So recently on the market there as been a vast majority of at home Gel Nail systems becoming available, the great thing that you can do this at home, it is cheaper than going to a salon, and if you become easily bored with your nail colour choice it is so easy to just switch without having to book a new appointment. That being said, I hate nail polish that is chipped two days after you put it on, and I do a lot of work with my hands, and my nails, so I want the polish to last. The system that I have created I can go 7-10 days on one application and I am really happy with this.
When they first came out I bought two and followed the instructions to the letter. That being said I have a collection of around 160 OPI nail polishes that I then felt sorry for because they were sitting in a drawer being of no use.
The two kits that I purchased were the QUO by Orly and the Sensational Gel systems. Both great systems, but I could not bring myself to purchase the nail colours associated with each system. So it became my new task to see if I could get my regular OPI nail polishes to co-operate with my new gel systems.
Right now I use the QUO by Orly Gel Top coat with the Sensational light and it all seems to be fine.
This involved quite a bit of trial and error and a failed manicure, but I was determined to make it work, no matter what.
The first couple did not turn out well at all, the nail polish warped and and wiggled underneath the top coat, it looked like what happens when you get waves on the sand at a beach, not a great look, unless you are thinking of a new way to do nail art.
So what did I do, well I stopped prepping the nail for gel nails as it says to in the booklet, no buffing the nail, no primer, no gel base coat. I removed the old polish then right away applied OPI's Nail Envy Dry & Brittle or their Original Formula this decision just depends on how much my cuticles are growing at the time. I could probably do with getting the Soft & Thin nail formula, but never mind.
Then apply your nail polish as per normal, use your favourite regular nail polish colour, then let this dry OVERNIGHT. I say this because I always do my nails sitting in bed.
But what about Sheet Marks? Apply 2 - 3 THIN layers of polish then sit and watch a movie, carefully read a book for about 30 minutes, then apply some olive oil to your cuticles, then sleep clasping both hands off the edge of the bed or with arms flat out on top of the covers, whichever works for you. I find that the olive oil acts as a barrier between your freshly manicured digits and the sheets, not always a perfect system, but when it works it works really well.
Then the next morning when you have woken up do your gel top coat, don't forget to wrap your tips, apply 1 thin layer of gel top coat, set in UV light for the polishes desired curing time, sometimes I cure it twice, and finally wipe off the goopy layer with a lint free wipe, and you are done!
Your nails will remain gorgeous for a week, and do not worry about them.
Removal, both systems get you to file off the top coat of gel, DON'T DO IT! Your nails will thank you, the 80 grit on the file is too rough on your precious nails, you want them strong not weak. So, there are two methods here, both work, both are effective, just depends on what you feel like doing.
Method #1: put straight acetone in a container and place that container in a container of warm water and then put the nail(s) into the acetone. Warming up acetone makes it more effective. The only problem with this is that your nail polish comes off in the acetone, and you are left with goopy acetone.
Method #2: the foil method, put acetone on a cotton pad, place pad on finger and wrap finger with a square of tin foil, leave on for about 5-ish minutes and the polish is soaked straight into the cotton pad, and you just throw the cotton pad away.
Both of these methods will work as well if you are following the gel nail application instructions to a tee, but my nails just did not like having the gel coat straight on the nail, they need some protection.
Sorry no pictures, but maybe the next time I do a manicure I will generate some so that I can add them in.
