Gel polish without drying in the lamp: what is it, how to apply and dry it at home?
Unfortunately, due to household chores, female nails are negatively affected, they become dry, brittle and begin to delaminate. In addition, the cuticle suffers, although it emphasizes and saturates the natural beauty of nails. Having such consequences, it is undesirable to make a manicure with ordinary nail polish. Its appearance will retain its beauty not for long, after which it will be necessary to re-apply a new coating. These difficulties led manufacturers of cosmetic products to develop an innovative solution - gel polish.
The gel is responsible for nail modeling, has protective functions against physical and mechanical effects. In addition, some types of gel polish do not require drying. In appearance, they have significant similarities with ordinary varnish and are widely used at home.
What it is?
In a general sense, gel polishes are coloring formulations, the consistency of which is similar to liquid plastic. Their distinctive feature is the polymerization, which takes place under ultraviolet light. The components present in the gel coating, begin to work actively during the drying period of nails, creating a durable and bright surface. Today, such varnishes are widespread not only in beauty salons, but also in branded cosmetic boutiques.
In more detail, polymerization refers to the hardening process of a coloring composition.If ordinary pigment varnishes have enough natural air space to dry, then gel varnishes require the use of a UV lamp. The photoinitiators present in the composition under the influence of ultraviolet light begin to decay, due to which the varnish base begins to harden.
In the recent past, the use of gel polishes was possible only in beauty salons, today many ladies can make an unusual manicure at home. For accurate application of the coloring composition, it is necessary to know the basics of manicure and have in your arsenal a starting set of tools, the most expensive item among which is that same ultraviolet lamp.
This device is responsible for fixing the gel polish. But not every woman seeks to acquire it, but having bought gel polish for nails, they are interested in the natural ways of drying it quickly.
The solution to this issue was again undertaken by the manufacturers of cosmetics. Each season, new coloring compounds are released to the beauty market, the texture of which is most similar to the famous glossy shades. Such gel polishes dry without drying in a lamp. These include:
- insensitive varnishes - the drying process occurs naturally;
- sensitive to light - mainly a UV lamp is used for drying;
- water - applied on the nails, the gel polish dries when it comes into contact with water;
- Brigitte Bottier - a novelty of manicure, dries only in the natural environment;
- biogel - varnish used exclusively for recreational purposes, does not require special drying.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the relatively recent appearance of gel polish, the fair sex has already got a considerable amount of shades suitable for individual outfits. At the core of the gel composition there are several important components: base, color base and top layer. An extensive palette of colors allows you to create a diverse nail design that will satisfy the desires and needs of any lady.
An important advantage for which gel polishes are so appreciated by the fair sex is the beauty and grace of the finished manicure. Each nail is covered with a dense layer of plastic coloring composition. After drying, the color does not change, an ideally smooth surface is traced on the nails. Gel polish allows you to create unusual designs for nails with pronounced transitions in different colors or complement rhinestones.
There are a number of additional qualities for which gel polish has gained immense popularity.
- The thick and hard shell of gel polish is a nail fortifier, which is to the liking of the owners of thin and weak nail plates.
- It is important that the gel coating can please a woman for at least a month, the main thing is to apply the varnish coat correctly. This quality will be appreciated by ladies with limited time, which is extremely difficult to get to the beauty salon.
- The gel composition on extended nails looks very effective. Unfortunately, not every modern girl can afford to grow her own nails to the required length. Growth is salvation. The subsequent growth of the natural nail and the transition to artificial material is tightly and evenly closed with a gel coating.
- Due to the wide color run, each woman will be able to create an unforgettable manicure for any occasion, and most importantly, at an affordable price.
- Before applying gel polish, there is no need to process the nail plate. The dense consistency of the gel composition is evenly distributed over the surface of the nail, hiding possible irregularities.
- One layer is enough for the nails to acquire a bright and saturated shade.
- After applying the varnish coating, there is no need to dry the nails under the lamp, even if several layers are applied.
- To remove a manicure you don’t have to run to the salon, such a gel polish can be easily erased with a nail polish remover.
In addition to the positive qualities, gel polishes that do not require drying in a lamp have some negative properties.
- Before applying varnish, each nail must be covered with a basic composition. Otherwise, the nail plate may become stained by contact with the coloring composition in the microcracks of the nail.
- Despite its special properties, gel polish dries for a very long time. After applying for a long time, you can not do anything, otherwise you will have to redo the manicure.
- The glossy gel polish on the nail initially distinguishes female hands from the gray mass. Unfortunately, this gloss effect starts to fade rather quickly.
- As part of some gel polishes, you can find harmful trace elements that, instead of strengthening the nail plate, destroy it.
In addition to the positive and negative sides of the gel manicure, many ladies are interested in the harmful factors of this varnish, which negatively affect the nail plate. Before buying, women carefully study the list of product components. Each bottle of gel polish has a marking indicating “3-free” or “5-free”. This is not a series number, as some people think.
The 3-free pointer indicates the presence of three harmful components. The marking “5-free” has the exact opposite meaning, or rather, that harmful elements are excluded from the composition, and there are no resins and camphor. It follows from this that the second option is the safest to use. Gel polish with a 5-free pointer is suitable even for women in an interesting position.
Popular brands
In the modern world, most women value their time and try to create the perfect look with the help of high-quality cosmetic products. Gel polishes in this matter are no exception.
In any store, when choosing a varnish, consultants offer to purchase goods at the highest price. But not always the high cost of the product indicates its high quality. The cosmetics industry provides specific data for each manufacturer and their range. The top gel varnishes include many items, among which there are famous brands and few well-known companies.
