Features of single-phase gel polishes and recommendations for their use

There were practically no such representatives of the weaker sex who at least once in their life did not try to decorate their nails with gel polish. The market for the nail industry offers a huge selection of such coatings from different manufacturers. In home use, single-phase gel varnishes are of particular interest. What are they and what are their features, let's understand.

Single-phase gel polish is a coating that is applied in one step, which means that when you buy this material you do not need to additionally purchase a base and a finish. Its composition is unique and allows the product to stay on the nails for a long time without the use of additional fixatives. Single-phase gel polish has several advantages.

• The composition of the product is quite environmentally friendly, it does not cause serious harm to the nail plate.
• You can save on the purchase of additional materials for manicure.
• You will have to dry only a couple of layers of the color coating, which means that the time you spend on the design will be significantly reduced.
• Can be used for drying UV lamp, hybrid or LED.
• It has a large palette of colors, you can choose a shade for every taste.
• The coating is held on the nails for more than two weeks, it is not prone to chips on the cuticle and on the side rollers. Manicure has an aesthetic appearance throughout the entire time of design socks.
• The coating thickness of single-phase gel polish is minimal due to the reduction in the number of layers. Manicure as a result looks neater. But the layers are still thicker than when applying ordinary varnish, so the plate becomes stronger.

But this coating has small flaws.

• Due to the special popularity of single-phase gel polishes on the market, you can find products of inadequate quality, the resistance of which will be insignificant.
• It is quite difficult to apply, since the nail plate does not have a leveling layer. Light enamels are especially hard to apply.
• Not suitable for thin nails. When they are deformed, it can exfoliate.
• It is, despite its efficiency, much more expensive than ordinary varnishes.

Three-phase varnish has such a name, since it covers the nail in three steps.

• Base. This layer is designed to align the nail plate, protect it from staining and ensure reliable adhesion of the colored pigment to the nail.
• Color gel polish. At this stage, the design is completed. The substrate is applied, various decor is installed.
• Topcoat. This layer creates a protective coating that not only protects the design from abrasion, but also provides strength to the entire manicure.

Single-phase gel polish already has a base, a top, and a color coating. He does not need additional materials for alignment and fixing. Another difference will be that single-phase gel polish is able to pass oxygen to the nail plate, that is, the nail under such a coating will be able to “breathe”, which means that it will practically not thin out.

There are cases when the use of three-phase gel polish is not at all justified. For example, when gel nail extensions are performed, and the design is minimal and consists in applying only a color coating without any decor. Artificial nails are quite stiff, practically do not undergo deformation, in addition, moisture does not get on their top layer, so applying a three-phase varnish in this case is not at all advisable. This is an extra waste of money and time.

Single-phase gel varnishes today are presented in several forms.

• Enamels Here you can find many different shades. Gel polishes of this category do not have sparkles in their composition, the colors are even, the composition is well pigmented.
• Translucent. Such gel polishes give the nail plate only a shade. With their help, you can make the jelly manicure so popular lately.
• Mother of pearl. These gel polishes have a pearl-like overflow. Shades of such products can be different: white, pink, red, black and others.
• With a shimmer. The composition of these gel varnishes includes sparkles, which can be very small grains, and rather large flakes.
• Thermo. Such gel polishes change color from a change in temperature. Look especially impressive on long nails. A peculiar gradient is obtained, since the temperature of the nail on the cuticle and on the free edge is different. But on short nails you will get a completely different color of nails, for example, on a frosty day outdoors and indoors.
• Neon. This type of gel polish in ordinary light looks like a normal enamel or translucent coating, but as soon as the light of a neon lamp hits it, your nails begin to glow. A great option for visiting nightclubs.

Single-phase gel varnishes are produced by many manufacturers. ABOUTThe following brands are popular.

• Yoko. This is a trademark of the Russian manufacturer TC "Alliance", which produces all kinds of products for beauty salons ranging from tools to gel systems.As soon as single-phase gel varnishes appeared on the market, TC Alliance set about releasing them. The composition of the product is completely hypoallergenic, it does not have an unpleasant odor. It has bright saturated colors, easily lays down and remains firm for more than three weeks. Economical 4 ml bottles allow you to have a fairly wide palette without fear that the product will go bad. The cost of this gel polish is about 160 rubles.

