Your Nail Salon/Manicure Routine

yogiessexdubs said:

Girl, sorry in advance if I’ve asked similar question previously - I keep getting talked into having gel nails!

Sooo, gel nails don’t last on me, I also don’t like the way they end up ‘soft’, but I like my nails short.

Would I be better with BIAB or an acrylic overlay or something? - I’m also unsure of what to ask for.

Thanks so much!

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From what you've said, I feel like BIAB is def worth a go for you! Or have you tried shellac?

Also_smoke_and_mirrors said:

Just discovered Mylee's fix and flash. My gels whether polygel or BIAB never last long but I get a good 3 or 4 weeks out of these without breaking or lifting. Easy to infill with BIAB as well. I was sceptical that they would stay on as it was just a thin coat of the cured adhesive and I am the clumsiest person ever (who else pings a nail off and watches it land in the toilet as you pulls your jeans up by the belt loops?!) But I've been really impressed. It could be there's a lot more flex in them and that means they are less brittle, but whatever the reason, I'm continuing with them.

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i've been using this with my lamp to fix breaks in my natural nails, layer it with one ply of kleenex, cure and buff flat and it's ready to be painted over!

Keikochan said:

From what you've said, I feel like BIAB is def worth a go for you! Or have you tried shellac?

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Isn’t shellac/gel the same thing? … this is a minefield!

yogiessexdubs said:

Isn’t shellac/gel the same thing? … this is a minefield!

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I am super confused by the names tbh I know gel nail polish and shellac (& gellac...& any other name brands have come up with) are the same. But is BIAB the same too?

Actual gel nails are the extensions (full or half cover tips) with the gel that comes from a pot (much more difficult to do than gel polish which is more like a reg nail polish application). Acrylic nails are more similar to gel nails bc you use a nail brush and the product is in the pot (either gel or powder) & you have to mold it into shape.

If you have tried the actual gel nails & don't like it, I know you said length was an issue, then a gel polish/BIAB just on your natural nail will probably be a great option.
I like to use gel polish when I want just short nails but then if I want to do nail art, I'll do gel nails with full cover tips.

BIAB is brand of gel builder (basically just thicker gel to be honest) used for strength on natural nails or to sculpt extensions

Gel nail polish actually isn’t the same as Shellac. Shellac is a mix of gel and normal nail polish, and is a product made by the brand CND. Gel polish is gel, and there’s lots of different brands of it. So if you get legit Shellac and it doesn’t last well (it doesn’t on me) try proper gel. You have to check though as a lot of salons refer to ‘Shellac’ as ‘all gel polish’, I wouldn’t go to one of these places

BIAB is usually a soft soak off gel used for natural nail overlays or short extensions. The gel in a pot is usually a hard gel rather than a BIAB and is typically file off only. BIAB shouldn’t really be used on long nails or long extensions.