All about gel polish manicure

Any woman wants to be attractive and refined, that is why it is so important that the appearance was perfect. This applies not only makeup, hair and wardrobe, but also manicure. In recent years, more and more fashionistas have resorted to gel nail polish.

A few years ago, many of the weaker sex dreamed of having long, enlarged nails, and they took a very different form - round, square or pointed. As for the colors, here, too, fantasy was not limited to absolutely nothing - in the trend and floral ornaments, and geometric symbols, and french. However, the era of acrylic accrued nails is rapidly disappearing - recent trends have made a powerful roll in favor of femininity and naturalness, and today long artificial nails are often considered a sign of vulgarity and a complete lack of taste. Yes, and inconvenient with them - they tear the tights, prevent typing on the computer and typing letters on the screen of the smartphone, and most importantly - native nails under a layer of artificial become more thin and brittle.

Already from the name of the composition it becomes clear that the gel varnish combines the features of the modeling gel and decorative varnish. In everyday life, it is often called shellac - by the brand of the first Shellac CND coating on the domestic market. Rarely, but you can hear the definition of "varnish gel" and sometimes "varnish shi." Despite the fact that the manufacturer Shellac positions its products as an independent product, these two concepts are identical among the people.

There is an opinion that shellac differs from gel varnish by the presence of a polymer with the same name. This is not true - no mention of the use of shellac resin is found either on the coated bottle or on the manufacturer’s website.

The main components of gel lacquer.

• Film former - a special substance that under the action of UV radiation creates a strong film on the coating, due to which it becomes resistant to abrasion, cracking and splitting.
• Photoinitiator - a substance that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and promotes a more active reaction of the active components with each other.
• Active Diluents - components that contribute to giving the gel lacquer the desired consistency, due to which the composition becomes optimal for applying the composition of the viscosity.

• Pigment - it is a dye of organic or inorganic origin, which is used to ensure that the coating gets one or another shade and can be used for the decoration of nail plates. Pigments have no peculiarities of dissolving in gel varnish and does not interfere with the absorption of UV rays, although some types of components may reduce the rate of photopolymerization of the coating.
• Supplements - These are the ingredients that are added in order for the coating to acquire some additional characteristics, for example, plasticity, as well as gloss or viscosity. As a rule, they vary in the compositions of different manufacturers.

Gel polish has become the number one choice for women around the world, and this is understandable, taking into account the number of its positive characteristics.

• Fast freeze - gel polish dries under a special UV lamp in a matter of minutes. It is quite convenient and practical, especially if you remember how long it takes to dry the usual varnish and how often you have to update the coating, if during drying you accidentally touch such a manicure.
• Fortification - nails covered with shellac become stronger and grow back pretty quickly. This is a big plus in comparison with nail extensions, since strips and acrylics make the coating heavier, and the structure of the nail becomes thinner and friable.

• Persistence - with proper technique and the absence of contact with hot water for 2 days after application, the coating lasts from 14 to 21 days. Sometimes after this time, the varnish looks neat, but it is better not to overdo it - in this case, the health of the native nail may suffer.
• Versatility - gel polish can be applied to short and long legs, and wide and narrow, in any case, the coating will always look natural, and your hands neatly and elegantly. This effect cannot be achieved during the extension procedure - acrylic nails are always striking to everyone, and it is obvious to everyone around them that the nail plates are not real.
• Affordable price. Of course, gel-polish is more expensive than applying the usual varnish, but given that you get a lasting effect and can forget about updating the manicure for a couple of weeks, the use of shellac ultimately comes out cheaper.

Thanks to gel polish, nails always look fresh, rich and aesthetically pleasing. This coating hides any defects on the nails, levels the surface and does not irritate with its chemical smell.

Gel Polish has a special feature to shine with any type of lighting, which is why a manicure always looks perfect. Thanks to the existing variety of techniques, it is possible to decorate with shellac marigold of any length and shape - it looks great on round, oval, almond-shaped and even square nails.

• Gel Polish is applied only in salon conditions. Of course, you can purchase all the necessary tools and consumables and try to cover the house, but it will cost you a lot - the UV device is very expensive, and the accuracy of applying the composition at home often leaves much to be desired, especially on the right hand.
• Shellac can not be removed habitual washing for nails, here you need special tools designed to dissolve the coating and the destruction of the adhesion of varnish to the nail plate. Of course, if you wish, you can resort to pure acetone and remove the coating with it - but, I think, there is no need to say that such procedures significantly worsen the condition of the nails, make them dry and brittle.