Pupa
The world famous brand, in the assortment of which there is a myriad of shades of gel varnishes. Each individual color is rich and vibrant. The main product line is designed for beauty salons, but the manufacturer was worried about home manicure.
El corazon
A fairly well-known brand that has won many hearts of nail art professionals and housewives. A distinctive feature of the product line is the composition of gel varnishes, where there are substances of natural and plant origin. It is these elements that positively affect the structure of the nail plate. The only negative of this product is formaldehyde, which is an integral part of each shade.
Limoni
A fairly common brand, the name of which many have heard. Especially popular among young beauties. A huge color palette allows you to choose the most suitable shade for any occasion. An important quality is the strength of the gel-varnish surface, which can safely last two weeks.
Belor design
Belarusian brand of decorative cosmetics. Gel varnishes of this brand have become a universally recognized breakthrough, since the speed of their drying is much less than the usual time, and the juiciness and brightness of the color does not disappear. The persistence of maintaining the perfect appearance of a manicure is on average two weeks.
Vivienne sabo
The title itself feels a romantic touch of Paris, chic and elegance of the city. Accordingly, cosmetic products should be on par with the brand name. The line of products of this brand is distributed worldwide.Gel polishes are in special demand, thanks to which female nails are transformed, become bright and attract envious glances.
CND Vinylux
An unusual gel polish for nails, which is used not only at home. Before applying the coloring material of this brand, you need to wash and degrease your hands well. In this case, a self-made manicure, no one can distinguish from a professional.
Sally hansen
A well-known brand in the field of professional manicure. Many nail art masters prefer to buy gel varnishes exclusively from this manufacturer. But the wide assortment range of this manufacturer is designed for a diverse audience, including for home manicure.
Eveline
A world name known even to the smallest girls. A huge selection of cosmetics for any age category of women is supported by a diverse palette of gel varnishes. Among the abundance of flowers, everyone will be able to choose the right shade for any event. In many beauty salons, Eveline gel polishes occupy separate shelves of nail masters, which indicates a high confidence of professionals in them.
Lumene
This manufacturer primarily cares about its customers, offering products without harmful additions. Gel polishes, in turn, are characterized by maximum resistance and durability. A special composition nourishes the nail plate with useful elements, before applying there is no need to create a foundation.
Avon
Surely the products of this company are available in every home, in each bath and on the bedside table. In the cosmetics bags of many women, you can find several items of this brand. For an unusual manicure, Avon offers its customers a wide variety of color palettes. Each individual series has a lot of individual features.
Thanks to this brand, many ladies can feel like real masters of manicure, sitting at their cosmetic table in the bedroom.
How to apply?
Each representative of the fair sex knows how to paint nails with ordinary varnish. And for applying gel polish without using a special lamp, you should know a few subtleties and nuances. To begin with, you should familiarize yourself with objects that will help simplify the painting process:
- gel polish of the required color;
- catalyst (not used for some gel polishes);
- nail file;
- buff soft texture.
Having prepared the necessary material, you can begin the process of painting.
- Using a file, it is necessary to process each nail, giving it the desired shape.
- It is required to remove a natural glossy surface from a nail using a buff.
- Having prepared the basis for the work, you can begin to paint. Apply varnish with gentle brush strokes.
- The surface of the finished manicure is fixed by the catalyst.
- To saturate the color after all the procedures, you need to make a nail tray out of cool water. Firstly, the nails themselves will calm down, and secondly, the color will acquire a rich tone.
Any woman can use gel varnishes, most importantly, skillfully apply the consistency of the coloring composition to her nails, and then wait until it dries completely, otherwise everything will have to be redone.
How much dries and how to dry?
Unfortunately, few women are familiar with the intricacies of drying painted nails, especially since few people know how to dry gel polish at home. But despite this, they come up with different methods, various fixatives, baths with vegetable oil and even a hairdryer.
To dry gel polish without using a special UV lamp, you must resort to other generally available methods.
- For insensitive varnish, a catalyst should be purchased and applied over the ink composition.
- Water-based gels are dried in a similar environment, that is, in a bath with cool clean water.
- In the third case, more complex manipulations are proposed.Each layer of the coloring composition is fixed by the activator. The creamy composition should be rubbed into the nail plate with light and gentle movements. After these procedures, the nails are lowered into cold water for 20 minutes.
But before thinking about the drying method, you should understand what kind of gel polish will be used. For example, insensitive varnishes dry naturally, but in most cases the help of a monomer is required. Drying time averages 20 minutes. Sensitive varnish is mainly dried in a UV lamp in a short time. It will take about an hour for natural drying, while direct sunlight should fall on the nails.
Waterborne varnish without additional efforts will dry in a wet environment in 15 minutes. And the new Brigitte Bottier completely eliminates the use of a UV lamp and requires only a natural drying process.
Reviews
For every woman, beauty is considered an integral part of personal growth. The more beautiful the reflection in the mirror, the higher its self-esteem rises. Ladies pay special attention to their hands and nails. They must be neat, have an impeccable shape and most importantly, shine with different shades when exposed to sunlight.
First of all, it is worth noting a lot of positive reviews from young mothers, for which in the first year of the baby’s life, manicure fades into the background. In addition to short nails, homemade routine spoils the structure of the nail plate, which is completely impossible to hide with ordinary varnishes. Many public figures prefer gel coating. The density and strength of the dried color composition allows you to always be in the spotlight. Every manufacturer of cosmetic products receives grateful feedback from their consumers every day, which spurs on the creation of new varieties of gel polishes with special functions and capabilities.
See how to make gel manicure without a lamp at home in the next video.