How to apply gel polish?

• 4 min reading time

Applying gel polish:

When applying gel polish, a number of things are very important if you want to enjoy your gel polish for a long time. It is not very complicated, but if you do not follow the right steps, your gel polish will quickly chip or even come off.

If you follow the instructions below step by step, you should be able to do it. And remember, practice makes perfect! The products we use in this step-by-step plan are from Victoria Vynn and are available in our webshop. You can also follow the same steps with one of our other brands such as By Djess or OCHO Nails .

Follow the steps below and you should definitely succeed!

Step 1: The preparation

This is the most important step. If you do not prepare properly, there is a big chance that your gel polish will come off again. Start with a cuticle remover to soften your cuticles. Gently push your cuticles back with a cuticle pusher. Some dead skin cells will now remain on the nail plate. You can remove these with a buffer block. Be very careful when doing this, otherwise you can damage the natural nail. Do not apply too much pressure, let the buffer do its work. Do not use a nail file either, they are usually much too coarse.

With a 180/240 file, file your nails into the desired shape. Use a manicure brush to remove the filing dust.

The next step is to degrease the nails. Do not do this with a cleaner. Most cleaners are alcohol-based and that does not degrease enough for good adhesion. The Victoria Vynn dehydrator is a good degreaser and ensures better adhesion. Put a small amount of the dehydrator on a cellulose swab and rub it well over the nails. Make sure that you do not touch the skin. This also applies to all products that you use, try to avoid contact with the skin to prevent developing a contact allergy.

After degreasing, finally apply a thin layer of Tape Bond. The Tape Bond does not need to be in the lamp, let it air dry for approx. 30 seconds. The Tape Bond works like a kind of double-sided adhesive tape. It adheres to the nail and provides a good adhesive layer for the next step.

Step 2: Applying the gel polish

You always start with a base coat. There are 2 different possibilities.

If you have normal strong nails, a standard base coat will be sufficient. Apply a thin layer to each nail, taking care not to touch the skin or cuticles. Depending on the lamp you have, cure the base coat for 30 to 60 seconds. In a 48W UV/LED lamp, 30 seconds is sufficient.

If you have brittle, vulnerable or thin nails, you should choose a rubber base. This base coat is a bit thicker than a normal base coat. The most important property of a rubber base is that it is a bit more flexible. The rubber base of Victoria Vynn is the MegaBase. You can also choose a colored rubber base or Biab, which is a base coat and color in 1. We also have a large collection of these in our webshop.

The next step is to apply the colour. For the best result, you can carefully push back the cuticles on each nail before painting the colour. Also apply a thin layer of the colour. Make sure you don't work too thickly, better an extra thin layer than a too thick layer in 1x. Again, be careful not to touch the skin and cuticles. Let each layer harden for 30 seconds in the lamp.

Please note: sometimes we see people remove the adhesive layer from the colour. This is absolutely not the intention. The adhesive layer ensures good adhesion of the next layer. So you should definitely not remove this.

Step 3: The finishing touch

Finally, the most fun step, the finish. You can choose a glossy or matte finish. The easiest topcoat is the No Wipe topcoat. The Unblue from Victoria Vynn keeps its shine. The nice thing about this topcoat is that it has no sticky layer. Once you have cured the topcoat, you are immediately ready. This topcoat also keeps its shine for a long time, without small scratches.

Note: Let the topcoat cool for a few minutes after it comes out of the lamp before applying hand cream or cuticle oil. Applying this when the polish has not cooled down can make the topcoat dull.

If you prefer a matte finish, that is of course also possible. For example, choose the No Wipe Matt Top from Victoria Vynn. This is also a topcoat without a sticky layer.

Step 4: Enjoy!

If you have followed all the steps correctly, you will enjoy your gel polish for at least 14 days. Take good care of your nails. Use a good cuticle oil at least 3 times a day. Massage the cuticle oil well, especially on your cuticles. This is very important for maintaining your manicure and your nails will also be very happy with it. Oh, and you will definitely be happy with it too, the oil smells delicious!