doing gel nails at home 💅🏻✨

hey girliesss!

today im going to show you all how i usually do my own gel nails at home with items you can get on shopee :)

throughout these years, i have been doing my own gel nails as i want to save money from going to salons to get them done (unless i have a special occasion).

soooo here’s a guide on how to do your own gel nails and items that you must get to ensure that your gel mani lasts❗️❗️❗️

A MUST HAVE ITEM:

it is definitelyyyy a must to have a nail lamp at home, preferably the big ones as they have a stronger wattage and are able to fully cure gel, as uncured gel can lead to skin irritation and even allergies 🫣

the nail lamp i got was from shopee and it was less than $15, and has lasted me for about 3 years now and still going strong 💪🏻

STEPS ON HOW TO DO GEL NAILS:

1. it is important to prep your nails properly to make sure that the gel polish stays and adheres to your nail beds better. i use the nail file (or a buffer) to VERY GENTLY remove any shine from my nail bed and give it texture for the base coat to stick. afterwards, i apply the cuticle remover on my cuticles and let it sit for 30 seconds, before gently pushing my cuticles back with the cuticle pusher. BE GENTLE for these steps as your nail beds and cuticles are very fragile 😌😌. once i am done, i use the alcohol wipe to remove any dust and dirt that is left on my nails.

2. GET A NAIL DEHYDRATOR AND A NAIL PRIMER❗️❗️ these 2 products are superrrrrrr important if you want your gel mani to last. apply the nail dehydrator to your nails to let it remove any oils from your nail beds, before applying the nail primer, and letting it airdry for a minute or so. removing oils from your nail beds ensures that the gel has a clean surface to adhere to, while the primer ensures the gel sticks onto your nail beds.

3. after letting the nail primer air dry, start by applying a base coat and letting it cure for 30-60 secs. it is important to remove any gel on your skin before curing!!!!! next, you can start applying your gel polishes and do any designs you may like. once you’re done, end off with a top coat and cure for 60 secs to make sure it is fully cured.

and that’s about it! nail prep is the MOSTTTT important in doing long-lasting manicures. so far, all my manicures have lasted 3-4 weeks which is similar to doing it at salons 🥹🥹

once you feel more confident in starting to do designs, you can buy other items such as nail brushes, chrome powder, nail stickers, and even solid gel for 3d designs!

the last 2 slides are designs that i have done on myself and my sister, including designs that i have experimented with and kind of came out successful???? my fav design to do would be blush nails and my least fav would be french tips because it really is challenging to draw 10 perfect french tips (especially with my non-dominant hand 🥲) my proudest design would be the nails i did in the first slide 😭❤️

buttt doing your own nails definitely takes some practice but once you get the hang of it, it definitely becomes much easier 🤭

it does take up a lot of my time as i usually spend 2-3 hours doing my nails but, i feel it therapeutic almost hehehehe 🤩🤩

everything i bought can be found on shopee! 💯💯

i will recommend the brand ‘born pretty’ as they have pretty affordable nail items for beginners :)

do feel free to leave comments down below regarding this! 🤍🤍

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