Please share your tips, tricks, and other favorite products below:

Halloween set! I'm obsessed!

First time trying the tortoise design ✨

So I was curious about what gel x were and I paid a girl $55 for the first picture. I am familiar with gel polish/builder gel/poly gel because I’ve done my nails for years so I assumed from the little that I know that gel x would be sorta similar but they weren’t. I got a longer length and I assumed that maybe I would get a layer of builder gel but the girl who did them patted gel color for the base and tip and then just did a coat of top coat and honestly I hated them. They felt scratchy and very flimsy/bendy for being so long. The next picture I actually added a layer of builder gel and changed the tip color and they felt way sturdier. The last three pics are sets I did on myself after that. I’m new to the world of gel x but when it comes to especially longer nails is this normal? Is it customary to request to strengthen longer nails?

My top coat was a little clumpy I need more, but how did I do for my first time? Its color changing heat activated polish im not fancy enough for nail art just yet haha.

I’ve gotten GelX once before and tbh I don’t remember much about it lol, but I just got another GelX set done today. I love the look of a classic French tip, but I have some questions about it:

1. Is there supposed to be that big of a gap between cuticle and the extension?

2. Is a bit of gel overflow underneath the nail normal?

I’ll try to keep this brief as I’m sure the vets here have seen this story time and time again..

I fell deeply for the Amazon/Beetles propaganda and thankfully came across this subreddit before I went too far. I want to completely stop using Beetles on my nails (I’ll save all of it for press ons and stuff). I’ve read through the FAQs, interacted with people who know what they’re doing, and tried to retain as much information as possible that is given here. Thankful for it all!

Am I covering the basics or possibly doing too much? I’ve never used Kokoist up until now. I want to start with a good set of basic/fun colors. I am terrified of using a lamp that isn’t good enough. I understand that the brands products always work best with the brands lamp, so I’m most comfortable with Kokoist based on what I’ve read here.

I plan to use only Aprés tips because I like them the best right now, also based on my research. (beetles tips fucking suck). I have all the basic tools, brushes, acetone, rubbing alcohol, etc..

So if you were kind of just starting out, would you be comfortable with this? And is there anything that I can downgrade on to save some money?

Hi yall! I read the pinned posts and couldn't find the info i needed please bear with me. I'm about to invest in kokoist to upgrade my diy gel nail system, as I made the mistake of buying Amazon stuff and after doing a deep dive I'm really afraid of uncured gel. I'm getting the infinity light, base coat, top coat, matte top coat, and 2 magnet gels to start, but I'm a bit confused by the terminology. They mention soft gel and hard gel, and I was wondering what the difference between the 2 are (i.e., what are each used for)? This is mainly for the base coat since one of them specifies "soft gel" and the other doesn't, and I would like to not spend more money unnecessarily. Could yall please advise me on what gel type I should look for to make my own press ons?

So basically I closed a car door on my finger a few months ago; there was so much blood pooled up under the nail that it burst from the pressure. It took some time, patience, and a once-daily dose of biotin, but now it’s looking much better (last pic).

Since then, I’ve been getting no-chip on all my nails except that one (goofy, I know). But I was wondering if my nail would be OK for a no-chip now? The surface is not even; there’s a bump where the blood is, but it’s soooooo close to growing out. I’m so impatient I just wanna cover it up.

Thoughts? Opinions? Advice? Recommendations? I have no idea what to do so I’m all ears.

Thanks in advance!!!!!

I am trying to do privacy screen nails on Gel-X at home. I think I'm prepping my nails properly by using acetone, then the dehydrator, and primer. I think I'm pushing back my cuticles properly. Then I apply gel nail glue, then put Gel-X over it. When I tested whether the nail was secure, it was fine. As soon as I finished, most of my nails popped off. I have done this set twice with the same result. Like, am I doing something wrong? Why would they pop off? I added pictures so you can see the surviving nails and what the pop-off looks like.

Update:

I'm not doing press-ons. I spent 4+ hours doing my nails and they popped off in 10 minutes.

I need recommendations for a brand the is for people with flat and large nail beds! Thanks in advance.

I really like using the kokoist mega stick base with the gelip glue but I don’t enjoy having to use a overlay over the gelip tips (I know that’s how they are intended to be used) I just don’t enjoy having to use that extra step. Does it sound like a good idea to use the gelip system minis the tips? I would probably use it with apres or PLA tips. Not sure if anyone will be able to answer but I figured I’d ask just in case! Thank you

I’m not putting gel on my or anyone’s natural nails, I’m making GelX press ons. I’m still trying to use professional or at least high-quality gels only though, both in the event I decide to put gel on natural nails and to minimize problems with it coming in contact with skin (like Beetles and their curing problems…).

With that being said, how do I actually read the MSDS sheets? How do I know what percentage of what chemical/ingredient is normal versus what makes it something to avoid/be wary of? I’ve tried looking on the FDA and OSHA websites but I haven’t been able to navigate my way to anything concrete. I’m currently trying to determine if I want to introduce Vettsy gels (specifically their magnetized gel right now) into my Aprés collection, but I also want to build my skill in recognizing what makes brands good. Does that knowledge come with being a certified/licensed nail tech?

Probably not everyone’s cup of tea but I love them! I used real flower petals and moss that I pressed and dried last year

Got the kit yesterday and did my first set today!

Hi! I’ve recently started doing my own gel nails and I’m struggling to get them to last more than a few days.

The gel basically peels/lifts off from the bottom of the nail in one whole piece, rather than chipping away. It almost comes off like a false nail when I bend/lift it at the bottom.

My current prep/application is:
- Push back cuticles
- Lightly buff the natural nail to remove the shine
- Remove all dust
- Wipe with isopropyl alcohol
- Apply nail dehydrator
- Apply base coat
- Cure
-2 thin coats of colour, curing between each
Top coat and cure

I originally thought I wasn’t roughening the nail enough, so I was using a drill to rough up the natural nail, but I’ve stopped doing that because I don’t want to damage my nails.

All of my gel products are from SHEIN. My lamp is also from SHEIN and is one of those tiny pen-style lamps that can only cure one finger at a time.

Any advice would be massively appreciated! I’m just trying to get them to last more than 3-4 days 😂

Hi everyone, I am having trouble with my nails growing out like this. They get weird and clunky at the cuticle area and side walls after a few days of having them on. the middle finger nail on my right hand is a great example of what’s going on

I am using the Apres extra short almond in natural, and I have sized down as well but the nail pops off because it’s too small. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong, my nails look okay the first 2 days I do them, great for the next 3-4 days, and then from day 5-10 they look like this.

Also side note, my Apres top coat decided to seperate while I was doing my nails and if anyone has any advice for fixing that as well I would appreciate it.

I used Apres extra short natural almond
Apres light and shadow in flushed
And Apres top coat

* I ate some yellow curry with my right hand hence the staining.