At Home Gel Manicure

Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely obsessed with painting my nails and having my nails done. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my manicures – if I see one single chip, I usually chip off every single piece of polish and have to start from scratch. This meant that I was doing my nails every other day. Insert eye roll. The answer to this problem was gel manicures! A shiny, perfect manicure for up to two weeks without chipping? Yes please. Sign me up for that! I started getting my nails done with gel polish in high school and I was hooked. The only downside? It adds up quickly! It’s not always realistic to spend $30+ twice a month to have your nails done. I can think of plenty of other things I would rather be spending money on than manicures, no matter how good they look. That’s when I started doing my own at home gel manicure and it’s safe to say I will never go back.

I got my gel manicure set for Christmas a few years ago and it’s been a lifesaver ever since. My particular machine has been discontinued but don’t worry – I have another recommendation for you! I personally love the LED light version of the gel manicure as opposed to the UV light. LED lights work faster to set the polish and they never need to be changed out because they won’t dull over time. Ever since gel manicures have dominated the beauty industry, there are tons of options on the market that you don’t need a cosmetology license to purchase. My personal favorite is the Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro. After experimenting with a bunch of different brands, Red Carpet has proven to have the best staying power by far.

Directions vary by brand and machine but these are the steps I follow:

1. Prep the nails by filing, shaping, and buffing beforehand. Make sure all of your nails are smooth, clean, and shaped to your liking.
2. With a lint free pad, clean your nails with the Application Cleanser. If you don’t have this, Isopropyl Alcohol works just as well. Make sure to get under the tip of each nail as well.
3. Apply base coat from cuticle to tip, covering the entire surface of each nail. I like to paint my left 4 fingers, then my right 4 fingers, and then both of my thumbs. This is to ensure that all of your fingers fit into the machine at once so that they’re able to be cured properly. Make sure the cuticles and skin are free of polish before putting hand under the light.
4. Cure the base coat onto your nails under the LED light.
5. Apply a thin coat of the gel polish color of your choice. Make sure the entire surface is covered, including the tip of the nail. Clean any excess polish off of cuticles and skin.
6. Cure the gel color onto your nails under the LED light.
7. Apply a second coat of the gel polish color and cure under the LED light. Clean any excess polish off of cuticles and skin.
8. Finish by applying a top coat, making sure to cover the entire surface of the nail.
9. Cure under the LED light.
10. Do not touch the nail – it will be tacky to touch. With a lint free pad, clean the nails with the Application Cleanser, getting rid of any residue.
11. Apply cuticle oil for extra hydration and you’re all set!

The color I used is “Sneak Peek” by Red Carpet Manicure

To remove:

1. Buff the surface of the polished nail to create a slightly rough surface and give the acetone something to grab onto.
2. Rip aluminum foil into strips – one for each nail. They should be the length of the foil and about 2 inches wide.
3. Saturate a small cotton ball with acetone nail polish remover and cover the nail completely.
4. Wrap the aluminum foil strip around each nail, securing the cotton ball in place.
5. Let it sit for about 15-25 minutes. This is the perfect time to catch up on your DVR!
6. Remove the cotton ball and aluminum foil – the polish should come off easily! If it doesn’t come right off, repeat the process instead of peeling or scraping the polish off, which would damage the nails.
7. Finish by filing, buffing, and cleansing the nails. Apply cuticle oil and hand cream!

Shop this post here:

Shop my rings here:

Have you ever tried to do an at home gel manicure?

Save