Gel French manicure help please

[Martina O'Brien]

Hi,
I just spent £xx with the Gel essentials website buying a sculpture gel and hard white gel.
I've attempted twice now to paint on white tips only to find it wipes off with the cleansing solution! I'm doing very thin layers and curing for 2 minutes each time. I can't understand why this is happening. The same happens with the much cheaper ebay white gels , I thought paying more would ensure better products.

I'm supposed to be doing French nails for a bridal party of 6 and getting so stressed about this also taking me the guts of 2 hours to do a set

Please please help xx

 

[House Beauty]

Try using the regular clear over the top as a 'top coat' after. But then it might be that its not gripping onto the tips, maybe try filing them a little to remove the shine first? Sorry I'm not really sure myself! xx

 

[Martina O'Brien]

Try using the regular clear over the top as a 'top coat' after. But then it might be that its not gripping onto the tips, maybe try filing them a little to remove the shine first? Sorry I'm not really sure myself! xx

See I filed the sculpting gel down first before applying. I tried applying a top coat without wiping first and I found this took the white down onto the rest of the nail with each stroke of that makes sense x

 

[asteropi]

If you get the same result from every product you use, then perhaps it's your process.
If you are using tips, try buffing them before applying any kind of gel onto them. It will help the gel adhere better.

Also, I always usually do a thin layer of clear gel before anything else to use as a base layer. Then I cure for 2 mins.
Then it depends what you want to use. If it's builder gels, I usually start white the white builder-cure and then do the apex - cure.
If it's colour gels (but not enough strength to build), then I reapply clear gel for structure - cure, then apex (pink neutral whatever) - cure, then white -cure. Then top coat-cure and cleanse. And that's without nail art

Perhaps it's the products you use.
A more detailed description of your products and your process would definitely help us understand better.

This might help you a bit.

 

[Martina O'Brien]

If you get the same result from every product you use, then perhaps it's your process.
If you are using tips, try buffing them before applying any kind of gel onto them. It will help the gel adhere better.

Also, I always usually do a thin layer of clear gel before anything else to use as a base layer. Then I cure for 2 mins.
Then it depends what you want to use. If it's builder gels, I usually start white the white builder-cure and then do the apex - cure.
If it's colour gels (but not enough strength to build), then I reapply clear gel for structure - cure, then apex (pink neutral whatever) - cure, then white -cure. Then top coat-cure and cleanse. And that's without nail art

Perhaps it's the products you use.
A more detailed description of your products and your process would definitely help us understand better.

This might help you a bit.

Hi, thank you for your reply
I've just sent my process to another girl so copy and paste job here lol
I do all the usual cleaning, apply bonder. Thin layer of gel, cure 2 mins. Wipe and apply tips (cause I've no nails lol) file down. Then apply thick layer of sculpt gel and cure for 2 mins. Wipe and file if needed. Wipe again, then thin layer of white, cure 2 mins, another thin layer. Then I tried putting top coat on, which gave me the streaks so then I wipe, which takes half the white off...

The products I use are from Gelessentials.com. pink sculpting gel and hard white gel. I used to use cheap ebay (asian) products which wiped off, so I thought paying more would help. Xx

 

[asteropi]

Hi, thank you for your reply
I've just sent my process to another girl so copy and paste job here lol
I do all the usual cleaning, apply bonder. Thin layer of gel, cure 2 mins. Wipe and apply tips (cause I've no nails lol) file down. Then apply thick layer of sculpt gel and cure for 2 mins. Wipe and file if needed. Wipe again, then thin layer of white, cure 2 mins, another thin layer. Then I tried putting top coat on, which gave me the streaks so then I wipe, which takes half the white off...

The products I use are from Gelessentials.com. pink sculpting gel and hard white gel. I used to use cheap ebay (asian) products which wiped off, so I thought paying more would help. Xx

1st of: apply tips on your natural nail, not gel
It's PREP (clean cuticle, buff, cleanse etc), apply tips, then bonder on what is left of the natural nail (NOT on the tip), then base gel
2nd. Why do you wipe so often? I get you do it in case you need to file them, but gel is supposed to be sticky so that the many layers will adhere together.
3rd. cure after the 2nd layer of white. of course it will take it off if it's not cured!

