I make a full painted set for myself in 4-5 hours too. Sometimes i do one hand at time and the other hand on the other day. It takes too much time to do in one sitting 😥 I was feeling that i was bad thats why it takes so much time. I am relived now that it usual for others too :)
Hello! I would love to share a new nugget of info I have veeerry recently received from my derm! I had been having a reaction of some kind one or two times a year after having my nails done/doing my nails, so had a full allergy work up done. It turns out I have a mild nickel allergy, the most common form of contact allergy. And my derm said it could be (a) the tools being used, (b) the glitter/shimmer in gel polishes, OR, (c) the chrome powders I was using! 😱 So there’s another thing to think about!
That's good to know! You could try to use wood sticks and rock/ceramic filing bits to prep if it ends up being about the tools 😊 and go into the dry e-file manicure instead using scissors or clippers Love ❤
Also good to note that most of the iredescent pigments (in contrary to the metallics) are mineral-based (basically are really fine grounded up rocks) 😁
About painting the dominant hand as a 10y-ish nail tech - start with the dominant hand! That way when you're all worked up and may be less careful - you won't make as many mistakes 😁 Edit: and about the lamps: the BEST lamps are 48w with mirror or MAYBE a white bottom. Don't go higher in terms of power (you can end up with the top layer of gel cured too fast and uncured product underneath), lower power may not cure all products properly, and don't go with black inside - black absorbs light, so you'll end up with lower power than should be. It honestly doesn't matter what brand of lamp you're using, as long as you are checking if the power is right for your product (And ALWAYS check the curing time!!!).
Is it true that for darker shades like Black, Umber, Navy, that you should add 90s-180s to the brands cure time? I've had shades, especially Black, look like it's cured after 180s, add a jelly glitter topper, cure that 180s, only to find the Black is still pliable under the Jelly. Alone though, it seemed like the Black was fully cured. My main lamp has a Blue mirrored base, and is 48W. I also have a pillow top 48W lamp, and because it's portable and has no base, I put a foil sheet under it, but on top of my work pad. Both the Black and the glitter Jellies are the same brand, so I'm a bit confused.
I'd like to quickly address the part about wattage, as it's actually a highly prevalent myth - the wattage doesn't actually say anything about the strength of the LED bulbs, just the lower usage. A lamp with highly efficient bulbs can use less power (I.e. have a lower wattage) and emit more milowatts per second than a less efficient lamp that uses more power. A classic example is comparing the Light Elegance Minidot lamp, which is a 6 watt lamp, that produces almost double the number of milowatts per second as a 60 watt Sun UV/LED lamp. Despite having a wattage that is 10 times lower, it's actually twice as powerful because it uses different bulbs that use the input energy much more efficiently. You're spot on about how the reflectiveness of the inside of the lamp affects curing, though. The LE Minidot and Sun UV/LED lamp is another good comparison - the Minidot doesn't have a base (great for pedicures!) but the inside is reflective metal. The Sun lamp is white plastic, so it's obviously not as reflective and won't cure gel as well (even putting the lower energy production aside). Unfortunately, gel lamp power and effectiveness is a lot more complicated than the wattage, and that makes it really hard to know what will and won't work as consumers. You kind of feel like you're taking a shot in the dark, especially because undercuring isn't always obvious - a gel can be solidified without being fully polymerised, leaving you and people around you exposed to monomers. Some basic guidelines for a sign of a lamp that uses inefficient, low-quality bulbs vs. efficient, high-quality bulbs is not in the wattage, but in the bulbs themselves - crappy bulbs often have a little dome over them and are bright yellow. With these types of bulbs, even if you have a lot of them and they use a lot of power, they just can't emit enough UV light to initiate polymerisation. And then, of course, there's the reflectiveness that you mentioned to look out for. The Nail Hub has a fantastic video called "Is Your Nail Lamp Giving You Allergies" (or something to that effect) that covers the chemistry of polymerisation and also how you can test your lamp to make sure its curing your products.
@@DinkyInky2So, not the person you asked, but yes! Certain pigments, like black, red-as-fuck, and oh-my-god-my-eyes-yellow, and even some shades of white, can actually prevent the UV from getting to the gel and curing it properly. Ideally, a brand should formulate their gels with these types of pigments to account for this with more photo initiators, but some brands just don't, and you end up with the issue you mentioned. I left a comment in this thread about how wattage of a lamp can be misleading and that could help you with the issue, but a short-term fix would simply be to cure these types of gel for longer. If that doesn't work, using gel in those colours from a different brand is a good bet. Feel free to ask brands questions about their formulations and whether or not they adjust their formulas for pigments that interfere with curing. The reason why it only appears to be an issue when you add a jelly on top could just be that the jelly causes the problem to become visible, kind of like how certain makeup and make your pores look big.
@@DinkyInky2 Just in case: take a good look at your lamp base-they usually have a silver mirror bottom, which is covered by a blue foil!! I’ve seen people use it with the blue protection foil still on😭
Non dominant hand tip: (similarly to moving your hand toward the brush 9:08) if you're struggling to get smooth sweeps of polish with your ND hand, place your dominant hand on something that will easily slide along the surface (paper, plastic lid, literally anything). Then when you hold the brush to the nail you can slide your other hand along in a stable, controled way. This also works when doing straight lines in nail art :)
14:17 just a note, Gel X has two versions of each nail shape. Natural and Sculpted. The natural is flatter, and the sculpted have a higher apex. I use natural because my nail beds are flatter. I don't feel like you have to use a lot of product at all with these. You would go with sculpted if your nails were naturally more curved, or if you're going for a very long shape which would benefit having a higher apex for strength.
Yes! I was looking for this comment. Some of my nails hold a different c curve, which i didn’t notice until my sister pointed out when studying nails n using me as her guinea pig. Definitely wasn’t happy with finding this out ab my hands, but now i notice the 2 different types on others!
I am also a new registered tech at age 51 lol. So I really appreciate your videos, particularly this one. You've been so helpful to me as I tend to hesitate with further practice due to my fears of poor outcomes (my teacher bullied me as I was too slow). Thanks for making me feel more comfortable with the early messy process. 🙏🌹🤗
Omg my pleasure. We are in the same boat. That’s why I want to post my videos so early on so I can get all the critique now. Some rude rather than constructive haha but I’ll look back in a year and see that it really helped!
