Wednesday, March 7, 2012

DIY Glitter Gel Manicure

For my birthday this past year I bought myself an "at home" gel manicure kit. I have used it countless times and it has totally paid for itself. I will include pricing below if anyone is interested. With so many people that get their nails done every two weeks it is easy to see how much money you can save by purchasing this.
Glitter
Gelish Kit {includes: PhBond, Foundation, Top It Off, Nourish, Nail Surface Cleanse, and Nail Polish Remover}
Small make-up brush
cardboard box for mixing glitter
Curing light
Clear nail polish
Nail file/clippers

1. The main part of this nail look is, you guessed it, glitter. I bought a jumbo pack at Michael's Craft Store for $30.00 and have used almost every color. Definitely worth buying if you like experimenting with color.
2. Choose what color glitter you want to use. I mixed like 8 different colors together, so you can have fun with it!
3. Start with clean, filed nails, and following the directions in your Gelish kit do a quick swipe of rubbing alcohol to prep nails for the gel.
4. Here is all the steps in creating a perfect gel manicure at home. I bought my kit at Sally's Beauty Supply for around $45.00
5. Start with the PhBond, which dries instantly. Next, use a very thin coat of the Foundation and cure it for 1 minute.
6. Here is a picture of the curing light that I have. I bought a bigger one so I could use it for my toes as well. Mine was around $60.00 for a 36 watt lamp, which is what the gelish kit calls for. I know there are tons of different lights to choose from so before purchasing, research them to find the best one for you.
7. This step is where the glitter comes in. Take a small make-up brush and dip the tip in the loose glitter. Dab the glitter just on the tips of the nail and slightly drag it down to create a fading effect. You can drag it as far down as you want. After repeating this for every nail, go back and just blot the glitter on the tips of the nail, as if you were doing a french tip. This will ensure that your own nail doesn't show through and will make the fading more drastic. Next, do a thin coat of just plain clear nail polish. I do this just to make sure glitter doesn't get into my gel top coat. This step is optional. Finally, put the Top It Off coat on and cure it for 2 minutes. This next step is crucial. Your nails will be sticky after this but don't panic, one quick swipe of the rubbing alcohol will take all the grime off.
8. This is the finished product! The best part is, your nails are completely dry and can't be ruined. I don't know about you but when I found out about that I was sold. ENJOY!

P.S. If you can't afford the gelish kit or don't think you would use it enough to purchase it, you can do this same exact look with just clear nail polish and glitter, it just might not last as long.

xoxo,
Alyssa

2 comments:

  1. I've been looking for a good gel manicure set lately. The only worry I have is that my nails grow super fast, so I would probably have to cut them super short before putting on the gel. :\

    Your nails look fantastic, though!

    XO,
    SSDS

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  2. Actually the gel makes them really strong so depending on what color you choose (nude, light pink etc.) you may not be able to see the regrowth as much or worry about your nails becoming weak with becoming long. But I am really happy with my set if you decide to buy one! :)And thank you so much!

    xoxo,
    Alyssa

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