Can You Use Gel Nail Polish With Shellac Base Coat

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If you like the durability of a gel manicure but want the range of colors you can get with regular nail polish, you may accept wondered if you can mix both types of polish together. Fortunately, if you're careful and patient, you can! For a simple combined manicure, apply your regular polish and then add together a gel topcoat once it's dry. For a little actress durability, make a "gelly sandwich" by layering regular smooth betwixt two gel coats.

1
Apply your regular polish as you normally would. Smooth your nails with regular blast shine in the color of your choice. To help the polish adhere improve, buff and clean your nails first. You can also prep your nails with a regular (non-gel) base coat if you wish.^[1]
- For a more than intense or opaque color, add multiple layers of polish. However, effort not to make them too thick, or the gel topcoat may not hold as well.
- Use the smoothen up to the ends of your nails, merely don't cap the free edge.
2
Permit your polish to dry completely. This is a crucial step to making the polish and gel combo work! Before applying the gel topcoat, give your blast smooth several hours to dry. Brand certain the polish has dried completely before you continue.^[ii]
- Give the polish at least iv-6 hours to dry out. Ideally, yous should let information technology cure for a full 24 hours.
- You may need more drying time if you've practical multiple layers of smooth.
- If the polish doesn't dry completely, the topcoat may peel off. The polish might also wrinkle or crevice nether the gel topcoat after y'all cure the gel.^[3]
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iii
Brush on the gel topcoat. Once your nails are dry out, use a layer of gel topcoat. Brush from the base of each nail to the tip.^[four] Swipe a picayune topcoat on the free edge of the boom to cap it off.^[5]
- If you get any gel on your skin or cuticle, wipe it off before you cure the gel. Otherwise, it will exist very hard to take off!
4
Cure the topcoat under an LED or UV lamp. Place your paw in an LED or UV nail curing lamp to dry the gel. Leave your nails nether the lamp for the recommended amount of time.^[6]
- Expect at the label on your topcoat to determine the correct curing time. Typically, you will demand to cure for 30 seconds under an LED lamp, or 2 minutes under a UV lamp.^[8]
- You can purchase a gel nail drying lamp online, in a department store, or from a beauty supply store.
Alarm: Using UV or LED curing lamps can betrayal your skin to high levels of UV radiations, leading to skin damage over time. If you lot get frequent gel manicures, protect your easily with a layer of broad-spectrum sunscreen or a pair of protective UV-shielding manicure gloves.^[vii]
v
Wipe away the tacky layer with an alcohol wipe. After you cure the gel topcoat, there will be a sticky layer on top of your nails. To remove this layer, cascade some 91% isopropyl booze onto a lint-complimentary wipe and wipe each nail. If you lot prefer, you can also use disposable alcohol wipes.^[9]
- Avoid using cotton balls, since these tin can leave lint on your nails.
- If possible, use a separate wipe for each nail. Using the same wipe on multiple nails tin dull your topcoat.
- If your cuticles feel dry, requite the alcohol 1-2 minutes to dry and and then wipe on a piffling cuticle oil.^[x]
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1
Vitrify your nails to remove any shine. Before you apply the gel base coat, you'll need to slightly roughen the surface of your nails. This volition let the gel to adhere better. Gently go over your nail with a buffer or file with a dust of 220 or college.^[xi] Swipe the buffer over each nail vi to 8 times in an X shape, using smooth strokes.^[12]
- Take care not to over-buff your nails, since this can cause damage.
- If you choose to buff your nails with a file rather than a buffing cake, use one with a very fine dust. Swipe it very lightly over your nail in just a few strokes. Otherwise, you may harm your nails.
2
Utilise an alcohol wipe to make clean off the dust. Wipe your buffed nails clean with a lint-free wipe soaked in 91% isopropyl booze. This will both clean your nails and dehydrate them slightly, which will allow the gel foundation to adhere improve.^[13]
- If you lot prefer, y'all can use disposable booze wipes, like the kind you'd notice in a kickoff assist kit.
- Don't use a cotton ball, since this might exit fibers behind on your nails.
3
Brush on a layer of gel polish foundation. Utilise a thin coat of gel smooth foundation to each smash, brushing from base of operations to tip. This will act as the base glaze for your manicure. Subsequently brushing the foundation over your nail, swipe a little along the free edge of your nail to cap the tip.^[14]
- Have care non to go the gel on your cuticle, since this volition crusade the base coat to pare off more easily.^[15]
4
Cure the foundation under an LED or UV lamp. Cure your nails nether an LED or UV drying lamp for the recommended corporeality of time. Typically, this volition take 30 seconds under an LED lamp, or 1 infinitesimal nether a UV lamp.^[16]
- If you're concerned almost UV exposure, protect your hands with a layer of sunscreen or protective manicure gloves.
five
Wipe the surface of each nail with alcohol to remove the tacky layer. One time your foundation glaze is cured, there will be a viscid "inhibition layer" on your nails. To take it off, wipe each of your nails with a lint-free wipe soaked in 91% isopropyl alcohol.^[17]
- You tin too utilize disposable alcohol wipes for this.
6
Utilize 1 or 2 thin coats of regular nail smooth. Take the regular polish of your option and wipe the castor on the edge of the bottle to remove any excess smoothen. Employ an fifty-fifty, sparse layer of the smoothen to each smash. Requite it 5 minutes to dry, and so brush on a second glaze if you lot wish.^[18]
- If you brand the polish too thick, the gel topcoat won't adhere properly.
- Accept the polish upward to the edge of your nails, but don't cap off the tips. This will help preclude chipping.^[19]
7
Allow the polish to dry completely. To continue the polish from wrinkling or cracking underneath the gel topcoat, you must requite the regular polish time to dry out. Ideally, y'all should wait several hours or even a full twenty-four hour period before calculation the topcoat.^[20]
- If you lot're using a quick-drying smooth, you may be able to get away with applying the topcoat after 15-20 minutes.^[21]
8
Add a layer of gel topcoat. Once you lot're sure the polish is completely dry, castor on your gel topcoat. Apply it in an even layer, fugitive your cuticle, and so cap off the tip of your blast.^[22]
- Capping off the edge of your nail volition help seal in the regular smooth and prevent chipping.
9
Cure the topcoat under the lamp for the recommended time. Place your nails inside your LED or UV nail lamp to cure the topcoat. Check the label on the bottle to determine how long yous need to cure your nails.^[23]
- Typically, this will take 30 seconds under an LED lamp, and 2 minutes nether a UV lamp.
10
Wipe off the tacky layer with an booze wipe. When y'all're done, wipe off the tacky layer with 91% isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free wipe. You should at present have a cute and durable gelly sandwich manicure!^[24]
- Add a little cuticle oil for actress wet if y'all want. Wait at least a minute subsequently removing the tacky layer and so you don't dull your topcoat.^[25]
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Question