 

[Martina O'Brien]

1st of: apply tips on your natural nail, not gel
It's PREP (clean cuticle, buff, cleanse etc), apply tips, then bonder on what is left of the natural nail (NOT on the tip), then base gel
2nd. Why do you wipe so often? I get you do it in case you need to file them, but gel is supposed to be sticky so that the many layers will adhere together.
3rd. cure after the 2nd layer of white. of course it will take it off if it's not cured!

Hi,
I do cure after the 2nd layer of white, I'm not sure why it's not written there. The only reason I wiped before the topcoat was because the first time I tried without doing so, the white came off on the topcoat brush. Generally I never wipe until the very end but when I attempted to apply the white over the sculpting gel, it just wouldn't adhere at all.
In my training we were told to apply a layer of gel before tips so that we weren't filing into the natural nail during blending :/

 

[pure]

Where did you do your training and are they an accredited training facility? I have never ever heard of applying tips onto gel !

 

[asteropi]

Hi,
I do cure after the 2nd layer of white, I'm not sure why it's not written there. The only reason I wiped before the topcoat was because the first time I tried without doing so, the white came off on the topcoat brush. Generally I never wipe until the very end but when I attempted to apply the white over the sculpting gel, it just wouldn't adhere at all.
In my training we were told to apply a layer of gel before tips so that we weren't filing into the natural nail during blending :/

I've never tried that with the tips and it's not how I was shown things. How does it work for you?
As to the top coat, what products do you use? Perhaps it's that. Your sculpting gel is it soak off maybe?

 

[Martina O'Brien]

Where did you do your training and are they an accredited training facility? I have never ever heard of applying tips onto gel !

Yes I trained with belissima gels

 

[Martina O'Brien]

I've never tried that with the tips and it's not how I was shown things. How does it work for you?
As to the top coat, what products do you use? Perhaps it's that. Your sculpting gel is it soak off maybe?

I find it doesn't make a difference to the length of time the nails last and I prefer it as I can see how usually you could file down into the natural nail bed.
I ordered top coat from the same company. Surely the white shouldn't be wiping off after curing though? On my third attempt today, it actually smudged from accidentally touching it even after curing

 

[Trinity]

If its wiping off its not cured. What lamp are you using and how long are you curing the layers?

 

[Martina O'Brien]

If its wiping off its not cured. What lamp are you using and how long are you curing the layers?

I cure each layer for 2 minutes under a uv lamp. It's working fine because the sculpting gel is solid

 

[Trinity]

Have you contacted Gel Essentials for their support?

 

[asteropi]

Applying tips on gel seems very strange. I can't understand how or why they would do that. I can't imagine any glue adhering better to the gel than the nail. If done properly, a slight buff on the nail doesn't actually harm it. Bad preparation or overfilling will.
As to your white, it's your lamp probably. If it's wiping off then it's not being cured. Is it the same company? Is it UV or LED? And if it's UV, have you checked its lamps? I had a bad lamp and hadn't even noticed until after 2-3 applications that I was having problems with.

 

[asteropi]

If its wiping off its not cured. What lamp are you using and how long are you curing the layers?

Oh hehe Trin beat me to it!

 

[Trinity]

I cure each layer for 2 minutes under a uv lamp. It's working fine because the sculpting gel is solid

But clear gel and white gel are different - the white is opaque so doesn't cure as easily

What lamp are you using?

 

[Martina O'Brien]

But clear gel and white gel are different - the white is opaque so doesn't cure as easily

What lamp are you using?

It's a 36w lamp I've had for around 4 months. Colours etc cure fine, it's only white I seem to be having an issue with

 

[Martina O'Brien]

Applying tips on gel seems very strange. I can't understand how or why they would do that. I can't imagine any glue adhering better to the gel than the nail. If done properly, a slight buff on the nail doesn't actually harm it. Bad preparation or overfilling will.
As to your white, it's your lamp probably. If it's wiping off then it's not being cured. Is it the same company? Is it UV or LED? And if it's UV, have you checked its lamps? I had a bad lamp and hadn't even noticed until after 2-3 applications that I was having problems with.

I was never actually shown how to apply tips, it was only a gel course I took with them, but they said at it to apply get first. It usually takes me a fair bit of light filing to blend the tips into the natural nail.
As I was saying to Trinity, my colours all cure fine under my uv lamp. Don't know what I'm doing wrong

 

[asteropi]

try curing it for 4 mins instead of 2. It seems to be of thicker consistency for some reason