I love getting my nails done at the salon. Since I have fairly small nail beds, I always opt for long nails but after a week I’m over it and can’t wait to have them removed. Acrylic nails can take a toll on your natural nails. So I wanted something that would give my nails the salon finish, within the convenience of my home with minimal to no damage to my nails. I have been using a handful of products for some time now and wanted to share a mini tutorial on how to get salon quality at home Gel Nails with Tones Products.Tones, is a brand founded in Miami, that retails a wide range of gel and acrylic nail systems. Their products are available in many retail stores as well as online on tonesproducts.com. Known to be 7-free, not tested on animals, acid free and low odor products, you’ll see exactly why these are great products to work with.
When it comes to giving myself a manicure, I keep it extremely simple. So when I looked into gel nails, I realized there are a lot more steps than I anticipated. But with the help of a Tones customer service rep, I was advised of all the products I would need and what each was intended for.
There are a few ways to give yourself an at home gel manicure and I’ll mention 2 ways in this post. You will need the following products:
- Gel Polish of your choice: Personal favourites are Valencia Red, Passion, White Swan, Blush, Terra $12.99
- Nail Prep Dehydrator $5.99
- Wiping Solution: 236 ml for $8.99
- Neo Builder Gel: Sweet Pink 15 ml for $17.99
- Sculpting Brush #10 $29.99
- Gel Polish Base and Top: $14.99 each
- Ultrabond Primer 15 ml $6.99 each
- Lint-free cotton pads
- LED nail lamp
Here is a very easy and informative guide from Tones for a gel manicure.
- Begin by shaping your nail.
- Apply a coat of the Nail Prep Dehydrator.
- Apply the Ultrabond Primer.
- Apply a thin layer of the Gel Polish Base and Top.
- Cure for 30 seconds in an LED nail lamp.
- Apply your choice of Gel Polish. **Avoid getting any gel on your cuticles as that can cause lifting after it is cured in the lamp.**
- Cure for 30 seconds in an LED nail lamp.
- **Optional: Add a second coat of Gel Polish if needed for an even coat. Cure for 30 seconds in an LED lamp.**
- Apply a layer of Gel Polish Base and Top.
- Cure in an LED lamp for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Use a lint-free pad with the Wiping Solution to remove the tacky layer of the gel polish.
- Enjoy your salon-like gel manicure!
The second method is using the Neo Builder Gel in Pink as the base and shade of your manicure. This method takes slightly more time and patience to ensure the gel is even.
- Apply a coat of the Nail Prep Dehydrator.
- Apply a THIN layer of the Neo Builder Gel to the nail using a sculpting brush of your choice. **Avoid getting any gel on your cuticles as that can cause lifting after it is cured in the lamp.**
- Cure in a UV lamp for 2 minutes.
- Apply a second layer of the Neo Builder Gel and cure for an additional 2 minutes in a UV lamp.
- Wipe nail with a lint-free pad and Wiping Solution.
- Enjoy your gorgeous mauve-pink manicure!
I really like these two methods, especially the second method using the Neo Builder Gel in Pink. It’s the perfect shade of pink for a (somewhat) natural manicure. These gel manicures will last you well over 2 weeks!
All of the gel polishes I tried have an opaque coverage. They have an amazing selection of polishes to choose from for both Gel and Acrylic nails. None of the products have a pungent odor which makes them easy to work with. All of the products come in durable packaging, so you can shop online worry-free.
All of the mentioned products can be purchased from tonesproducts.com. LED and UV lamps can be purchased from Amazon or your nearest beauty supply store.
Look out for an upcoming post on how to extend your nails using the Pro Builder Gel Plus. As well as check out their social media accounts (Instagram) for how-to’s on their stunning nail designs!
