How to DIY the Perfect Gel Nails at Home

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I used to spend a fortune getting gel nails done regularly at the salon because I hated how regular polish would chip in just a couple of days. Plus, my nails are brittle otherwise and the drying time sucks! I don’t think I’ve ever not dented my nails when using regular polish. Needless to say, gels are a non-negotiable for me.

I recently discovered an affordable, quality gel nail brand called Gellen on Amazon. Their products have raving reviews, so I decided to start myself off with their gel curing machine and some polishes.

I got a base/top coat set, some fall/winter-appropriate colors, and two glitter polishes. I felt guilty starting a new collection when I have 100+ regular nail polishes sitting in my cupboard… there’s actually a product you can add to regular polish to transform them into gels but I haven’t gotten a chance to try that yet. If it’s easy to do, I may do that so my old polishes don’t go to waste.

How Much Does a DIY Gel Manicure Cost?

Everything I needed to get started came out to under $75. This is a steal, considering I was paying $30+ every two weeks at the salon before. To put it into perspective, the set pays for itself after 3 uses.

I’ve started doing gels on my toes too. My toenails don’t grow as quickly as my fingernails, so the gels stay on forever. I only have to do my toes once every 2-3 months now, unless I feel like matching my fingers to my toes.

Best investment ever!

How to Prep Nails for a DIY Gel Manicure

Before starting with the gel curing process, it’s important to prep the nails. Without proper prep, you may not get perfect results. For example, if the surface isn’t smooth and clean, the gel nails may pop off well before the 2-week mark.

Here’s what I do before curing:

– Cut and shape nails as desired

– Remove all old polish

– File down ridges

– Trim cuticles as needed

– Smoothen each nail so the base coat can stick to the nail effectively

– Wipe away the debris with an alcohol wipe

How to Cure Gel Nails

The gel curing machine has 3 settings: 10, 30, and 60 seconds. I use the 60-second setting most because I want to make sure the polish is perfectly cured each round.

– On clean nails, apply an even layer of the base coat. Cure for 30 seconds.

– Gels are difficult to clean up after curing. Touch up any “mistakes” with a Q tip before placing your hand in the machine for curing.

– Paint an even layer of your desired gel polish color. Cure for 30 seconds.

– Repeat this twice to get 3 even coat colors.

– Finish off with a layer of top coat. Cure for 60 seconds.

And just like that — you’ve got salon-quality nails from the comfort of your home for a fraction of the cost!

How Long Do DIY Gel Nails Last?

My DIY gel nails last around 2 weeks if prepped and applied properly. This is normal since my fingernails grow out quickly.

How to Remove DIY Gel Nails

Unlike the gels from my salon, I find these easy to peel off when it’s time to remove them. I know this isn’t the recommended way to remove gels, but I haven’t had issues. This is a plus, as I hate worrying about how to remove the gels after enjoying them for half a month.

Phew! This was a lengthy post. But hopefully, it has inspired you to try DIY gel nails! If you have any questions about the products used or the steps, let me know in the comments below.

Have you DIYed gel nails before?

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56 Responses

  1. Yes!!! Thank you for this tutorial! I had been waiting for it since I saw it on your stories. Going to get myself a gel curing machine and try this myself. Hopefully it’ll turn out as nicely as yours did!!

  2. I totally have these in my Amazon cart after chatting with you the other day! I can’t wait to try them out and have cute at-home gel nails like yours. Thanks for the recommendation, girlfriend!

    1. Hehehe yay girl!!! I am stoked for you and cannot wait to see your DIY gel nails 🙂 it’s such a cool concept and I can’t wait to get creative and maybe try some nail art soon! <3 xoxo

    1. Thanks Kimmie! It definitely takes practice. The first time around I made some mistakes and didn’t shape my nails as nicely as I wanted (to be fair, my nails were pretty short at that time so I didn’t have as much to work with). But like anything else practice makes perfect! 😉

  3. You did a splendid job with those nails girl, holy cow!!! They totally look like salon-quality tips. I get my nails done at the salon every 2 weeks so it definitely adds up. Will look into this and try to save some money. Hopefully my nails will turn out looking as pretty as yours! Thanks for sharing your tutorial.

    1. Thank you Miranda! I’m flattered that you think they look salon-quality 😉 that was my goal! I definitely have some things I can work on but practice makes perfect and it’s all part of the fun. I used to get my nails done regularly at the salon too but found that it was adding up extremely quickly. This is the perfect solution for quality nails at a fraction of the cost, and the best part is I can do it at home and switch out colors whenever I want! xx

    1. Thanks Annette! Yes, it’s quite a process but I like it better than applying regular polish haha. I’ll usually just put on a TV show and do my nails while watching TV! It’s a great way to multitask and relax for a bit 😉

  4. Wow! That really is a great price! Definitely saving money instead of going to a salon every two weeks! I’m scared I wouldn’t be good at doing this myself, but this tutorial really makes me want to try!

    1. Thanks Tonya! It definitely didn’t turn out perfectly the first try for me and I had to practice to get it looking decent! I’d say it’s worth it though because now I know what I’m doing and it gets faster each time 🙂 I think you’d do a great job if you tried! xx

  5. Your nails look so professionally done! I would love to try to transform my nail polishes to gels. I also spend a lot of money at the nail salon and it gets so expensive! I’ll have to look for this brand on Amazon!

