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I've been doing my own gels for over two years now, I started out with a beginners kit that came with a lamp, base coat, top coat, gel remover & the works, and that was that - I was hooked! It took a little practice at first, but now I'm pretty happy with the results and never feel the need to visit a nail salon. I think it's well worth investing in all the gear, because it really does save you so much money, and I don't know about anyone else, but I hate having unpainted nails! I've recently been learning to do a bit of nail art too which has been fun.
I love trying out new gel brands and new colours, and the other week I was given the opportunity to try out Modelones Builder Nail Gel, as well as one of their lamps. Today, I'm sharing my thoughts and a little bit of the process of doing your very own gel nails from home.
The Modelones Products
I've been trying out two Modelones products, the first being the 8-in-1 Builder Nail Gel Set which features six polishes, one clear gel polish and five beautiful nudes. The polishes are different to your average gel nail polishes and are multi-use. They are an 8-in-1 product - they can be used for nail enhancement, as an extension gel, a base coat, a normal colour gel, apex building, nail shaping, rhinestone gel, and nail glue gel. Pretty fancy eh?! This makes them such a convenient product to use, as there's no need for additional base coats and they can be applied with only one layer. They strengthen your nails too, which I think is a really important feature with gel products as some other polishes make the nails so weak and prone to breaking.
I've also been using the little cutie that is the 8W Mini Finger LED/UV Nail Meow Lamp, which is small but mighty. It's the perfect little portable & lightweight lamp that doesn't sacrifice on quality. It bakes nails to perfection and has a two timer setting. It's ideal if you travel a lot and want to make sure you can fix your nails on the go. It also comes with a USB cable, so can be plugged straight into your laptop and you can multitask and do your nails whilst you work, or whilst you're on a train journey... the possibilities are endless!
Modelones Nail Prep
Before I do my gels, I prep my nails in the same way that a professional would. If I'm already wearing gel polish, I use a gel remover to take this off. I then file and shape my nails, and gently buff them over so that I'm left with a smooth surface. I also push back my cuticles with a cuticle scraper tool and then I wipe them all over with prep & shine wipes.
Modelones Polish
I then usually go in with my base coat, but as the Modelones Builder Nail Gel is an 8-in-1 product, you can go straight in with the polish which is great and much quicker. I used shade '003' which is a beautiful pinky nude, perfect for day to day wear, and it goes with everything. Sometimes I'm not feeling a bold colour but I hate my nails being unpainted, so a colour like this is perfect for those days. It's subtle but very cute!
Modelones Results
Between each coat, I place my nails under the gel lamp to bake them. For the base coat and gel colour, this is usually 30-60 seconds. I normally do 3 layers of colour as I find I get a nice finish and it tends to last longer. After I've finished with my colour, I go in with a top coat as this gives you a lovely shiny, professional finish. A top coat should be baked for 60 seconds minimum to make sure they're fully done. I sometimes go back in with a prep-and-polish wipe just to get rid of any sticky residue too, and then my nails are complete. I like to use a cuticle oil to round everything off nicely as I personally get very dry cuticles and I have an almond scented one that's divine!
Have you tried Modelones 8-in-1 builder gel? Do you think it sounds like a product you'd love?
Disclaimer: This post is a paid partnership with Modelones.