• Shellac should not be worn constantly. After each 3-4 applications it is necessary to take a short break and allow the marigold to recover, do medical baths and masks that promote tissue regeneration.
• Do not forget about the risk of individual intolerance. In some cases, there is an allergy to one of the components of lacquer-gel, therefore, carefully study the composition of the drug before use.

Some claim that the UV lamp is harmful, especially for women - it provokes cancer in them. However, this opinion does not have any scientific confirmation, although girls who have a genetic predisposition to cancer and often have a tanning bed and sunbathe, the risk of illness is always there. Although it is safe to say that the UV lamp is the culprit of the disease, it is rather difficult - after all, in the summer on the beach and in the tanning studio we get much higher doses of ultraviolet radiation than with the point effect of a manicure lamp.

Gel polish allows you to implement a variety of ideas and techniques of the original coating on the nails: mosaic, veil or newspaper technology.

For adherents of the eternal classics will be optimal monochromatic coating, as well as delicate versions of the moon manicure and jacket. Similar designs can be used for evening out and for daily decoration.

Over the years, the manicure with drawings, openwork patterns and pictures, which are equally good for both short and long nails, has always remained popular. These coatings are usually made using stamping.

Painting on wet shellac is considered to be a very stylish and effective technique. Such a blurred pattern stands out for the style and non-triviality of the design.

Matte manicure is very popular, and gel varnishes of various shades are usually used and they combine this coating with other techniques. Matte color looks great on dark shades, as well as harmonious on nude and light beige.

Ombre is always a fashionable technique, in which there is a smooth transition from one shade to another. Most often they use light and dark shades of the same color, but in recent years they increasingly stretch the gradient from contrasting ones.

The popular cat-eye technique is optimal on shellac, especially in this case black, green and dark blue shades are often used.

The latest novelty is manicure chameleon, which involves changing the shade with different lighting.

Another popular technique is craquelure. This is a rather peculiar and original textured lacquer, which makes the nails truly unique and stylish.

Techniques with a decor that make the cover extraordinary and always attract attention are very common. In this case, one or two nails put pebbles, beads or rhinestones.

Modern girls from an early age try to look fashionable and stylish, so they often make a manicure, especially on special occasions - birthday, New Year, September 1, school holidays. Schoolgirls from 10-12 years old are trying to be like their mothers to everyone and ask to cover them with shellac. However, the question of the appropriateness and, most importantly, the safety of such coverage for children does not yet have a definite answer.

Traditionally, gel polish is believed to be a remedy for girls who have already grown up, at least high school students. Such coverage on adolescents looks too defiant and rude, moreover, shellac cannot be called a completely safe product. With frequent use, the structure of its nail plates is destroyed. They become thin and brittle, quite often the use of such a composition forces to resort to all sorts of medicinal drugs - oils and rubbing, which restore the nails.

It should be borne in mind that gel polishes are very sensitive to changes in hormonal levels in the human body, and it is not a secret that the concentration of individual hormones in adolescent blood is sometimes too high, and all this leads to the fact that the coating simply does not stick to the nails and falls off, therefore, there is simply no point in this application.

Most stylists are confident that the girl should be accustomed to quality self-care from a very early age, they argue that only with this approach will stylish and fully self-confident women grow up, while there are quite a few alternative techniques that are more suitable. for kids.

In the current season there have been several trends in applying gel polish.

Very popular manicure with rhinestones. Pebbles, rhinestones or beads work well with varnish. Such a design is most often done on one nail, but in some cases they involve several or even all - the idea of ​​decor here depends on the dimensions of the luminous elements, their number and the concept of the original composition.

New in the nail industry has become a manicure with kamifubuki. In fact, these are the same sparkles, only rather large ones. Visually, they look like confetti, although they do not have to be round at all. With the help of kamifubuki, shellac manicure, which is incomparable in its originality, creates beautiful beautiful compositions from them, putting them on nails in an interesting sequence, decorating their tips of the nails or decorating only a few fingers.

The use of velvet coating on gel varnish has become a fashionable trend. To do this, the nails are covered with acrylic powder, forming interesting patterns with a velvety texture. These new items are especially relevant in the fall and winter - in the cool season they create a feeling of warmth and comfort.

As for the color palette, in the current season peach and terracotta shades are in fashion, as well as autumn decors made in the color of Marsala and Bordeaux. Striped and rainbow designs, as well as space and fruit style are very popular.

