Want to skip the salon and try your hand at gel manicures?

November 19, 2024 - By emily

Want to skip the salon and try your hand at gel manicures? From products and tools to tips and tricks, here’s everything you’ll need to get started with at-home gel manicures.

Every now and then, I find myself going down new creative rabbit holes. Two years ago, that creative rabbit hole was DIY manicures. And while that may not sound all that creative, I can assure you that the possibilities for nail art and design is limitless. It’s also one of the few ways I take time out for myself and play.

I was initially drawn to dip manicures (not gonna lie, I got influenced by all the ads for NailBoo) and had really high hopes. Unfortunately, I kind of hated it. It took FOREVER to do each layer and then to file it down and shape it to my liking. And then, after all the work I had put into it, they would pop off after two days. Needless to say, we had a very love-hate relationship. As in, I loved to hate it.

Turns out, I have what’s considered oily nail beds, which makes me more prone to nail polish peeling off quickly and manicures not last as long as they would for other people (like the dip powder popping right off). I wasn’t willing to give up, though, because I love the way my nails look when they are done. So I kept researching and looking at other options for at-home manicures (my favorite resource is the Gel and Acrylic DIY Nails At Home😁 group on Facebook).

The more I dove into the internet, the more I realized that I was a gel polish girlie through and through. I could even use gel polish alongside my dip powders (it’s aptly named the gel method). Who knew!

Two years later, and I’m still obsessed.

At this point, my gel manicures last between 7-10 days which is on par for a salon manicure for me. In contrast, regular nail polish lasts on my nails for 24 hours tops before chipping or peeling off in sheets.

I also love playing around with stamping and mini rhinestones and the little bit of flare they add to regular old manicures. I’ve dabbled a bit in gel-x nail extensions but have yet to find the magic sauce for getting them to stay on my fingers. I only managed a 4-day run with my first attempt. As much as I love how long nails (especially almond shaped nails) look, I don’t love how they feel. So it really wasn’t a big deal to me that they didn’t last.

Here are all of the products I use and love for my at-home gel manicures.

Basic tools for nail prep and removing old gel polish (these are affiliate links):

MelodySusie Portable Electronic Nail Drill / eFile: I use this to take off the top few layers of my manicure so that I can soak it off for the next round. A lot of folks also use it for cuticle prep, as it comes with several different bits that do polishing, surface work, and shortening, but I haven’t had the courage to give that a try yet.
Cuticle pusher, trimmer, and nippers plus a nail polish scraper: Removing your cuticles properly is the key to a long lasting manicure and these tools help to make it possible. I swear the cuticle pusher and trimmer is the most magical tool there is. I would be lost without mine.
Cuticle softener / remover: This right here is liquid gold. It softens your cuticles so that you can push them back and remove them with ease. I use it for every manicure and am always amazed at how much comes up as a result.
100/180 grit nail files: These rounded nail files are my current favorite. I’ve ordered so many different files and feel like they never work. But these? These are the absolute best I’ve used to date. You can use them to file off the top coat of your gel manicures with ease. Or you could simply use them to shape your nails to perfection. Either way, they will be an integral part of your nail routine.
Nail buffers: I use these nail buffer blocks to smooth out any roughness left from my manicures and to help prep my nails for the new manicure.
Isopropyl Alcohol: I use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol for all of my manicures though I’ve seen that anything above 70% is recommended for gel manicures. I use this to prep my nails, remove excess gel polish if I get it on my skin, to wipe off any fuzz or lint in between layers of polish if need be, and to remove the sticky layer at the end of my manicures.
Coffee Filters: I know this sounds random, but it’s works really well and is often cheaper than buying lint free nail wipes. It does give you an extra step for prep — cutting the coffee filters down to size — but it’s something most people have on hand. So use what you prefer.
Acetone: You’re going to need 100% pure acetone for gel polish removal, otherwise it won’t work. If I’m using acetone to soak off my polish, I also use a soak off bowl and fill it with warm water to heat up the acetone safely. It makes for faster removal, which is always a bonus.

Products and tools for the gel manicures (these are affiliate links):

SUNUV 5 UV LED Nail Lamp: This UV LED nail lamp is an absolute workhorse. I have had it for two years and it’s still going strong. It has 4 light settings (10 sec, 30 sec, 60 sec, and 99 sec low heat mode) and a detachable base. I’m pretty sure I’ll cry actual tears when mine stops working.
Nail Dehydrator: Having oily nail beds, I need to make sure that all of the oils have been removed from my nails or my manicures won’t last very long. This dehydrator from Mia Secret is seriously great and helps to dry out my nails for a longer lasting manicure.
Protein Bond: This is a new addition to my at-home gel manicure routine and all I can say is WOW. This has been such a game changer for me and has helped to extend my manicures by several days at the very least. It also helps to prevent chips and lifting on my manicures. If you’re having trouble with manicures lasting, I highly recommend this product.
Gel Base and Top Coat: When I was researching products to use for oily nail beds, Gelish products came up in every single list. So this is what I went with first. I have been quite happy with this product and would be curious to know how it compares to other brands.
Rubber Base: This is a completely optional product, but if you have softer/weaker nails like I do, you’re going to want to use it. Especially when your nails get longer. I use a clear rubber base the most because I tend to stick with lighter color polishes and prefer how clean it looks. The brand that I linked to is my absolute favorite because it’s easy to apply and a bit thicker or less runny than other brands I’ve tried.
Cuticle Oil: This is an important last step for all manicures, as acetone and alcohol can be incredibly drying on your hands and cuticles. It also helps to make your nails grow stronger and look better! There are so many different brands and options for application out there, so feel free to find one that works for you.

And last, but not least, my favorite polishes (these are affiliate links):

RARJSM on Amazon is hands down my favorite. I absolutely love the color ranges and the quality of the product is amazing for the price. Milk Rose is the best nude pink there is. The Glitter Nude set is another must-have, especially if you’re looking for a neutral set with a kick.
GAOY is a new-to-me brand and I am loving the milky white (one very thin coat is all you need) and the red polish set I just got. I have yet to use all of the different redsbut can tell they are going to be highly pigmented and provide full coverage.
Beetles is another popular brand due to color options and value. I have yet to try them, but just got the most amazing blue gel polish set and am dyyyying to give it a try (my Halloween nails took priority, but next week is all about the blues.)

Here’s the order I use everything for my manicures:

Remove old polish: file off top coat with eFile or nail file. Since I use rubber base coat on my nails, I generally don’t it off. But if you are only using polish and want to get back to your base nails, then you would soak your nails in acetone and scrape off polish.
Shape Nails: buff nails with buffing block, file to preferred shape and length.
Prep Cuticles: use a cuticle softener, push back cuticles with pusher and trim as needed.
Clean nails: wash hands with Dawn dish soap to remove dust and excess oils, towel dry, spray with isopropyl alcohol.
Prep nails: apply nail dehydrator, let dry, and then apply protein bond.
Base coat x1
Rubber base x 1-2 coats depending on how thick you like it
Polish x 1-3 coats depending on polish and coverage
Top coat x 1
Wipe nails with alcohol to remove sticky layer
Wash hands (if you want) and finish with cuticle oil
Admire all of your hard work and enjoy