Good things take time, fuck that teacher who bullied you - I hope she didn’t damage your confidence too much. Good luck with your practice, just keep at it! (Also you’re sooooo pretty!) 💖
If you're impulsive and get bored of the same look easy like me, a handy thing to do can be do your base set, I usually do a soft gel tp used as a half cover tip and a jelly nude builder gel over the whole thing; then a peel off base for whatever I'm inspired to do for the week/half week over the builder gel
@@sandijsmith8295 I took her advanced DIY class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I’m looking to get licensed myself so that I can have access to more high quality gel products, like Light Elegance!
It’s not just polish it’s everything you use to put on ie dehydration primer gel base coat top coat you also said you have had a reaction sorry to tell you will have it for life
I stumbled onto your videos recently and wow! I just paid $2800 for a nail course and I have learnt more “real” information from you. Thank you for what you are doing… please keep it up. All they taught was soft gel nails and only gave you 3 in person lessons and then 6 weeks for you to figure everything out on your own. So I turned to full cover nails because I didn’t have the confidence to sculpt nails. There was no theory or what to do with safety to your nails. Thank you for all your safety tips about allergic reactions etc. One question. Where do you get the Canoe full cover tips? I’d love to try them.
This seems to be a really widespread issue with courses and it's so frustrating! I feel like James is really good at keeping up with changes in the industry and updates to safety information and things like that, so I'm super happy to see him also making videos on nail stuff too now. If you're looking for even more good info, The Nail Hub is great for things like safety and the chemistry behind how gel works. Nail Career Education (Aka Suzie, you probably already know of her lol) is fantastic for technique and things like that.
I learned a very good thing a few months ago. I don't need to remove all the product from my nails when I'm doing new nails. 😜 I just file down to the clear bottom layer and make sure I don't have any lifting or discoloration between the nail and the product. then I fill in the new clear nail polish near the cuticle and paint on a new color.
I'm glad you mentioned doubling the curing time. I tend to do it more, but I will feel more comfortable now doubling all the stated times. I had heard that while under-curing is a problem, there can also be problems with over-curing gel nails. Later I learned that the only problem from over-curing is things like making it become brittle and crack, which is much better than having uncured gel on your nails.
I’ve been a working nail tech for almost 8 years now, and this video is 10/10! I agree with EVERYTHING you said! I would add, pigments are another super easy way to do an ombré, and pretty inexpensive.
I'm so glad you talked about structured full-cover tips vs tips that conform to your actual nails. I ruined my nails by not knowing the difference. I used tips that were too small and pinched my fingers, but it didn't become a real issue until I used some Beetles full-cover nail tips (very structured) and had uncured product - it weakened my nails, and the narrow tips deformed my nails terribly. I am on month three of growing them out, expecting another three months (I have a long nail bed). It's been a slow and painful (literally because the ends of my nails were exposed) process. I can't wait until it's over. I've learned how to care for them whilst they are damaged, but it's not an experience I ever want to repeat.
This is *such* a good video idea, I hope it gets loads of views 💜💜 edit: I loved this! A step by step demo on how to do a basic gel nail would be really good too
Thank you for this! I’ve been so looking forward to a video helping me out with choosing safe products, but also effective products for beginners. I’ve been adding items to my zillabeau cart and just never pulling the trigger on them because I wanted to be very sure the products would be good for me as a beginner. Thanks so much James! I’d love more beginner content here as well as whenever you want to grace us with a full set tutorial. Even just a few tutorials for beginners would be a great way to show us what specific categories of products are supposed to do, how to use them safely, etc.
I'm not planning to go proffesional but I'm thinking of buying a uv lamp but the cost alot, I don't know if I should buy a lamp or just stick to airdry nailpolisj
I wish id have watched this before i used gel for the first time, just last week. I definitely underestimated how runny the basecoat was, used too much, and tried to clean it up before curing but it wasn't enough. I had a hard pool of it all around my thumb cuticle after curing 😂
Just started using gel polish a few days ago and the consistency of the base coat was WAY to thin and I had a thick ridge on one side of one thumb! I was able to correct the problem but now I am confident it wasn’t just me, but the way I used it. Also was shocked that it took me the better part of 8 hours start to finish.
I'm getting used to using gelX type nails & have used an e-file a few times. These are good tips as I'm nowhere a seasoned person, I just keep trying until I get something that looks decent.
Congrats, James! I love this channel & your nails look amazing! I’m a DIY-er too and I am always looking for tips & tricks. I’m pretty good at the painting, but they don’t always last. Sometimes they stay for 4 weeks, other times they peel of from the edge after 4 days 🙄🙃. Thanks for the video 🥰
Try crazy top. I used honey top too for a while and I just find the curing is unreliable sometimes it’s 60 seconds but sometimes it’s still tacky (could be my lamp I know) . Also crazy top barely yellows at all even less than honey top ❤️
Apres has two different types of tips. The curved tips with the high apex are the sculpted tips (the ones your showed) meant for people for curved nail beds, they also have natural tips that are for flatter nail beds. On their website they have a diagram to help you decide which nail shape will better suit you. 14:24
@@hailtothedub5127 the good thing about flatter nails is you can still use the ones with a curve. But if you still would like them to be flatter, personally I have found Kiara sky tips to be more on the flatter side. 😊
I did not know you had a channel specifically for your nail art! I love that I have yet another Welsh brother channel to follow. I’ve newly been getting into nails myself as a 34-year-old and it’s very interesting. So much fun but I find I don’t have as much patience as I really need. But I’ve always been that way with my own Beauty procedures. I’ll take all the time in the world doing my clients hair but I’m now working on making my own self-care priority. I’ve had a great skincare routine for a while, and I am super excited to start dabbling into nails and make up a little bit. Thanks for the inspiration and suggestions! 💖
being a nail tech, i know full well how damaging it is to not remove product properly and i still don’t remove my own nails properly 😅 might have to invest in the peel off base coat so i can stop destroying my nails.
What's the secret behind doing your nails on your dominant hand (with your non-dominant hand).. it always looks horrible on me, even if I only put some paint on my natural nails
@@elin_ lots of practice for sure! Go slow/take your time. If i'm doing extensions, I'll do my thumbs last so I'm able to holds things in the most comfortable way. Also, anchor your hands especially the one youre painting with. So, I tend to use my pinky as my anchor and I rest it on the table or against my opposite hand to stabilize it.