Gel polish keeps on nails for 2-3 weeks. This is an undoubted advantage of the composition, but at the same time there is a certain drawback that makes it difficult to choose the right decor.

If simple varnish can be changed according to the color of clothes and accessories, as well as from the planned pastime, then gel varnish should be chosen so as to perfectly match with various outfits, and also to look harmoniously in the office and at an evening reception.

Agree, red lacquer with rhinestones will not be entirely appropriate in a company where a strict dress code is dictated, and the nude color coating will look too easy at a disco or a party.

The leader in the list is a jacket, better known as French manicure.in which the nail plate is covered with a light shade, and the smile line (the overgrown part of the nail) is drawn in a different color. In the classic version these are white tones, but fashion does not stand still and today the decor can be made in other shades, but certainly light.

This coating always looks elegant and elegant, gives women a sophisticated and well-groomed look and makes it perfect both in the office, and at the children's party, and at a party with friends.

Reverse french - is also a universal technique in which the moon is varnished - the lower part of the nail plate. This varnish looks good on long and short nails. Moon manicure makes the image stylish, expensive and carefully thought out.

Restrained conciseness is always in fashion and always in place, so a universal cover can be made in a technique in which nails are covered in the same color, usually nude or black, and to give a manicure a light zest, one of the nails is decorated with a pattern or rhinestone. Thanks to this addition, the coverage will be appropriate at special events, but the decor is minimal, so it will not seem superfluous in a strict atmosphere.

In order to apply a high-quality gel polish, you need to prepare quite a lot of tools that are used at different stages of work.

You will need:

• scissors - used to adjust the shape of the free edge of the marigold;
• pusher - removes the grown cuticle;
• buff - polishes the nail plate and removes the sticky keratin layer;
• file - required to align and smooth the edges of the nail;
• clippers - required for the treatment of rough skin near the nail;
• wooden sticks - are used to push back the overgrown cuticle.

For the application of shellac itself, the set of basic tools is slightly different:

• primers, various dehydrators and bonds - they degrease and dehydrate the marigolds, thereby contributing to maximum adhesion of the nail with synthetic materials;
• disinfector - is used for the preventive treatment of the nail, which prevents the development of fungal diseases;
• base - this component does not allow the varnish to penetrate the inside of the nail, levels the surface and improves the adhesion of the coating, in addition, the use of the base allows to avoid unaesthetic strips when applying directly shellac itself;

• multi-colored varnish - usually professionals use two types of varnishes: three-phase - which require the use of top, base and finish, as well as single-phase - which do without the listed components;
• top - this is the final coating, which is applied on top of the gel polish and protects the coating from ugly chips and cracking in case of mechanical damage.

And finally, a UV lamp becomes an indispensable condition for using gel polish.

Today the cosmetic industry offers three types of devices.

• Ultraviolet lamp. The main advantage of this device is low cost, such lamps afford most of our compatriots. The power of such a device is 9-54 Watts, while the smaller this parameter, the slower the polymerization of the coating. In some cases, such a lamp is additionally equipped with a motion sensor, a fan and a timer. If you are just taking the first steps in the nail design, then it will be enough to get a 36 W device. This gadget is optimal for home manicure, because it well polymerizes shellac of any density.

• Led lamps These are more professional devices which are necessary for high-speed and highly effective drying of the basis. In this lamp polymerization takes place in 30- 90 seconds, however, the cost of such a gadget is much higher than UV lamps.
• Hybrid lamps. These are universal devices that are used not only for the polymerization of gels, but also for shellac, permanent compositions and bio-gels. The principle of operation of such devices is based on combined technology, thanks to which the polymerization takes place quickly and efficiently. Such lamps are usually used in beauty salons.

If we talk about the manufacturers of these devices, you should give preference to such brands as Bluesky, Jessnail, as well as Kodi professional or TNL Professional. If you need a lamp for home use, then you can stay on the budget brands that are not inferior in effect to their more expensive counterparts.

Well and, of course, if you are determined to master the application of shellac, then you should prepare a place to store all consumables and tools used.

It is best to use a special box or container for this purpose, the entire contents of which is protected from direct sunlight and dust. Stock up on lint-free wipes, which should be wiped off the neck of the bottle after work, and ordinary disinfectants for the treatment of hands.

