Candice S.
I came across this today while on Pinterest and wanted to share with all the nail lovers out there. It’s from KeepingUpWithKatieK on Tumblr. This sounds like something worth trying. I’ve never used gel before but have been dying to. Check this out and let me know what your thoughts are.
Until Next Time Stars. Enjoy the Post Below!
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BEING THE GIRL THAT I AM, I DECIDED TO SPEND MY FRIDAY NIGHT GETTING A MANI. HOWEVER, BEING THE GIRL THAT I AM, I WANTED A MORE AFFORDABLE WAY TO GET A GOOD-QUALITY PAINT JOB. I LOVE SHELLAC MANICURES BUT I JUST DON’T WANT TO PAY FOR IT.
WHAT I USED:
1. SALLY HANSEN HARD AS WRAPS POWERFUL ACRYLIC GEL
2. MY FAVORITE NAIL POLISH (SERIOUSLY, ESSIE IS AMAZING)
3. SALLY HANSEN NO CHIP ACRYLIC TOP COAT
START WITH CLEAN, DRY NAILS. APPLY ONE COAT OF THE POWERFUL ACRYLIC GEL. WHEN IT’S DRY, APPLY TWO COATS OF YOUR FAVORITE NAIL POLISH. WHEN THAT IS DRY, APPLY ONE COAT OF THE ACRYLIC TOP COAT.
I’M NOT KIDDING. THIS WORKS JUST AS NICELY AS SHELLAC. MY MANICURE FEELS ROCK-HARD AND IT’S SMOOTH AND SHINY. BEST PART, THE THREE BOTTLES COST ME ABOUT $15 AT TARGET AND I’M GOING TO GET MANY MORE USES OUT IT.
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Candice S.
31 comments
I have not tried this yet but I want to my question to you about this is when it comes to removing it how hard is it to remove?
It comes off just as easily as regular polish. The gel coat isn’t really a hard “gel” at all. For me, this came off with regular nail polish remover just fine.
I am extremely hard on my nails, so they always chip easily & I’m a PERFECTIONIST, so I want perfect nails. For years I wore artificial nails just so the polish would stay on & then after removing them years ago I always wore light/sheer pink shades, (such as Opi- It’s a Girl or Bubble Bath) so that you couldn’t tell when it would chip. But I was bored of that look & wanted color. I tried the gel, but hate soaking in acetone because it dries my cuticles out & hate the cost as well. The BEST formula for me is one coat of Gelous-you can buy at Sally’s-clear bottom & a green handle (make sure it’s dry- sometimes I use a hairdryer for a few secobds), 1-2 coats of color (my favorite brand is now Essie), one coat of Sache Vive Instant Gel Effect top coat (blue bottle), & despite what the package says, wait a full minute or two and then apply Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Dry & Go Drops. Looks GLOSSY, SHINY, & lasts 5 days (remember I’m extremely hard on my nails so may last you longer) & it does NOT need a UV/LED light to dry & comes off easily with regular Acetone FREE polish remover!
Thanks so much for sharing your tips Brooke! This was very helpful.
I get the shellac manicure (although we call it gel in Los Angeles) and one of the tricks to removal is to heat the acetone before soaking your nails. If you microwave it a little bit it works faster and helps remove the polish faster. I love getting gel nail polish, it lasts for two weeks despite lots of cooking/cleaning/washing dishes.
This method didn’t last me quite that long and I haven’t sprung for the real thing yet, but I’ve been seeing people’s results from using Gel to grow out their natural nails so I may have to give it a try.
Please do not heat acetone, it is a fire hazard.
Thanks for the tip Lexie!
Gel polish is not that hard to remove depending on the type. You have to know what they are putting on you at the salon. Most you can soak off with cotton balls soaked in acetone, placed on your finger and wrapped in foil but there are some that are harder to get off. I can’t say I’ve tried this method of DIY Shellac but I’ve heard good things about it. Thanks for the info!
http://militaryandmakeup.blogspot.com/2014/02/sally-hansens-triple-strong-review-diy.html
Thanks for posting! I really need to try this out.
You’re welcome April.
This is very good….the only flaw is my manicure skills on the right hand, but practice makes perfect! It’s hard not to get it all over my cuticles, but soooo much cheaper than normal shellac, and I will improve! X
Spuffy, I’m so sorry I missed your comment. You’re not alone, it took me forever to get comfortable doing my right hand, and I’m still not a pro at it. Keep practicing girl!
omg thank you so much!!! I can’t believe the money I’ve been wasting before I used this!!
I know I’m kind of late on this thread, but I have heard of a different technique to DIY shellac.
Put two coats of the acrylic gel coat, (letting dry completely between coats) and then a coat of polish, another coat of acrylic, another coat of polish, and then finally a top coat.
I know this is a ton of steps but it may also be why the mani is supposed to last longer
Here’s the link: http://theresakistel.com/diy-gel-nails/
This girl is general spot on with her advice so I will be trying this tonight and if it works I’ll post back!
Didn’t work for me either :/ I did my nails yesterday morning and have 2 chipped edges today. I’m going to try again and put my polish on in two thinner coats.
I used sally Hansen xtreme polish with it. My nails do feel super thick, and the polish is hard and shiny
Renee, I tried SH’s Xtreme polish for the 1st time this past weekend and didn’t like it at all. My polish was really thick and it started to dry out super quick, fresh from the bottle. That stuff is like paint! 😀 I ended up taking it off and using my new $.99 Wet n Wild.
I hope you find the right combo for your “gel” mani. I used Sinful Colors with mine and it lasted about the same as a regular mani for me. I haven’t yet found the right combo that lasts as long or as pretty as a real gel mani. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Hello Kim, I like to know how do you remove this?
Hi Gabriela,
I’m not Kim 🙂 but I can tell you that you can remove this with regular nail polish remover.
Hi, it didn’t work for me either. I purchased the gel online and used it with an H&M nail varnish but no success.
Any tips would be great.
Thanks,
Hannah
Hi Hannah,
The only tips I can provide are to be sure to seal your nail edges with a top coat to help prevent chipping. When I tried this method, my manicure lasted pretty much the same as my others…it wasn’t as long lasting as the youtube video. To me it was just like all of my other mani’s.
I have tried this 3 times now and the polish chipped either the same day or overnight. I waited in between layers, put the top coat also under the nail as indicated on the bottle….thought that was why didn’t work the first time. No luck…..last one I tired it peeled so bad the next day. I am going to try a different one on Pinterest and hope that one works. Really would love to find one that works.
Hi Kim,
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I appreciate you sharing your experience. If you don’t mind me asking, What polishes were you using with your acrylic gel?
I had the same experience this week. I pay about 30-40 dollars for shellac. I need to find a better way. If you have any ideas, let me know!
DO you have to put your nails under that UV light like they do in the salon?
Nope. No UV light necessary. The acrylic gel dries just like a regular polish.
I’m going to look for these products as I am consummate DIY’er. I tried the shellac mani before and was not satisfied. My nails chipped w/I 48hrs.
I found the Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps at my local Target on Monday. Tonight I’m going to try this and see how long my mani actually lasts, then I’ll do a follow up.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I need to remove this shellac manicure and don’t like paying $35, especially since I have over 50 bottles of nail polish!
I hear that! I have a nice collection myself, no way I’m shelling out that kind of money when I can get the same effect with my $2 bottles of Sinful Colors or 99 cents Pure Ice. And I’m sure it’ll be just as pretty & durable. LOL 😀