My mum ordered gel nail stuff because of my long nails breaking a lot, hopefully i can grow them out and thanks for these tips! I will be very carefull 💞
James, congrats on getting licensed!!! You’re a natural and I love your videos. I’m wanting to try gel nails and of course your opinion on everything beauty related is important to me, so I’m glad you have a video to help me out. Big love ❤
Beware! I was doing my own gel nails for a long time. I was still perfecting it because my nail beds are oily the polish was easily peeling off. It was almost like overnight I started to have an allergic reaction. And this isn’t some small reaction I had. I had painful bumps and redness on all my nails even at the tip under the nail bed. Blistered and all, it was horrible and painful. Lasted almost two months. Once heeled I tested here and there, I got fake nails thinking maybe it would be better from a professional and after 24 hours I started having a burning sensation and needed to get them removed. Forward to months later I thought I’d test one nail with using the nail stickers that just said “gel like” and yup had a reaction. I’m ok with regular polish but no gel. It’s been almost a year and man do I miss the look of gel. My nails have never been the same, I used to have perfect nails that grew out evenly and were thick and strong, which is why I did gel at home but this allergy ruined them. They’ve never been the same. Be careful! I’d share pic if I could but maybe better you don’t see it lol
Between you and Nail Career Education, y'all have taught me A LOT about how to properly care for my nails. Im excited to start my nail growth journey the right way this time ❤
Excellent content! Such good advice! Thank you! Jim McConnell with Light Elegance (all LE products are made in the USA, 100% HEMA free) has a great video on the dangers of air brushing gel. He also has a very informative one on lamps along with Liz Morris from The Nail Hub. Super excited about this channel, looking forward to what’s to come.
Watched just cuz I'm a fan but I don't use gel polish. I use regular air dry polish and my favorite creator that uses those is simply nailogical. She has done great nail care videos too
Just realised this is a separate channel to the other just for nails, buzzing! Subscribed cane wait to get my nail stuff out mess around practice and binge watch.
I’ve been doing my nails since I was 11. I’m so glad I got all my technique and practice down before I got into gel. I had a light, but it always peeled off of me right away so I never used it. I’ve rediscovered it lately and I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about getting it on my skin
wonderful tips!! i love tinys primer as well its hema free! with gelx make sure to see if your natural nails are move flat or curved i prefer apex because my nails are more curved i have a higher apex so most of the other nails don't fit my nails well!
Hi James, thank you for these videos, I really got myself into K gel products because of you and I have my first Zilla on its way to me (can't wait!!) I would like to ask: which model of nail dust collector are you using? I really struggle to find a REAL power one. There are tons on the internet, even very costly, but I do not trust all their reviews.. but I would trust your opinion on this matter.
I really needed this video. Thanks a lot! I think this was much needed in terms of debunking a lot of trendy, but otherwise harmful or unnecessary things regarding gel nails in my mind.
I have been doing my nails with gel for a few years and regular polish before that for way longer so painting even the dominant hand is easy for me. I would like if you elaborate on why these explosive or quick gel removed are bad for your nails? I have been into them lately and found that my nails are still healthy and strong even if I use them once a week which is the opposite to filling, admitly I don't think I'm good at it, but with filing it's very easy to get carried away. Soaking I really don't have the patient for that. I'm considering though that peel off coat as I do change weekly or bi-weekly just because I get bored. But I also love my builder base coat 🤷🏻♀️. But please elaborate on that easy gel remover products. There's not much information out there about them. Most experts seems not to recommend them and most normal users like me seems to love them. So what are we missing here
@@Mohawk-Tuah_Tribe could be but if done right and left for the appropriate time, they don't require much scrapping at all. One push and it all comes out when it doesn't you just apply a second coat. But I would love to know his perspective if it was just scraping them too hard then he definitely should be given them a second try
Thank you for going into depth about this, I've recently started doing my own acrylic nails and I've been told the same thing about monomer but I see so many people touching the skin with it repeatedly so it's confusing. Thanks for making it more understandable.
i'm far too messy for gel nails at home, unfortunately. i do like adding a gel top coat after my regular polish has fully hardened, though. my technique is getting a lot better the more often i do regular polish though, so i might start doing gels after another year or so. :3
I think Suzie from nail career education does an online course for nails, or a class you can register for. I believe she also sells wholesale for nail techs, but correct me if I'm wrong!
Congratulations ❤James on getting licensed! Been DIY nail artist bur I haven't for a year too so Def need to brush up. Looking to get licensed where I am from
Thank you for such kind words of instruction and encouragement. Not rushing through do’s and don’ts. It truly helps us newbies to doing their own nails 🩷🧡
Besides painting my nails with gels, I also like making press ons, but i'm having trouble finding a full cover tip that fits my thumbs. They are aprox. 18mm wide and I can't find any brand that has a tip this big. Does anyone have any recomendations on brands? Also, I would love if James made a video on how to do a good nail prep for the Jello Jello basecoat to last 2~3 weeks!
The thing with Apres tips is that the sculpted version isn't really made for flatter nailbeds. I have deep sidewalls with a pretty deep c-curve, I can't use any type of natural gel tip, Apres is one of the only brands I have found that does both types. I don't really use gel tips, I sculpt instead, but once in a while I'll do gel tips. But Apres does have a more natural curve line with a flatter nailbed 😊
For airbrush more important than it getting on your skin is that it becomes airborne so you breathe it in!! If you want to do airbrushing look at vacuun fans like model kit builders use, they pull the paint/chemical filled air away. You should also be wearing goggles, gloves, and a chemical rated respirator. I would recommend only airbrushing tips you apply when do as well.
Does Zillabeau ship to the UK? You’ve totally sold me on their products but I can’t seem to figure out if they ship beyond the US! Also well done on your new channel 😁 I’ve been watching your skincare channel for years and only today came across your nail channel - As a nail girly I love this!!
Soooooo.... should gel end up on my skin?? :P For my gel polishes, I usually use Beetles or Modelones from Amazon. They are pretty easy to use! As for a peel off base coat, for those that can't get jello jello, I have been using FZANEST from Amazon. I know its not a well known brand.....or maybe even a known brand at that... but I use it and can get some good wear time out of it. Then when I want to take it off, I just use some cuticle oil, and it peels right off with no damage! Thanks for the video James!! I'm always excited to see your recommendations!!!
are you using the fzanest peel off base on your bare nails or on top of other products (such as builder gel)? i keep my nails protected with a builder gel at most times (i’ll remove it all after a month or so and redo it tho lmao) so only swap out the colour, but i found that the fzanest peel off doesn’t work over builder gel at all - it just becomes sticky like a pva glue when i try to remove it as instructed. i heard that this is apparently normal for the peel off bases that require curing (including the jello jello unfortunately 😭) but sadly i can’t go without builder on my nails so i’m not sure it’ll ever really work for me 🥲 if anyone knows an alternative for the holo taco or unt (and is available easily in either the UK, japan or south korea) pls lmk 🫶🏼 heard that they work well under gel but over other products too such as builder gel
Generally gels are gonna stick to gels. So any kind of gel you put on top of your builder gel is going to fully adhere. I wish I had an alternative for you, but I use Holo Taco. Its by far the best peel off.@@chiisainiki
Hello! I'm curious about the Jello Jello peel off base coat and it's oil remover: I use Jojoba oil ALL. THE. TIME. all over my body to keep my skin nice. Have you or anyone else here in the comments found that has some adverse affects when using the peel off base coat? Are my nails more prone to coming off if I moisturize all the time?