Please note that the traditional cut manicure has long been considered an outdated procedure, which is completely incompatible with building acrylic nails or applying gel polish. The fact is that before such a manicure, hands should be thoroughly steamed in a hot bath so that the nails absorb moisture - when using shellac, this leads to coating detachment.

Apparatus manicure is a procedure in which nails are treated without using cutting tools. This process is performed with the help of specialized equipment, without damaging the skin at all.

Such processing is carried out with the help of a tool that looks like a thick marker or marker. On one side it is attached to the machine, and on the other there is a hole where suitable mills of various diameters, sizes, shapes and degrees of abrasiveness are attached.

The rotation speed is set by the master. It usually varies from 5 to 35 thousand rotations per minute. The minimum speed is set for delicate skin areas.

Before processing it is necessary to prepare marigolds and fingers for manipulations. To begin with, the cuticle should be treated with a special softener, this is important so that the procedure is as painless as possible. The roller near the nail is removed with a diamond nozzle, and you should listen to your own feelings. If you feel a burning sensation or even the lightest pain - you should immediately turn off the machine and pick up another cutter. The appearance of pain when touching the treated area is not allowed - this is a signal that the rotational speed or the milling cutter itself was chosen incorrectly, in this case, the treatment is stopped and returned to it after a couple of days when young epidermal cells grow.

After the excess dermis is removed, the nails should be shaped into the correct shape, then they are polished with a special nozzle. It is recommended to move it on the plate so that it remains at each point no more than 0.5 seconds.

After the entire nail plate is processed, it must be oiled with oil to soften the cuticle and wait a bit until the composition is completely absorbed. After that, the hands and fingers are rubbed with a means to remove the fatty film and proceed to the painting itself. Keep in mind that no less than a quarter of an hour should elapse between the application of the oily agent and the shellac coating.

Combined manicure combines several techniques. It is believed that it is much more efficient than the hardware and trim, while the specialist uses the instrumental and hardware methods of nail correction so that even very advanced and complex nail plates become well-groomed and elegant.

Apparatus manicure involves the combined use of cutters, nippers and scissors. Usually, the cuticle is lifted with a small cutter, and then cut off, after which the apparatus turns again for polishing and grinding the surface.

So, after preparing the nails, you can start applying a decorative coating. The procedure consists of several stages.

• Application base. The base is applied in a thin layer over the entire surface so as not to leave a single piece of the plate undyed. Pay the most attention to the end sections. It is very important to carefully ensure that the tone does not leak onto the side rollers and cuticle fragments. If this happens, you must definitely fix it.
• Color application. Varnish is painted in two layers. The first one should be rather thin, and you shouldn’t be upset if it comes out uneven. This will fix the second layer. It should be applied as thinly, and if it turns out uneven - then it is necessary to apply the third layer. As a rule, first of all the middle fingers of the right hand are covered with gel varnish, in addition to the large one, and then the varnish is dried in an ultraviolet lamp. The same must be done with your left hand. Thumbs should stain and cure separately.

• The application of decor. It all depends on your own imagination. Usually used glitter, various sliders, as well as rhinestones or acrylic dust, and then dried in the lamp again.
• Removing the adhesive layer. At the last stage, a special concealer should remove the sticky layer. Keep in mind that this should be done only after all the work has been completed, since it is this layer that conditions the effective adhesion of each next coating to the previous one.
• Fixing. At the finishing stage, a layer of top is applied, and it should be applied quite tightly, since it largely determines the fixation of the entire coating.

Women who use gel polish, give only the most positive feedback about it. This coating allows you to forget about the need to update the manicure for a long time and allows you to implement any design ideas and solutions on the nails.

The undisputed market leader in gel polishes are brands from the USsuch as Gelish, as well as Jessica Geleration and Kodi. And the palm of superiority for many years belongs to the brand CND, whose “brainchild” is well known to every Russian woman. The main difference between the products of these manufacturers is innovative formulas, a harmless composition and a wide color palette, however, the price for such coatings is correspondingly high.

Products from German and Japanese manufacturers, such as OPI and Masura, are slightly behind in popularity.

Lacquers made in China are very popular in our country. - they are represented by lines Cristina, as well as Bluesky and relatively new Canni. They are not as comfortable as the American or European counterparts, and have a sharp smell, but the finish quality of the coating is quite high.

Domestic samples, for example, "Aurelia", while only entering the market, and make a complete picture of the reviews about them is not possible. However, consumers have already appreciated their good wear and low cost.

The technology of applying gel varnish, see the following video.