Nails 101: A Student Blog

Working with Gels

by NAILS Magazine | November 10, 2011 | Bookmark +

Recently, I've been practicing more with gels. I think it's a beautiful medium, and one that I would really love to master. But I must admit, I find it to have a steeper learning curve than L&P. I've watched videos (shout out to FingerNailFixer), and it looks like it should be so simple, but when I actually start working with it, I find it to be trickier than it appears.

So far, what I find the most tricky is the fact that the consistency cannot be "controlled" in the way that acrylic can. Therefore, getting it to stay where you want it to stay takes a little more work. A few days ago, I practiced sculpting gel (the pink and white) as well as imbedding glitter (the fall leaf inspired nail). I think I did ok, but I feel I need A LOT more practice. So, Becky and I (that's what I named my mannequin hand...LOL) will probably be spending a lot more time together.

Have any of you had a less-than-easy time mastering gels? How did you improve your skill and timing? What tips do you have to share?

— LaTia

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