    1. Thanks Candace! I’m happy to hear you like how they turned out. I’m so glad I can cut back on spending when it comes to my nails and more importantly, get them to look beautiful from home! It’s incredible how long these at-home gels last too 🙂

  6. Ok, so sad to admit that I have not been doing my nails even close to as well as this Haha. I love this post. The step by steps are amazing and I always see all your different manicures on Instastories! They always look professionally done! I want to try these gel nail polishes. You make it look so easy Sharon! Wish we could do a girls day, chill and watch a movie and do nails. Would be fun!! Love the step by step. I might message u when I finally get these! I hope mine look half as good as yours!

    So,
    Miki
    http://mikialamode.com

    1. I used to hate doing my nails at home because they’d always look pretty bad LOL. I never had the patience to let the nails fully dry before I started doing something to mess them up. Gel nails have been a lifesaver and I love that I can do it myself at home without spending a ton of money every two weeks to get them done! And if I don’t like the color for whatever reason I don’t need to feel bad about changing them out early. I wish we lived closer so we could have a movie/chill/nails girl night! Haha that would be so much fun. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions about the process or any of the equipment used to create awesome gel nails at home 🙂 I’m sure you’ll be just as hooked as I am! Talk soon Miki <3 xx

    1. That’s exactly how I felt before I got into this! Let me tell ya, doing gel nails at home is so different from just using regular polish and the results (and no drying time really) definitely make it worth it.

  7. Thanks for your tips on using gel nail polish at home! I usually use regular nail polish but it does chip so easily, which is uber annoying! I’d love to give this a go at home because going to a salon for a gel manicure can get really expensive. I’m all for a cost effective DIY!

    xo, Jo

    1. I know!!! I can’t stand how quickly regular polish chips and dents so easily. This gel kit has changed my manicure game and I save money for upgraded facials now. LOL!

    1. I know right?! I actually got this specific machine because it was the cheapest and there was a deal going on on Amazon for it. They have other fun prints but the prices may vary. They all do the same thing but it’s certainly a plus to have one with a girly floral print 🙂 I’m glad that you’re able to get back into gel nails! So much better than regular polish 🙂

  8. You make it look so easy. I do spend too much on my nails and it takes up a lot of time at a salon. I need to try doing it myself. Great post.

    Xxgracie

    snappedbygracie.com

    1. Aww thanks Gracie! It does take a lot of time at the salon and sometimes I just want to get my nails done quickly at home, and this does the job. It’s cost-effective and fun! I’d love to hear your thoughts if you do try 🙂

    1. It totally pays for itself after 2-3 times of doing your own nails at home, so I think it’s totally worth a shot at least! It gets easier with practice too 🙂

  9. These gels nails don’t look DIY at all! Looks straight out of a nail salon! I should really invest in a gel nail kit so I can just do them at home. Getting gel nails done in Japan can be so expensive! I also love how you can peel them off when you’re done with them 🙂
    xo Samantha

    1. Awww thanks Samantha! I’m glad you think they turned out well too. I am happy with how they turned out and I totally agree — getting nails done at the salon can be costly wherever you go really. Technically these are “soak off” polishes, which are supposed to soak off easily with acetone or something. They sort of peel off by the 2-3 week mark for me though so I haven’t found myself needing to properly soak them off. My nails don’t look or feel damaged either which is a plus 🙂

  10. I’ve tried gel polish at home but not with that machine like they use in the salon. I typically use the OPI Gel Polish with the top coat but I’ve always been curious to try this real gel style at home. Your nails turned out perfectly and look totally like you got them done at a salon! I definitely need gel because my nails get ruined in one day with all the mommy stuff I do. I need to check this out and for only $75, you definitely get your money’s worth! xoxo, Christine
    http://dailykongfidence.com/

    1. I’ve tried something like the OPI Gel Polish too but I always felt like the quality never matched the salon so I wanted to give this one a go. No regrets so far! It’s so easy to use and doesn’t take a long time. I’ve cut curing time from the safe 60 seconds each round to 30 seconds and just cure the top coat 60 seconds 🙂 Would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do try it!

  11. I DIY paint mine all the time, but not using anything long lasting. The ladies in my partners family all love to get their nails done in salons once a week but I have only had it done once. This would be a good little gift for them for next Christmas, thank you for the tip!
    xx Jenelle
    http://www.inspiringwit.com

    1. I was the same way before darling! I would use regular polish and it would chip within a few hours somehow -__- LOL. I have the luxury to do gels weekly now since I don’t have to pay a hefty cost each time to get them done at the salon. 😉

  12. I’ve never tried gel nails but you make it look so easy. I will share this post with my sister as she loves this kind of stuff. Thanks for the step by step details. Your nails look fab

  13. This sounds so perfect babe. I have actually never done any gel nails but after reading this post I’m tempted to get the entire equipment to also do it my self.
    I love the color you choose btw! Thanks for sharing!

    xoxo
    Marcy

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