Congratulations on getting your certificate, James! You've clearly put a ton of time and energy into this so I'm excited to learn from and along with you. Just checking: Did I miss where you linked to the video about lamps? I've seen a couple floating around, but I am interested in the video you mentioned. Thanks!
I'm watching you, words are coming out of your mouth, and... I'm stuck on how effin "pretty boy" you are! LoL! You are so good looking, and the accent doesn't hurt either. I hope you see this and enjoy the compliment :) Great tips too!
Can’t believe I only JUST discovered this channel of yours James (slaps self on the wrist)! I’d like to add a pre-point to all your very important points: make sure you have perfect eyesight (👵🏽)! I’m far-sighted and doing my own nails is really hard as I can’t see without a magnifier 🙈🤦🏽♀️! All the best on your new journey!
I have been looking into doing gel because when ever I would do my own nails or go to salon to get a mani and pedi my body heat ends up ruining it. The only thing that stays on is gel or shellac which is usually more. I want to do poly gel because I'm so used to doing my own nails I know I will get bored just using polish method also I wear basic colors lol.
Sorry, what was the video you were mentioning that talked about LED/UV lamps and what to look for? Can't find anything in the description and really struggling with understanding what i should look out for!
Could you possibly do a polygel nail tutorial? I’m finding a lot of contradicting info in regard to prep and technique. Having trouble keeping them from breaking at the tips of the tips get super thick and I don’t know how to skim them down. Do I need specific efile bit?
Super helpful video! Thank you. I’m curious if you have experience with the gelcare line? I’m obsessed with the colors but they’re spendy and want to know if they’re worth the money!! ❤
I've been doing my own gel x sets for around a year, started getting an allergy n giving myself a break but i was doing full sets, with design in 3hrs lmao u said 5 n i was like oops that's part of my problem 😅
What do you think about people using gloves the tip of the finger pokes out, to protect their hands from the UV light? As someone who has a personal interest of skincare AND nails, I’m really interested!
Where is the lamp video? I want to know the differences between UV lamps, LED lamps, and the right wattage to use and other ways to prevent damage to my skin when doing gel nails at home.
I want to start with gel nail polish first and then go on to tip overlays, etc. I'm interested in the Jello Jello to make the polish come off easy without soaking. I need to buy everything, lamp, prep products and products. I'm tired of my nails looking homeless!!
Thank you so much for saying that you take five hours with everything I have to do with my five children work and everything else my fiancé. It was teasing me on the days that I do my hands that I took all day but it’s I’m doing running around between it, so I really want to thank you for just really highlighting that I should go slow and take care of me in that moment.
I just wish polish was less than $15 a bottle 😩 I want to be able to afford more than a couple products, but to do that I know I’m using less allergy-friendly /more dangerous products
Hey! I'm so glad I found your nail channel. I've been following your skin channel for a while, and I'm also a beginner DIY nail artist. Love the Honey top coat so much! I think my favorite brand gel polish so far is F Gel. The pigment is so strong!
You do NOT want to get an anaphylactic allergy to acrylates. They are pretty much everything in medicine and dentistry so you get one fillings and surgeries especially will become a huge hassle
I used to use cheap amazon gels to save money but after your gel video with all the warnings I realized I really cannot be playing games with my nails and allergies so I no longer use them. I was gifted a small pastel set of Korean gels for my birthday and while growing my collection is going to be a much slower endeavor nothing cosmetic is worth risking your health for!
"Is it normal to bleed from your fingernails?" 🤦♀️ Sounds like a When Beauty Turns Ugly episode. Lol. Thanks for the advice to help everyone stay safe out here. ❤
I felt crazy for taking a whole day to do nails so thank you for normalizing that lmao 😭
Same I thought I was doing something wrong 😭😭
Meeee took 3 hours to prep and remove xD before I got my gel x on. No color
I make a full painted set for myself in 4-5 hours too. Sometimes i do one hand at time and the other hand on the other day.
It takes too much time to do in one sitting 😥
I was feeling that i was bad thats why it takes so much time. I am relived now that it usual for others too :)
Hello! I would love to share a new nugget of info I have veeerry recently received from my derm! I had been having a reaction of some kind one or two times a year after having my nails done/doing my nails, so had a full allergy work up done. It turns out I have a mild nickel allergy, the most common form of contact allergy. And my derm said it could be (a) the tools being used, (b) the glitter/shimmer in gel polishes, OR, (c) the chrome powders I was using! 😱 So there’s another thing to think about!
That's good to know! You could try to use wood sticks and rock/ceramic filing bits to prep if it ends up being about the tools 😊 and go into the dry e-file manicure instead using scissors or clippers Love ❤
Also good to note that most of the iredescent pigments (in contrary to the metallics) are mineral-based (basically are really fine grounded up rocks) 😁
Reminds me of that girl who bought nail glitter from wish or something and it melted into her nail and caused a horrible reaction
@@krisbreeze6324 😱
@@krisbreeze6324 damn!😳
About painting the dominant hand as a 10y-ish nail tech - start with the dominant hand! That way when you're all worked up and may be less careful - you won't make as many mistakes 😁
Edit: and about the lamps: the BEST lamps are 48w with mirror or MAYBE a white bottom. Don't go higher in terms of power (you can end up with the top layer of gel cured too fast and uncured product underneath), lower power may not cure all products properly, and don't go with black inside - black absorbs light, so you'll end up with lower power than should be. It honestly doesn't matter what brand of lamp you're using, as long as you are checking if the power is right for your product (And ALWAYS check the curing time!!!).
Is it true that for darker shades like Black, Umber, Navy, that you should add 90s-180s to the brands cure time? I've had shades, especially Black, look like it's cured after 180s, add a jelly glitter topper, cure that 180s, only to find the Black is still pliable under the Jelly. Alone though, it seemed like the Black was fully cured.
My main lamp has a Blue mirrored base, and is 48W. I also have a pillow top 48W lamp, and because it's portable and has no base, I put a foil sheet under it, but on top of my work pad.
Both the Black and the glitter Jellies are the same brand, so I'm a bit confused.
