I love a relaxing visit to the salon, but lately, I’ve been opting to do my nails at home for the convenience and ease. Typically, I stick to painting my natural nails with gel polish, but recently saw someone online trying gel extensions at home and wanted to try it out myself. I got my hands on a few products from Beetles and absolutely loved the process.
Here’s my step-by-step guide on applying Gel-X nails:
Nail Prep is a Must: I started by removing my old polish, then used the supplied nail file to shape and buff my nails. I’ve seen some people use a nail dehydrator, but since I didn’t have one, I wiped my nails with an alcohol-soaked cotton pad, ensuring they were oil-free and ready for application.
Find Your Perfect Fit: This specific kit came with pre-shaped coffin nails at a medium length, which is what I typically go for. I took a moment to measure each nail and loved that there were a variety of sizes to choose from. This part was so helpful because it allowed me to skip over the extra steps of shaping and was hassle-free.
Focus on Application: I took the provided nail glue and started to apply it to the base of the nail tip, covering about 1/4 of the nail surface. I recommend taking your time with this part and gently placing the nail tip on your natural nail at a slight angle to ensure there are no air bubbles trapped underneath.
Time to Cure: As I held down the nail tip, I moved my finger under the provided UV light and cured the applied nail. I stayed under the light for 60 seconds, and the nail was instantly cured. I repeated this process for each nail until I had a full set done. After each cure, you can feel how strong the nails truly were. I chose to keep the length and shaped the top of the nail slightly so it was a bit more rounded. My nails were all done!
Polish Me Up: Now for the hardest part – picking out a color. I was unsure about my vibe, so I used the 2023 Beetles Advent Calendar as a guide. This exclusive kit had a variety of full size colors as well gel liners, glitter powders, and charms. I decided to go for their d513 color, a gorgeous blue reflective glitter gel polish.
I was really happy with how my gel extensions turned out so I might be a DIY nail girl after all. If you are a fan of getting your beauty fix done at-home, check out Beetles’ gel extension kit and more products on their website.
