Gel Nails

A gel polish manicure uses soak off gel that looks and acts like nail polish, but technically it is gel. You must do a base coat, 2-3 coats of the color, then finish with a top coat. Each layer of polish must be cured in a UV or LED lamp. “Cured” basically just means dried. After the top coat has cured in the lamp a tacky (or inhibition layer) must be wiped off using rubbing alcohol. It’s all a bit scientific, but the main thing is this, a gel polish manicure gives you shiny, chip free wear for 2 weeks. Plus, when the top coat has finished curing, it is complete dry! You do have to wipe off the inhibition layer, but after that your gel manicure is dry and won’t dent or smudge.

No, not really. I guess theoretically you could cure your gel polish using UV rays from the sun, but dry times would be extremely inconsistent depending on how bright it is, what brand you are using, the chemistry of your nails, etc. I have never attempted to dry gel polish using the sun and I would not recommend it. It probably takes long enough that it’s not worth it, anyway. Just get a UV lamp or an LED lamp. They aren’t that expensive.

No and yes. No, you cannot cure regular nail polish in a lamp and use it just like gel polish. Gel polish has a completely different formula. That being said, there are a few ways you can use regular nail polish with gel polish. Usually these methods do not last as long as a regular gel polish manicure, but they do last longer than just a plain regular nail polish manicure. First method, Sandwich: Use regular nail polish in between a gel polish base and top coat. The key is to let the regular nail polish dry completely before using the top coat. 24 hours is usually recommended. Second method, Regular Nail Polish over Gel: Do a regular gel polish manicure, but skip the color or just do a sheer color like 2 coats of IBD Cashmere Blush. After removing the tacky layer, paint regular nail polish over the gel polish. Third method, Turn it Into Gel: Use Gelibility to turn regular nail polish into gel.