
Here are some of my best tips for applying an overlay on natural nails: Here’s a great video that shows you how quick and easy it is to apply hard gel: Tips for applying hard gel You don’t need to cure the slip layer, just paint on a thicker coat of gel over the top, then cure as normal. It’s a good idea to do a “slip layer” first.Ī slip layer is when you apply a thin coat of gel to the whole nail.

With hard gel nails, you just take a nail brush and dip it into the gel and then apply it directly to your nail. You don’t need to mess around with monomer, so there’s no liquid to product ratio to consider.

This kind of overlay is actually pretty easy to do. So they tend to stay looking good for longer. Hard gels are less likely to stain, yellow, or take on colors from chemicals (like hair dye for example). If you look after your nails, a (hard) gel overlay should last you 3 to 4 weeks. They do tend to last a bit longer on average than acrylic nails. Hard gel nails are very strong and durable. But builder gel can be either soft gel or hard, so it’s always best to check the label before you buy! How long does a hard gel overlay last? You can use gel polish or put nail art over the top of gel nails too by the way.īuilder gel is usually a soft gel. On the opposite end, the softest product on the gel scale is gel polish. When it comes to strength, it doesn’t get any stronger than hard gels.

The important thing to remember is that with an overlay, no length is added. Then you cure under a uv light or an led light (cure time varies depending on the nail lamp), file the gel down, and shape the nails before adding a top coat. If your natural nails are already long, then you don’t need an extension, so you would get an overlay.Īs the name suggests, with an overlay, the gel is “laid over” your natural nails. You can use hard gel to do either an overlay or an extension. A post shared by 🏆Egle Varpiotiene_Nail courses you can see, an overlay is different from an extension.