I'd like to quickly address the part about wattage, as it's actually a highly prevalent myth - the wattage doesn't actually say anything about the strength of the LED bulbs, just the lower usage. A lamp with highly efficient bulbs can use less power (I.e. have a lower wattage) and emit more milowatts per second than a less efficient lamp that uses more power. A classic example is comparing the Light Elegance Minidot lamp, which is a 6 watt lamp, that produces almost double the number of milowatts per second as a 60 watt Sun UV/LED lamp. Despite having a wattage that is 10 times lower, it's actually twice as powerful because it uses different bulbs that use the input energy much more efficiently.
You're spot on about how the reflectiveness of the inside of the lamp affects curing, though. The LE Minidot and Sun UV/LED lamp is another good comparison - the Minidot doesn't have a base (great for pedicures!) but the inside is reflective metal. The Sun lamp is white plastic, so it's obviously not as reflective and won't cure gel as well (even putting the lower energy production aside).
Unfortunately, gel lamp power and effectiveness is a lot more complicated than the wattage, and that makes it really hard to know what will and won't work as consumers. You kind of feel like you're taking a shot in the dark, especially because undercuring isn't always obvious - a gel can be solidified without being fully polymerised, leaving you and people around you exposed to monomers.
Some basic guidelines for a sign of a lamp that uses inefficient, low-quality bulbs vs. efficient, high-quality bulbs is not in the wattage, but in the bulbs themselves - crappy bulbs often have a little dome over them and are bright yellow. With these types of bulbs, even if you have a lot of them and they use a lot of power, they just can't emit enough UV light to initiate polymerisation.
And then, of course, there's the reflectiveness that you mentioned to look out for.
The Nail Hub has a fantastic video called "Is Your Nail Lamp Giving You Allergies" (or something to that effect) that covers the chemistry of polymerisation and also how you can test your lamp to make sure its curing your products.
@@DinkyInky2So, not the person you asked, but yes! Certain pigments, like black, red-as-fuck, and oh-my-god-my-eyes-yellow, and even some shades of white, can actually prevent the UV from getting to the gel and curing it properly.
Ideally, a brand should formulate their gels with these types of pigments to account for this with more photo initiators, but some brands just don't, and you end up with the issue you mentioned. I left a comment in this thread about how wattage of a lamp can be misleading and that could help you with the issue, but a short-term fix would simply be to cure these types of gel for longer. If that doesn't work, using gel in those colours from a different brand is a good bet.
Feel free to ask brands questions about their formulations and whether or not they adjust their formulas for pigments that interfere with curing.
The reason why it only appears to be an issue when you add a jelly on top could just be that the jelly causes the problem to become visible, kind of like how certain makeup and make your pores look big.
@@DinkyInky2 Just in case: take a good look at your lamp base-they usually have a silver mirror bottom, which is covered by a blue foil!!
I’ve seen people use it with the blue protection foil still on😭
Non dominant hand tip: (similarly to moving your hand toward the brush 9:08) if you're struggling to get smooth sweeps of polish with your ND hand, place your dominant hand on something that will easily slide along the surface (paper, plastic lid, literally anything). Then when you hold the brush to the nail you can slide your other hand along in a stable, controled way. This also works when doing straight lines in nail art :)
Also your arm had more steady movement than your wrist. With your ND hand, move your whole arm/ elbow to do brush strokes
Congratulations on getting licensed, James! What a great creative outlet for you - you're a natural 💜
14:17 just a note, Gel X has two versions of each nail shape. Natural and Sculpted. The natural is flatter, and the sculpted have a higher apex. I use natural because my nail beds are flatter. I don't feel like you have to use a lot of product at all with these. You would go with sculpted if your nails were naturally more curved, or if you're going for a very long shape which would benefit having a higher apex for strength.
Yes! I was looking for this comment. Some of my nails hold a different c curve, which i didn’t notice until my sister pointed out when studying nails n using me as her guinea pig. Definitely wasn’t happy with finding this out ab my hands, but now i notice the 2 different types on others!
I use the sculpted ones to decorate underneath. Instead of layering heavily on top.
I was going to ask if the one he showed as an example was natural or sculpted. I thought the natural was more common, and also more flattened.
thank u so much for the info!!!
The Welsh twins are really here for ALL my needs 🙌
I am also a new registered tech at age 51 lol. So I really appreciate your videos, particularly this one. You've been so helpful to me as I tend to hesitate with further practice due to my fears of poor outcomes (my teacher bullied me as I was too slow). Thanks for making me feel more comfortable with the early messy process. 🙏🌹🤗
Omg my pleasure. We are in the same boat. That’s why I want to post my videos so early on so I can get all the critique now. Some rude rather than constructive haha but I’ll look back in a year and see that it really helped!
You are serving nail buffet realness James ❤@@neophytenails
Thank you! I’ve been thinking of becoming a nail tech at 43. I needed to see this to push me farther.
Good things take time, fuck that teacher who bullied you - I hope she didn’t damage your confidence too much. Good luck with your practice, just keep at it! (Also you’re sooooo pretty!) 💖
If you're impulsive and get bored of the same look easy like me, a handy thing to do can be do your base set, I usually do a soft gel tp used as a half cover tip and a jelly nude builder gel over the whole thing; then a peel off base for whatever I'm inspired to do for the week/half week over the builder gel
I highly recommend watching content from The Nail Hub. Liz is so knowledgeable.
Yes! The content is amazing!
I concur! Also Paola Ponce Nails for a Japanese gels specialist. Also the Chemist Corner videos from Jim and Liz
@@Marta_Maeldeis yes! Jim McConnell is so knowledgeable as well!!
@@sandijsmith8295 I took her advanced DIY class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I’m looking to get licensed myself so that I can have access to more high quality gel products, like Light Elegance!
Yea. She is serious about nail and nail art. Also, she is fan of Japanese nail art and I feel he will like her content.
It’s not just polish it’s everything you use to put on ie dehydration primer gel base coat top coat you also said you have had a reaction sorry to tell you will have it for life
I stumbled onto your videos recently and wow! I just paid $2800 for a nail course and I have learnt more “real” information from you. Thank you for what you are doing… please keep it up. All they taught was soft gel nails and only gave you 3 in person lessons and then 6 weeks for you to figure everything out on your own. So I turned to full cover nails because I didn’t have the confidence to sculpt nails. There was no theory or what to do with safety to your nails. Thank you for all your safety tips about allergic reactions etc. One question. Where do you get the Canoe full cover tips? I’d love to try them.
This seems to be a really widespread issue with courses and it's so frustrating!
I feel like James is really good at keeping up with changes in the industry and updates to safety information and things like that, so I'm super happy to see him also making videos on nail stuff too now.
