Gel polish brush: how to select and clean?

Well-groomed beautiful marigolds and manicure applied on them are an important addition to the image. Covering nail gel polish saves time, as the composition dries much faster and lasts longer. Therefore, more and more often, professionals and those who do manicures on their own give preference to him. However, the choice of tools is also important in creating a beautiful, durable manicure. The article will discuss how to choose a brush for gel polish and how to clean it after applying.

The tool for applying shellac has a lot of different characteristics. Depending on the specifics and techniques of manicure, the choice should be given to the most appropriate in quality, size and type of pile brushes.

Components of the tool for applying gel polish, the quality of which is worth paying attention to.

• Brush pile. It can be natural or made from synthetic materials. Naturally, the first option will be more expensive than artificial analogues. For the application of shellac, the villi must be dense and non-friable. The bristles should not diverge to the sides, forming a sparse tuft. The pile itself should be tapered at the tip, regardless of the overall shape.

A recent novelty are brushes with silicone tips. Elastic material is well suited for working with shellac. It is not hammered or deformed by a dense composition. This tool is easiest to clean after use, it is very durable. In addition, silicone tips allow you to save on the consumption of gel polish.

• Pen tool. This part can be made of wood or plastic. The main criterion is the convenience when working. Take a brush and listen to your feelings: if you feel comfortable holding it and making the necessary movements, feel free to choose it. Most often, a tool with a plastic handle is much cheaper.

• The middle part of the varnish brush is the clip. This small detail connects the handle and the tip of the instrument, that is, the nap. Pay attention to whether it fits snugly to the base of the brush, whether the villus holds well. This part of the brush should not be bent or dented. Gently pull the hair on the tip of the brush with your fingers. They should not fall out of the cage.

• For a monochromatic coating it is best to use wide brushes. In this case, the lacquer layer is well distributed over the area of ​​the nail. Also, a similar tool is convenient to put the base.
• Drawing of very small decorative details or points is made with the dots tool. It is also suitable for decorating a manicure with glue elements, such as rhinestones.
• Thin brushes, pointed at the tip, are suitable for drawing elegant lines and patterns. Usually an instrument with a pile diameter of 1-1.5 mm is used for this.

• Brushes with a tip beveled at a small angle are used to apply the so-called french. This form of bristles is very convenient for creating a smooth "smile" line.
• Too large and wide brush when working with gel polish is not particularly convenient. They absorb too much lacquer composition, thereby increasing its consumption.Yes, and applying shellac with such a tool is very difficult, the result often does not look very neat.
• The brush, the tip of which is clipped in the shape of a semicircle or oval, well paints the areas at the base of the marigold. It is also ideal for applying the composition under the cuticle.

Recommendations on the choice of brushes that are needed to create a manicure of various types and styles.

• Neat and beautiful french. The best brush suit under the third and fourth number. Choose the one with the pile rounded off. Professionals use a fairly thin brush with elastic bristles for applying the "smile" line.
• Application to the gradient nails. In this case, manicurists most often use silicone brushes or sponges. The tip of the tool should be flat, the only way to achieve a smooth flow of colors and shades. For a better shading of a rather thick shellac after its application one should choose a brush with a soft bristle. Hard brush to recreate the smooth color transition on the nail will not work.

The quality of the manicure directly depends on the state of the tool. To extend the life of the brushes, it is important to properly care for them. One of the main conditions is to clean the brush from the gel polish immediately after the end of the work, until it dries.

Means with which help it is possible to clear pile or a silicone tip of the tool for manicure.

• A common option, especially among professionals, are special liquids for degreasing and removing the adhesive layer. Their cost varies depending on the manufacturer and included in the softening components. The most affordable options can be purchased at a price of 50–70 rubles per bottle of 100 ml. Very popular is the tool brand Brush Cleaner. It removes gel polish and acrylic from natural and artificial surfaces and materials.

• At home, if you do not have a special liquid on hand, you can use alcohol. He also does a good job of cleansing the pile.

The course of the brushing procedure after applying shellac.

• Pick up a small flat glass container. Pour some of the lint cleaner you have chosen into it.
• Lower the tassels into the container so that the product covers the bristles. If necessary, add it in the right amount. Leave the instrument for a couple of minutes to allow the bristles to soak a little.
• Gently slide the nap along the bottom of the tank, trying to do this on each side.
• Remove the instrument from the detergent container and rinse it under warm water.
• Take tissue or paper napkins, dab a little moisture on the pile.
• While the brush is not dry, carefully give it the tip of the original shape. If this is not done, the hairs can lock in a bent position and the nap will lose its contours.

Remove from the brush frozen gel polish.

• Take a degreasing agent and remove the sticky layer. Soak the instrument for 15–20 minutes.
• After the villi have softened slightly, remove the brush from the liquid.
• With the help of pressure, give the tip of the brush a fan shape.
• Next, you need an orange stick with a beveled tip, which is used to move the cuticle. She needs to gently remove the softened gel polish left between the hairs. The work is quite painstaking and slow.
• The washed brush is rinsed under running water, dried and stored for storage.

In order not to spoil your brushes for applying gel polish, trying to wash them, remember the following tips and cautions.

• In no case should you use acetone for washing brushes, used to remove and dissolve the usual varnish. After contact of this substance with the nap, the instrument will definitely become unusable. Natural bristles are particularly affected by acetone.
• Do not try to soak the brushes in boiling water or very hot water. Artificial pile instantly twists in different directions, and the tool turns into an ugly whisk.

• When cleaning and washing the pile, do not press on the brush too hard.
• Avoid too frequent and long (over 15 minutes) soaking tool in the cleaning composition. This greatly weakens and thinns the bristles.

About the care and storage of brushes for manicure and how to clean the brush from gel polish, see the following video.