I Got an Apres Gel-X Manicure; Here Are My Thoughts

Manicures for me are what blowouts are to different individuals: whether or not skilled or DIY, they offer me a severe enhance of serotonin. However in comparison with most nail aficionados, my preferences are fairly easy. I keep on with common nail polish or dip powder manicures if I am doing them at dwelling and gel if I’m at the salon, and I solely get nail-art designs on uncommon events. Nonetheless, for my birthday, I needed to do one thing completely different.

I am one of many few magnificence editors who can say they’ve by no means gotten acrylic nails and, attributable to worry of them weakening my already brittle nails, I did not plan on altering that anytime quickly. Nonetheless, I longed for the long, stiletto-shaped tips which have been flooding my Discover web page on Instagram. That is after I determined to strive an Apres gel-x manicure.

Over the previous few years, I’ve began noticing Apres gel-x, or gel extensions, manicures listed on extra salon menus. For anybody unfamiliar, gel-x nails are a newer type of enhancement that bind a gel tip to your pure nail with an LED mild (no glue, extreme buffing, or chemical substances required). The ideas, that are initially extraordinarily lengthy, are then minimize and filed all the way down to your required form and painted and adorned with any design you need. They final wherever from two to a few weeks and are available off simply after an acetone soak. Apres gel-x gives the identical size as acrylic however is taken into account to be extra natural-looking and gentler in your pure nails.

That each one sounded superb, so I booked an appointment at an area nail salon that supplied the remedy and began saving nail-art inspiration. This is how the method went.

My Nails Earlier than Apres Gel-X Manicure

Upon arrival, my manicurist cleaned and buffed the floor of my pure nails, which have been on the shorter aspect due to some damaged nails. Then, they took out a field of gel-x ideas and, one after the other, fitted every finger by holding the extension as much as my pure nail to seek out the proper dimension (similar to you do with press-on nails).

As soon as all 10 fingers have been finished, they used an electrical file to scratch the within of the gel-x nail. Then, a coat of gel lengthen polish was utilized to my pure nails and cured with an LED lamp, similar to a daily gel manicure. As soon as the bottom coat was finished, it was time to connect the gel-x nails. After making use of the identical gel lengthen polish to the filed part of the gel-x ideas, they cured it with a warmth lamp.

That preliminary software course of took about 35 minutes. The subsequent step was to chop and file them to my nail form of alternative — I picked stiletto. As soon as the entire nails have been formed, they have been cleaned off from any file residue and it was time to color them. I made a decision to go together with a french manicure design utilizing pink nail polish on a impartial base as a result of I needed one thing that may look good for weeks to return as they grew out.

My Nails Instantly After Getting an Apres Gel-X Manicure

The nail-art portion of the manicure went because it often does — base polish, treatment beneath LED lamp, and so forth. All mentioned and finished, the appointment took slightly over an hour, which was time well-spent as a result of I could not have been happier with my nails in the long run. They have been lengthy and completely formed however nonetheless appeared pure, as in the event that they have been my actual nails.

I bought numerous compliments on my manicure within the weeks following my appointment. They held up very well and withstood opening packages, per week trip on the seaside, cleansing my condominium — the entire regular issues. Not as soon as did I really feel like they may come free and fall off.

My Nails 3 Weeks After Getting an Apres Gel-X Manicure

In brief: I am obsessive about Apres gel-x nails. The one disadvantage to the remedy is it may be on the pricer aspect — I paid round $120 for my manicure, which theoretically took the place of three separate customary manicures. Relying in your price range, it might be nice for particular occasions, like weddings, holidays, and birthdays, which is what I plan on saving it for.

My Nails After Eradicating the Apres Gel-X Manicure

I made it two and a half weeks with the set on earlier than I went again to the salon to have them eliminated (though I might have made it the complete three). Removing was easy and, though it took 40 minutes to finish, I used to be shocked to seek out that my nails weren’t in the slightest degree broken afterward.