If you're looking for even more good info, The Nail Hub is great for things like safety and the chemistry behind how gel works. Nail Career Education (Aka Suzie, you probably already know of her lol) is fantastic for technique and things like that.
I learned a very good thing a few months ago. I don't need to remove all the product from my nails when I'm doing new nails. 😜
I just file down to the clear bottom layer and make sure I don't have any lifting or discoloration between the nail and the product. then I fill in the new clear nail polish near the cuticle and paint on a new color.
I'm glad you mentioned doubling the curing time. I tend to do it more, but I will feel more comfortable now doubling all the stated times. I had heard that while under-curing is a problem, there can also be problems with over-curing gel nails. Later I learned that the only problem from over-curing is things like making it become brittle and crack, which is much better than having uncured gel on your nails.
I’ve been a working nail tech for almost 8 years now, and this video is 10/10! I agree with EVERYTHING you said! I would add, pigments are another super easy way to do an ombré, and pretty inexpensive.
Well done James 👏🏼 as a professional myself it's great to see you sending out the importance of avoiding contact with gels on skin!
I'm so glad you talked about structured full-cover tips vs tips that conform to your actual nails. I ruined my nails by not knowing the difference. I used tips that were too small and pinched my fingers, but it didn't become a real issue until I used some Beetles full-cover nail tips (very structured) and had uncured product - it weakened my nails, and the narrow tips deformed my nails terribly. I am on month three of growing them out, expecting another three months (I have a long nail bed). It's been a slow and painful (literally because the ends of my nails were exposed) process. I can't wait until it's over. I've learned how to care for them whilst they are damaged, but it's not an experience I ever want to repeat.
This is *such* a good video idea, I hope it gets loads of views 💜💜 edit: I loved this! A step by step demo on how to do a basic gel nail would be really good too
Thank you for this! I’ve been so looking forward to a video helping me out with choosing safe products, but also effective products for beginners. I’ve been adding items to my zillabeau cart and just never pulling the trigger on them because I wanted to be very sure the products would be good for me as a beginner. Thanks so much James! I’d love more beginner content here as well as whenever you want to grace us with a full set tutorial. Even just a few tutorials for beginners would be a great way to show us what specific categories of products are supposed to do, how to use them safely, etc.
I'm obsessed with Korean nails and I haven't seen one that doesn't use the Jello Jello base and one kill remover. On my Christmas list ❤
I'm not planning to go proffesional but I'm thinking of buying a uv lamp but the cost alot, I don't know if I should buy a lamp or just stick to airdry nailpolisj
I wish id have watched this before i used gel for the first time, just last week. I definitely underestimated how runny the basecoat was, used too much, and tried to clean it up before curing but it wasn't enough. I had a hard pool of it all around my thumb cuticle after curing 😂
Meee too!
Just started using gel polish a few days ago and the consistency of the base coat was WAY to thin and I had a thick ridge on one side of one thumb! I was able to correct the problem but now I am confident it wasn’t just me, but the way I used it. Also was shocked that it took me the better part of 8 hours start to finish.
Your kindness and sweetness is so helpful in guiding me along the way to becoming more confident in caring for my nails. Thank you!
I'm getting used to using gelX type nails & have used an e-file a few times.
These are good tips as I'm nowhere a seasoned person, I just keep trying until I get something that looks decent.
Congrats, James!
I love this channel & your nails look amazing! I’m a DIY-er too and I am always looking for tips & tricks. I’m pretty good at the painting, but they don’t always last. Sometimes they stay for 4 weeks, other times they peel of from the edge after 4 days 🙄🙃.
Thanks for the video 🥰
Try crazy top. I used honey top too for a while and I just find the curing is unreliable sometimes it’s 60 seconds but sometimes it’s still tacky (could be my lamp I know) . Also crazy top barely yellows at all even less than honey top ❤️
Apres has two different types of tips. The curved tips with the high apex are the sculpted tips (the ones your showed) meant for people for curved nail beds, they also have natural tips that are for flatter nail beds. On their website they have a diagram to help you decide which nail shape will better suit you. 14:24
Even their natural shape is too curved for me unfortunately 😔. Looking for a gel tip for wider flatter nails.
@@hailtothedub5127 the good thing about flatter nails is you can still use the ones with a curve. But if you still would like them to be flatter, personally I have found Kiara sky tips to be more on the flatter side. 😊
I did not know you had a channel specifically for your nail art! I love that I have yet another Welsh brother channel to follow. I’ve newly been getting into nails myself as a 34-year-old and it’s very interesting. So much fun but I find I don’t have as much patience as I really need. But I’ve always been that way with my own Beauty procedures. I’ll take all the time in the world doing my clients hair but I’m now working on making my own self-care priority. I’ve had a great skincare routine for a while, and I am super excited to start dabbling into nails and make up a little bit. Thanks for the inspiration and suggestions! 💖
James, I’m curious what video you were talking about when discussing how to choose a gel/uv lamp, I didn’t see a video linked in the description.
being a nail tech, i know full well how damaging it is to not remove product properly and i still don’t remove my own nails properly 😅 might have to invest in the peel off base coat so i can stop destroying my nails.
What's the secret behind doing your nails on your dominant hand (with your non-dominant hand).. it always looks horrible on me, even if I only put some paint on my natural nails
@@elin_ lots of practice for sure! Go slow/take your time. If i'm doing extensions, I'll do my thumbs last so I'm able to holds things in the most comfortable way. Also, anchor your hands especially the one youre painting with. So, I tend to use my pinky as my anchor and I rest it on the table or against my opposite hand to stabilize it.
My mum ordered gel nail stuff because of my long nails breaking a lot, hopefully i can grow them out and thanks for these tips! I will be very carefull 💞
Kirsty Meakin has the best products! please please review!!
so true 🌹🌹
James, congrats on getting licensed!!! You’re a natural and I love your videos. I’m wanting to try gel nails and of course your opinion on everything beauty related is important to me, so I’m glad you have a video to help me out. Big love ❤
I use the solid nail gel glues and they’re amazing! No spillage at all!
I do too! Love them because they fill the nail gap (apex) great!