How does the gel superlative coat bond to the regular boom polish, given that surfaces need to be tacky or non shiny for the gel to adhere properly?

This respond was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Question

How exercise I apply regular nail polish to smash gel without it peeling off?

This respond was written by 1 of our trained team of researchers who validated information technology for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched reply.

If y'all want to combine regular smash polish with gel, it's best to seal in the smoothen with a gel topcoat rather than putting the polish on top of the gel. You tin either utilize a layer of polish with a topcoat over it, or apply a gel basecoat, layer on the polish, and seal it all in with a gel topcoat.
Question

Can I add a layer of colour when I accept cured the acme coat?

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Question

Can you employ a gel blast polish and gel top coat without UV?

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Question

When using a gel base of operations coat, do you lot take to remove the tacky inhibition layer before putting regular blast polish on? Can yous paint RNP over the tacky layer of the gel base of operations coat that has been cured?

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Question

Every once in a while, when I take the tacky off with alcohol, I notice a boring finish. What causes it?

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Question

Would a gel base coat offer more durability? As well, can regular smooth be cured under my UV lamp?

Cecilia Flores

Superlative Answerer

Simply gel smooth can exist cured nether a UV lamp. Regular polish dries on its own, while gel polish requires a lamp and won't cure unless it's sat under the lamp. Use a gel base of operations coat, cure information technology, apply regular polish and look for it to dry completely, then use a gel top coat and cure information technology. This helps the mani to last longer and you won't accept to buy a gel color.
Question

Volition using a gel base of operations instead of regular base of operations work better?

In my experience, yes, a gel base is better.
Question

How do I know which type of UV light I have?

Wait at the instructions for the unit y'all accept. UV low-cal will require a minute and a one-half to two minutes to cure, whereas a LED light unit will take near 30 seconds.
Question

Can I utilise these gel polishes without exposing my nails in UV lamps?

They have gel polish with which you don't need to use the UV lamp.

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Things You'll Need

Nail buffer
Lint-gratis cosmetic wipes
91% isopropyl alcohol
Gel foundation
Regular smash smoothen
Gel topcoat
UV or LED curing lamp

Before applying any nail polish, trim and file your nails to the desired length and shape. If you try to shape your nails after applying the polish, you'll damage your manicure.

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