Mixing gel brands?

[Bettierae]

I've been using gel a few months now, after doing the Brisa conversion day. I understand as with all systems its best to stick with the brand when it comes to colours glitters etc.
But... when I want a coloured acrylic that they don't make, or can't be mixed, i'll use, maybe INM or the edge for example, with seemingly no probs.

Whats the pitfalls mixing with gels? I want a bright pink and a flouro blue for now, that can't be mixed from their other colours. Does anyone have any advice when it comes to coloured french gels? I don't want to go and buy a load of new colours if it is a bad idea. Would I just apply as with white, cure as per instructions, and seal with clear and cap off?

many thanks x

 

[Bettierae]

Just bumping this up peeps...

 

[spn01]

I've been using gel a few months now, after doing the Brisa conversion day. I understand as with all systems its best to stick with the brand when it comes to colours glitters etc.
But... when I want a coloured acrylic that they don't make, or can't be mixed, i'll use, maybe INM or the edge for example, with seemingly no probs.

Whats the pitfalls mixing with gels? I want a bright pink and a flouro blue for now, that can't be mixed from their other colours. Does anyone have any advice when it comes to coloured french gels? I don't want to go and buy a load of new colours if it is a bad idea. Would I just apply as with white, cure as per instructions, and seal with clear and cap off?

many thanks x

Now hnybee26, that's a very interesting question. I actually do not know the factual/scientific answer for this.
IMO logic would advise me that no you cannot mix gels ie a bit of one brand into a pot and a bit of another brand into a pot - give it a stir and apply
Reason: all gels cure differently and under a different lamp recommended by manufacture.
Maybe however you could use say brand "a" for the base and building and cure in the recommended lamp for the correct time and then -----
after filing to shape, take brand "b" and apply the colour and cure under that brands UV lamp for the required time.
Thus therefore allowing each gel to cure as it should do to prevent service breakdown, under or over curring iykwim.
Personally this would just do my head in :lol:

Lets see what the Gel Geeks have to say, I am sure they have worked out a way:!:

 

[Debbies Gellies]

no you cant mix brands raw, then cure. But you can apply one brand cure and buff to shape and then apply another brand for colour.

I have sculptured in Brisa Clear filed to shape and then overlay with coloured nail art with a different gel (simply cos I haven't got the brisa colour gels yet) it works fine as long as you have fully cured, wiped and buffed one gel before you apply another.

 

[Bagpuss]

I wouldn't advise actually mixing 2 brands of gel together prior to curing... but i have sandwiched 2 brands of gel (each cured separately) and its been fine.

 

[laurz17]

no you cant mix brands raw, then cure. But you can apply one brand cure and buff to shape and then apply another brand for colour.

I have sculptured in Brisa Clear filed to shape and then overlay with coloured nail art with a different gel (simply cos I haven't got the brisa colour gels yet) it works fine as long as you have fully cured, wiped and buffed one gel before you apply another.

Ive done exactly the same it worked fine..
Hths
xx

 

[Bettierae]

I did mean the sandwiching method, not premixing the gels prior to curing! I should have worded my query a little better :0) Creating shape apex etc with brisa, filing and refining, then cleaning off, using brand x colour for the smile, curing, then top gloss? x

 

[HeatherDavis]

hnybee, you can certainly mix anything you want, the question is SHOULD you

Of course I dont ee the problem with layering color, the challenge I see has to do with the CURE. As you may or may not know, Brisa UV Gels need a UV Lamp with a very high output, and when used with a different system of gels, could overcure the gel, causing it to crack, discolor, etc. You may not experience any problems that you can SEE, but always be aware of possible problems you DON'T see.

Just something to think about- When I can't mix a color I want, I do it OLD SCHOOL.

I polish.

Then the next day I schedule the client in for a quick "Beach proof" top- I very lightly swipe the nail with Scrubfresh, then apply UV Finish Gloss and cure. Hasn't failed me yet Then I don't have to be concerned about any gel mishaps

 

[mely-bely]

INM's Integrity Gel is made specifcally to blend and mix with its colored powders so you can either layer them, or you can add the powder to your clear gel and go about it that way. Most manufacturers will never recommend that you mix gel systems because they cannot guarantee the product's integrity - but layering different gels as noted above seems to work fine.

 

[Asta]

Just a short question about mixing two different gel systems.
I use ibd gel system and recently heard that you cannot do infills on the calgel nails with any other gel system. Is that true? As to my knowlegde, you can do infills for gels with any other gel system (soak-off or non soak-off), which I successfully did before. Does anyone know that? Thank you

 

[Debbies Gellies]

Just a short question about mixing two different gel systems.
I use ibd gel system and recently heard that you cannot do infills on the calgel nails with any other gel system. Is that true? As to my knowlegde, you can do infills for gels with any other gel system (soak-off or non soak-off), which I successfully did before. Does anyone know that? Thank you

Is this IBD buff off or soak off?

If it is buff off then No.

Calgel is soak off so you cant really put buff off on top, but if you use ibd soak off and infil over calgel it woud work, but then why bother. Calgel can be soaked off leaving a bare nail ready for any system you use.

If there is only a tiny bit of growth and the client wants an infil maybe buff them and apply polish until the growth is greater and then soak off.
HTH's

 

[Asta]

Thank you so much, I did not know that. I use ibd buff off gels, but I'll get some soak off ones just in case then

 

[VikkiNails]

Hi,
I often mix coloured gels but always same brand just to get different shades, and have no probs at all with this.

Also, If you have a good mineral eyeshadow, such as bare minerals you can mix with gel to make a perm colour, I have done this also and it looks and lasts great!! Only use a tiny touch of the mineral though or it will thicken too much.

 

[Beautification]

Glad I found this thread I was about to start a new one and It answered my question I was going to ask as I've been doing l&p a while now so i'm fully aware of the affects of mixing brands etc..and there's a lot of gels out there I like that arn't the brand I use so was going to ask if you could mix them..not pre mix them as in my brand builder gel and then another brands glitter so curing them inbetween.

So thanks

Does anyone know any good websites for gel glitters..I've found a few x