Is there specific brand you use? Idk which to get 😢
Omg that nail room shot 😍😍😍😍😍😍
Beware! I was doing my own gel nails for a long time. I was still perfecting it because my nail beds are oily the polish was easily peeling off. It was almost like overnight I started to have an allergic reaction. And this isn’t some small reaction I had. I had painful bumps and redness on all my nails even at the tip under the nail bed. Blistered and all, it was horrible and painful. Lasted almost two months. Once heeled I tested here and there, I got fake nails thinking maybe it would be better from a professional and after 24 hours I started having a burning sensation and needed to get them removed. Forward to months later I thought I’d test one nail with using the nail stickers that just said “gel like” and yup had a reaction. I’m ok with regular polish but no gel. It’s been almost a year and man do I miss the look of gel. My nails have never been the same, I used to have perfect nails that grew out evenly and were thick and strong, which is why I did gel at home but this allergy ruined them. They’ve never been the same. Be careful! I’d share pic if I could but maybe better you don’t see it lol
Between you and Nail Career Education, y'all have taught me A LOT about how to properly care for my nails. Im excited to start my nail growth journey the right way this time ❤
Excellent content! Such good advice! Thank you! Jim McConnell with Light Elegance (all LE products are made in the USA, 100% HEMA free) has a great video on the dangers of air brushing gel. He also has a very informative one on lamps along with Liz Morris from The Nail Hub. Super excited about this channel, looking forward to what’s to come.
If you’ve ever gained an interest on press on nails. Please post videos on them. I stopped doing gel and thinking about starting press ons
Watched just cuz I'm a fan but I don't use gel polish. I use regular air dry polish and my favorite creator that uses those is simply nailogical. She has done great nail care videos too
Just realised this is a separate channel to the other just for nails, buzzing! Subscribed cane wait to get my nail stuff out mess around practice and binge watch.
I’ve been doing my nails since I was 11. I’m so glad I got all my technique and practice down before I got into gel. I had a light, but it always peeled off of me right away so I never used it. I’ve rediscovered it lately and I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about getting it on my skin
wonderful tips!! i love tinys primer as well its hema free! with gelx make sure to see if your natural nails are move flat or curved i prefer apex because my nails are more curved i have a higher apex so most of the other nails don't fit my nails well!
Also I LOVE your hair so much. I would love a tutorial on how you get your hair to look this good
Hi James, thank you for these videos, I really got myself into K gel products because of you and I have my first Zilla on its way to me (can't wait!!) I would like to ask: which model of nail dust collector are you using? I really struggle to find a REAL power one. There are tons on the internet, even very costly, but I do not trust all their reviews.. but I would trust your opinion on this matter.
been doing rubber base recently as everything peels / lifts on me, then varnish ontop so i can switch out
I really needed this video. Thanks a lot! I think this was much needed in terms of debunking a lot of trendy, but otherwise harmful or unnecessary things regarding gel nails in my mind.
I have allergies on HEMA,DI-HEMA and now I found heđa free gels and it is ok
I have been doing my nails with gel for a few years and regular polish before that for way longer so painting even the dominant hand is easy for me. I would like if you elaborate on why these explosive or quick gel removed are bad for your nails? I have been into them lately and found that my nails are still healthy and strong even if I use them once a week which is the opposite to filling, admitly I don't think I'm good at it, but with filing it's very easy to get carried away. Soaking I really don't have the patient for that. I'm considering though that peel off coat as I do change weekly or bi-weekly just because I get bored. But I also love my builder base coat 🤷🏻♀️. But please elaborate on that easy gel remover products. There's not much information out there about them. Most experts seems not to recommend them and most normal users like me seems to love them. So what are we missing here
I think he was scraping too hard, he said it made his nails soft.
@@Mohawk-Tuah_Tribe could be but if done right and left for the appropriate time, they don't require much scrapping at all. One push and it all comes out when it doesn't you just apply a second coat. But I would love to know his perspective if it was just scraping them too hard then he definitely should be given them a second try
@@noofh9618 Those products are basically paint thinner. My clumsy self would probably do more harm than good with those…🔥
Thank you for going into depth about this, I've recently started doing my own acrylic nails and I've been told the same thing about monomer but I see so many people touching the skin with it repeatedly so it's confusing. Thanks for making it more understandable.
i'm far too messy for gel nails at home, unfortunately. i do like adding a gel top coat after my regular polish has fully hardened, though. my technique is getting a lot better the more often i do regular polish though, so i might start doing gels after another year or so. :3
I think Suzie from nail career education does an online course for nails, or a class you can register for. I believe she also sells wholesale for nail techs, but correct me if I'm wrong!
She does! I think she does mainly acrylic though? 🧐
@@JamesWelsh yes but I believe she has done gel in recent years!
How did you know I just ordered a gel polish kit to do gel nails on myself for the first time ever??? ❤❤❤
Nails aren’t my thing but I am here because it’s YOU ❤
Congratulations ❤James on getting licensed! Been DIY nail artist bur I haven't for a year too so Def need to brush up. Looking to get licensed where I am from
Thank you for such kind words of instruction and encouragement. Not rushing through do’s and don’ts. It truly helps us newbies to doing their own nails 🩷🧡
Besides painting my nails with gels, I also like making press ons, but i'm having trouble finding a full cover tip that fits my thumbs. They are aprox. 18mm wide and I can't find any brand that has a tip this big. Does anyone have any recomendations on brands?
Also, I would love if James made a video on how to do a good nail prep for the Jello Jello basecoat to last 2~3 weeks!
Anastasia at Nailcou did a video a couple of weeks ago showing how to do a custom nail for someone with wide thumb nails.
@@ginamorse6279 i'll take a look at that, thank you!
It’s so crazy how small some of the ‘largest’ tips are…😥
The thing with Apres tips is that the sculpted version isn't really made for flatter nailbeds. I have deep sidewalls with a pretty deep c-curve, I can't use any type of natural gel tip, Apres is one of the only brands I have found that does both types.
I don't really use gel tips, I sculpt instead, but once in a while I'll do gel tips.
But Apres does have a more natural curve line with a flatter nailbed 😊
For airbrush more important than it getting on your skin is that it becomes airborne so you breathe it in!! If you want to do airbrushing look at vacuun fans like model kit builders use, they pull the paint/chemical filled air away. You should also be wearing goggles, gloves, and a chemical rated respirator. I would recommend only airbrushing tips you apply when do as well.
Does Zillabeau ship to the UK? You’ve totally sold me on their products but I can’t seem to figure out if they ship beyond the US! Also well done on your new channel 😁 I’ve been watching your skincare channel for years and only today came across your nail channel - As a nail girly I love this!!
Thanks! Yes they do!
Soooooo.... should gel end up on my skin?? :P
For my gel polishes, I usually use Beetles or Modelones from Amazon. They are pretty easy to use! As for a peel off base coat, for those that can't get jello jello, I have been using FZANEST from Amazon. I know its not a well known brand.....or maybe even a known brand at that... but I use it and can get some good wear time out of it. Then when I want to take it off, I just use some cuticle oil, and it peels right off with no damage!
