Perfect nails have always been one of the requirements of a fashion-forward woman. If you are one of them, you won’t mind spending a few hours at a salon to get gorgeous looking nails. Even if you are a DIY fanatic, you can easily have your nails done from the comfort of your home with some of the best nail polish available today. This is made possible with some of the most interesting nail polish blends like the gel nail polish.

You don’t have to visit a good-standing salon and wait for your turn or to squeeze in that last minute appointment since you can do it on your own even from the comfort of your home.

You will be surprised at the quality of your finish nails you that you can create even at home using a gel nail polish. You don’t even have to be a pro to do make sure that you’ll have praiseworthy nails. Even entirely novice users will find it easy to use.

All you need are the right tools and space to begin this easy to follow process. It will take about an hour, if you are doing it for the first time. It will be easier and a lot quicker the second time around, however. With constant and correct practice, you can have salon perfect nails in no time. Even better, do a pedicure with it as well so you will be ready to bare those feet when you need to.

Creating gorgeous nails with gel nail polish is quite easy. Just follow the simple instructions below and you will be ready in no time.

Find a bright-lighted room where you can see clearly. Pick a space within the room where you can feel comfortable while having your nails done. It will take about 60 minutes to do a gel nail manicure if you are doing it for the first time, so you have to make sure that you’ll feel comfortable while doing your nails. As you become better with every manicure that you do, the time you spent will be shorter.

Have everything that you will need lining up neatly on a flat surface as this will make it easier for you to grab every tool or solution that you need as you do your nails. You will also need to place a protective and absorbent covering over the area where you will be working on to protect the surface from damage if ever any of the product that you will be using will spill on the surface you are working on.

Plug your LED nail lamp and switch it on.

1. Prepare your nails

. You’ll need a clean surface for the manicure to make it easier for the polish to stick better on your nails. First, wash your hands and have them dried thoroughly. Then, gently push back your cuticles with the slanted side of a manicure stick. This will give you an even looking nail that’s free of dirt where your gel polish can easily hold on to.

If your cuticles are thick, dry, and quite difficult to push back, soak them in warm water for a few minutes before pushing them back with a manicure stick.

Once you’re done cleaning the surfaces of your nails, you will need to shape your nails use a fine grit nail file to shape the edge of your nails. Go with a nail shape that will accentuate your fingers. You can choose one from these commonly used nail shapes: square, round/oval, squoval, almond, stiletto, ballerina, flare, edge, mountain peak, arrowhead, and lipstick.

Done shaping your nails? Then, it’s time to buff the surface of your nail with the pink side of the nail buffer/file. This will remove the shine on your nails and will help the gel polish to get a better hold on your nails. Make sure you include the grooves and cuticles around your nails as this is where lifting may possibly start off.

Wipe off the dust or wash your hands to remove any dust from your hands and nails. Then, wipe clean your nails with a lint-free wipe soaked in a gel cleanser. Allow your nails to dry for about 15 seconds.

2. Applying the gel primer.

A gel primer creates an extra layer for the gel polish to bond with instead of your natural nails. The amount of primer that you will need to apply on your nails will depend on the dryness of your nails. You will need less primer with a drier nail.

Different types of nails will respond best to different amounts of primer. For example, healthy, oily nails will need full primer coverage. The drier your nails, the less primer you will need.

Apply the primer in an ‘O’ shape around the nail (also called a halo) or just across the tip of the nail. A little goes a long way. Air dry your nails for 30 seconds.

3. Apply the gel nail base coat

Apply a thin layer of the gel base coat on your fingers (leave the thumb out), capping the end of your nails with the base coat by running the brush along the tip of your nail. This will make create a protective covering on the edges of the nails and prevent the gel nail polish from chipping.

Make sure that the base coat won’t touch the cuticles or skin at the side of the nails. If some of the base coat spills over those areas, tidy them up with a manicure stick before curing. Once you are satisfied with the application, you may place your nails under your UV nail lamp and have them cured for 15 seconds.

4. Apply the gel nail polish

By this time, you should already have in mind what shade of gel polish you want to have on your fingers. Roll the bottle of gel nail polish between the palms of your hand to make sure that the solution inside the bottle is totally mixed. Then, apply the gel polish just as you applied the base coat. This time your nails will need to be cured for 30 seconds, however.

You can do a second or third coating of the nail polish depending on the depth of the color you want. You’ll also need to cure your polished nails for a full 30 seconds after every application.

5. Apply the gel nail top coat

Some brands have the base and the top coat in one bottle. That means you will be applying a thin layer of the top coat over the pigmented coat and cure for 15 seconds. Use a manicure stick to clean any of the gel nail polish that drips off the sides of your nails or your skin.

Now it’s time to flaunt those gorgeous salon-like polished nails that you have at the comfort of your own home. Use a clean lint free wipe and some gel cleanser to wipe over each nail to remove the sticky moist layer and you’re done.

Your high shine gel polish is now complete. You can move on to your other four fingers and then both of your thumbs following the same process.