a bit excessive (and it takes longer) but I’m pretty sure this is part of the reason why my manicure always lasts super long.
After the base coat, you’ll just repeat the entire process with the color gel polish and top coat.
If I REALLY want my mani to last, I sometimes apply 2 layers of top coat (always cure with the UV light between each layer). Just note, the more layers you apply, the more of a pain it becomes to remove it later.
I avoid using more than 5 layers on my nails in total. So I usually do: one layer of base coat, 2 layers of color, and 2 layers of top coat.
But, if my color polish is really sheer and requires 3 layers, then I do: one layer of base coat, 3 layers of color, and 1 layer of top coat.
Make sure each layer is thin and evenly applied to avoid really thick and bulky nails – that can sometimes happen when using a gel system. Also, the thinner your layers, the better they will cure in the UV lamp.
Once again: each and every single layer needs to cure in the UV lamp before applying the next.
When applying the top coat, take the brush and run a bit of polish along the tips and edge of each nail. In the nail tech world this is often referred to as “capping the edge” but you’re essentially creating a little reinforcement barrier on the end of the nail to act as a seal and help prevent chipping.
Always apply a good cuticle oil at the end of your mani to rehydrate your cuticles AND the skin on your fingertips.
And DONE!
The color I’m wearing here is called “Cocoa” by NYK1.
It’s such a gorgeous warm caramel color.
I also wanted to share a regular polish in a similar color tone. This one here is “Cliff Hanger” by Essie.
And that’s it for my DIY at-home gel manicure routine. The whole process usually takes me about an hour or so, and my nails will last anywhere between 10-14 days before they start to look grown out or some chipping occurs on the tips.
| UPDATE |
here is my mani exactly 14 days after application:
No chipping or lifting, just regrowth!
I highly recommend giving this a try and if you follow my tried and true method you should get similar results!
For more beauty related faves, check out this post!
Xx Laura
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