Gel nails are an amazing way to have the perfect nails without the hassle. Strong, durable, and fairly easy to apply with a bit of practice. So what are your options when making your first purchase? Check out the list below! They are in no particular order but are all top-rated brands from across the web. They include products for both beginners at home and skilled nail professionals.
Gel Builder: Best Gel Nail Builders on the Market
Most of these products were rated on quality using factors such as budget, content in the package, ease of use and their durability in the long run. Keep these things in mind when selecting a product. (Some products will come with multiple items for application whereas others will only come with the gel itself.)
IBD LED/UV Gels Builder Gel
One of the most affordable options IBD LED/UV Gels Builder has a lot to offer when it comes to ease of use and available options for their products. It’s sold on multiple sites and has multiple options for gel color.
Orly GelFX Builder In A Bottle
Another great affordable option, this all in one applicator removes the need to have the gel and brushes. With a built-in brush and easy storage in a bottle, this product can be purchased on its own or as a part of a kit with other application tools and solutions.
Coscelia UV Nail Gel Set of 36 Colors
If you would like variety with your product, this is where it’s at! SO many colors! This is the best option for those who like to change up the look of their nails frequently. Easy to mix and match as well!
Gelish PolyGel Professional Nail Technician Builder (Master Kit!)
This kit is going to run you a pretty fair amount of money. However, it’s one of the higher-rated kits and comes with just about everything that you need for professional gel nails. There are different kit options on the market that you can choose from when browsing.
Young Nails Synergy Gel
A highly rated across the board, this is the perfect gel builder for those who are just starting with doing their own nails and need just the basics to learn.
So what are you waiting for? Start applying your own gel nails today!
How to use a gel nail builder?
Get your nails done! Gel nails are strong and durable no matter your profession or how rough you are on them. Here are the steps for creating these nails on your own.
1. Remove any current polish.
Clean and dehydrate your nail beds with 100% alcohol to get all of the oils off so that the gel adheres and doesn’t move around.
2. Start with the Base coat
Use a product like Orly Gel FX for an easy-off base coat. Apply two coats. Cure for about 30 seconds.
During the builder gel process use whichever nail forms you prefer.
3. Make a gel bead
Take a bead of your builder gel starting in the middle of the nail floating it towards the edges while working towards the tip of the nail. Cure for 90 seconds. It will half cure the gel which is what you would like to allow the rest to adhere without movement.
The next layer will go from the middle down the nailbed first then to the tip, making sure that you get it on the edges of your nail.
4. Cure for 90 seconds
After you cure the first layer, get another bead of gel and frame out or outline the length that you would like on the nail form. Keeping in mind that you will need to file them when this is all complete, so adding a bit more length than you actually want is okay.
Cure for another 90 seconds. When curing, be sure to first cure your thumb in a flat position so that the nail is straight, then cure your other fingers again in a flat position. This avoids having a bump on your thumbnail that you will need to file down later. Take another bead of gel, filling in the outlined area that you marked off in the previous step.
5. Cure a final time for 3 minutes.
Pinch your nail form and pull it off. The gel leaves a sticky residue layer on your nails, use an alcohol wipe to remove it.
6. Buff the surface and file the nail to your liking.
The nail should be very strong at this point, ready for the final steps.
7. Apply a clear gel top coat.
At this point, you can consider them finished, use polish, or you can continue to apply tips to add to your nails.
For applying tips;
- Select the tips that will best fit each of your nails. Marking your box of nail tips isn’t a bad idea to remember what fits each finger best.
- Adhere to them using the glue that came with them. Don’t wait too long to apply them after adding the glue to the tip.
- Be sure you are getting the entire tip of your nail and edge-glued to the tip being applied, pinching the edges so that they don’t flare out.
- They should be pretty long at this point, use your preferred nail cutter to cut them down to the length you would like. Don’t forget to leave them a tad longer than you want them so that after filing they are the correct length.
- Fill in the underside of your nail with the same top coat used in the beginning and cure it.
Buff the tips but NOT the nail bed to avoid lumps when applying your color or top coat. Use another alcohol wipe to clear any dust. - Use the base again putting on a smooth layer to prep for the rest of the builder gel. Cure it for 30 seconds.
With the nail gel repeat what you did in the beginning without the nail form this time around. Cure this layer. - Buff and file them to a smooth consistency getting any bumps out.
- Apply another top coat and cure.
Soak your nails with oil of your choosing massaging it in as you go to remove the dryness from the alcohol.