Thanks for the video James!! I'm always excited to see your recommendations!!!
I use modelones and other brands from Amazon as well , they are easy to use and affordable.
are you using the fzanest peel off base on your bare nails or on top of other products (such as builder gel)? i keep my nails protected with a builder gel at most times (i’ll remove it all after a month or so and redo it tho lmao) so only swap out the colour, but i found that the fzanest peel off doesn’t work over builder gel at all - it just becomes sticky like a pva glue when i try to remove it as instructed. i heard that this is apparently normal for the peel off bases that require curing (including the jello jello unfortunately 😭) but sadly i can’t go without builder on my nails so i’m not sure it’ll ever really work for me 🥲 if anyone knows an alternative for the holo taco or unt (and is available easily in either the UK, japan or south korea) pls lmk 🫶🏼 heard that they work well under gel but over other products too such as builder gel
Generally gels are gonna stick to gels. So any kind of gel you put on top of your builder gel is going to fully adhere. I wish I had an alternative for you, but I use Holo Taco. Its by far the best peel off.@@chiisainiki
Hello! I'm curious about the Jello Jello peel off base coat and it's oil remover: I use Jojoba oil ALL. THE. TIME. all over my body to keep my skin nice. Have you or anyone else here in the comments found that has some adverse affects when using the peel off base coat? Are my nails more prone to coming off if I moisturize all the time?
Can you come back and link the lamp video?
Congratulations on getting your certificate, James! You've clearly put a ton of time and energy into this so I'm excited to learn from and along with you.
Just checking: Did I miss where you linked to the video about lamps? I've seen a couple floating around, but I am interested in the video you mentioned. Thanks!
I'm watching you, words are coming out of your mouth, and... I'm stuck on how effin "pretty boy" you are! LoL! You are so good looking, and the accent doesn't hurt either. I hope you see this and enjoy the compliment :) Great tips too!
Can’t believe I only JUST discovered this channel of yours James (slaps self on the wrist)! I’d like to add a pre-point to all your very important points: make sure you have perfect eyesight (👵🏽)! I’m far-sighted and doing my own nails is really hard as I can’t see without a magnifier 🙈🤦🏽♀️! All the best on your new journey!
I have been looking into doing gel because when ever I would do my own nails or go to salon to get a mani and pedi my body heat ends up ruining it. The only thing that stays on is gel or shellac which is usually more. I want to do poly gel because I'm so used to doing my own nails I know I will get bored just using polish method also I wear basic colors lol.
Sorry, what was the video you were mentioning that talked about LED/UV lamps and what to look for? Can't find anything in the description and really struggling with understanding what i should look out for!
Im so glad to know the time i take is regular.
I always cute for 60 seconds! Also I have a REALLY old lamp but it has never failed me lol
Could you possibly do a polygel nail tutorial? I’m finding a lot of contradicting info in regard to prep and technique. Having trouble keeping them from breaking at the tips of the tips get super thick and I don’t know how to skim them down. Do I need specific efile bit?
Super helpful video! Thank you. I’m curious if you have experience with the gelcare line? I’m obsessed with the colors but they’re spendy and want to know if they’re worth the money!! ❤
Is there a way you can post all the prep lists tools supplies pls that you use?
♥️nails Channel i love it. Haha James i absolutely love your 2 Channels.
loved those tips and tricks collection. I already knew few of them but a refresher of knowledge never hurts. ^_^
I've been doing my own gel x sets for around a year, started getting an allergy n giving myself a break but i was doing full sets, with design in 3hrs lmao u said 5 n i was like oops that's part of my problem 😅
What do you think about people using gloves the tip of the finger pokes out, to protect their hands from the UV light?
As someone who has a personal interest of skincare AND nails, I’m really interested!
You can wear those or just use sunscreen…
jello jello is super popular but ive not been able to find anything abut it being hema free
Where is the lamp video? I want to know the differences between UV lamps, LED lamps, and the right wattage to use and other ways to prevent damage to my skin when doing gel nails at home.
I want to start with gel nail polish first and then go on to tip overlays, etc. I'm interested in the Jello Jello to make the polish come off easy without soaking. I need to buy everything, lamp, prep products and products. I'm tired of my nails looking homeless!!
I’m in the middle of cosmetology there’s a set of twins look just like you who inspired me to do nail hair and especially makeup
He's a twin. He also does skincare and his brother does makeup. Welsh twins channel is hilarious.
@@Mohawk-Tuah_Tribe lmao thank god I’m not being dumb
soooo happy youre doing nails!! just got into doing my own gel nails bc it gets so costly!
Do you still use that lamp or a different one?
Just love to listen to you,so beautiful voice ❤
Thank you so much for saying that you take five hours with everything I have to do with my five children work and everything else my fiancé. It was teasing me on the days that I do my hands that I took all day but it’s I’m doing running around between it, so I really want to thank you for just really highlighting that I should go slow and take care of me in that moment.
I just wish polish was less than $15 a bottle 😩 I want to be able to afford more than a couple products, but to do that I know I’m using less allergy-friendly /more dangerous products
Hey! I'm so glad I found your nail channel. I've been following your skin channel for a while, and I'm also a beginner DIY nail artist. Love the Honey top coat so much! I think my favorite brand gel polish so far is F Gel. The pigment is so strong!
I really love how well you explain and great photography! Thank you so much.
Have you tried any of the Sistaco powders? Would be interested in your opinion.
You do NOT want to get an anaphylactic allergy to acrylates. They are pretty much everything in medicine and dentistry so you get one fillings and surgeries especially will become a huge hassle
Thank you ❤
I really like the way you explain in detail, I’m enjoying your videos. Thank You
How did you rehab you nails when they were so bad? Did you have to leave enhancements off for a long time? (My nightmare!)
I didn’t do my nails for about 6 months 😭 until they were pretty much fully grown out
Thank you.
I really like your information
Congrats! How bout some nail art for Halloween?
I used to use cheap amazon gels to save money but after your gel video with all the warnings I realized I really cannot be playing games with my nails and allergies so I no longer use them. I was gifted a small pastel set of Korean gels for my birthday and while growing my collection is going to be a much slower endeavor nothing cosmetic is worth risking your health for!
🎉🎉 Congratulations 🥳 💅💅💅💜💜💜
Great tips! Thank you so much James!❤
"Is it normal to bleed from your fingernails?" 🤦♀️ Sounds like a When Beauty Turns Ugly episode. Lol. Thanks for the advice to help everyone stay safe out here. ❤