• Masura. This is a Japanese brand that appeared on the market for the nail industry in 2002. In the manufacture of its gel varnishes, the company uses only modern technology, not forgetting to include natural components in the composition. So, a single-phase product contains calcium, which helps to strengthen the nail plate and restores it. Under this brand, two series of single-phase gel polishes are produced: Masura and Masura Basic. The second line is more budgetary - a 6 ml jar will cost you around 150 rubles, but for gel polish from the first series you will have to pay about 200 rubles for a volume of 3.5 ml.

• Irisk Despite the fact that this is a Chinese brand, for the past 10 years it has been a leader in the market for manicure products, producing advanced products. This brand and single-phase gel varnishes did not bypass its attention. They are released in the Odri series, have an unsurpassed glossy shine, worn seamlessly for two weeks. The cost of the product is about 230 rubles for a volume of 6 ml.

• TNL This is a Korean company that first tried to create a single-phase gel polish and it did very well for her. The company pays quite serious attention to the issue of the quality of its products, therefore, the coating with this product holds well, has an excellent glossy shine that does not disappear during the entire wear period. The material is easy to work with. Its consistency is excellent, the product fits perfectly, has a good pigment, does not leave bald spots and unpainted stripes. It is enough to apply it in just two thin layers, and sometimes one is enough. It has a pleasant, unobtrusive fragrance. Easily removed with a special tool. The cost of a 6 ml bottle is about 170 rubles, but a lot of fakes of the company's products appeared on the market, so you should buy them only in trusted stores.

• RuNail. Another Russian manufacturer, which uses only high-quality raw materials imported from Europe to manufacture its products. Single-phase gel varnishes of this company have a good pigment, are easy to apply and maintain a presentable appearance throughout the entire time of wear, which can be more than four weeks. A large selection of shades, as well as types of varnishes, will allow you to choose a coating for any image. Here you will find both enamels, compositions with a shimmer, and gel polishes with a pearlescent effect. Their cost is quite small. You will have to pay about 280 rubles for a bottle of 15 ml. A smaller volume of this gel polish is not available.

• Patrisa nail. The Russian trademark under which the most modern and high-quality products for the nail industry are produced. Gel polishes of this manufacturer can be attributed to premium products. High-quality European raw materials, a high level of product quality control at all stages of production make it possible to obtain single-phase gel varnishes that will not leave anyone indifferent. Beautiful colors, ease of use, an excellent result in which you can achieve the perfect highlight - this is what any woman dreams of doing a manicure.

In addition, the collection of single-phase varnishes of this manufacturer is called the Moscow Saga. Buying various shades, you can mentally visit the most beloved corners of our capital, as they bear the names of Moscow sights, for example, “Crimean Bridge” or VDNH. The cost of the products of this manufacturer cannot be classified as democratic. For a bottle of 5 ml you will have to pay about 200 rubles.

The technique of applying single-phase gel varnishes is quite simple. You will need a minimum amount of materials and time. That's why these products are often used for nail art at home. And observing all the steps of this step-by-step instruction, even a beginner can cope with applying a single-phase gel polish. For manicure using a single-phase gel polish you will need:

• pusher or orange stick;
• abrasive file 220-240 grit;
• manicure machine and vacuum cleaner (if possible);
• lamp for drying gel polish;
• cuticle oil.

The application technique itself consists of the following steps.

• Manicure. Initially, you should put your hands in order. You can do this manually or use the machine with cutters. In order for the coating to hold well, in order to avoid detachments, it is necessary to qualitatively remove the pterygium, move the cuticle away and carefully cut it. Give the nails the same length and shape. If you do a manicure manually, then after you have completed this procedure, at least two hours must pass before you can proceed to the next step. This is due to the fact that all moisture from the surface of the nail plate must evaporate, otherwise the durability of the coating may decrease.

• Preparation of the nail plate. With a 220-240 grit abrasive file, remove the glossy layer from the surface of the nail with a buff or a special milling cutter. This should be done quite carefully so as not to remove the excess and not to spoil the nails. Next, degrease the surface. For this, a special composition is used, which can be found in stores with goods for manicure. If at your fingertips there is no such solution, then you can use ordinary alcohol or vinegar. To apply the composition to the nails, it is better to use lint-free wipes, as cotton pads can leave hairs, which are then quite difficult to remove. After degreasing, it is necessary to cover the nail plate with a primer. This composition will act as a primer, which will make the surface rougher for better adhesion of the nail and color coating.

• Gel Polish. At this stage, a color coating is applied. To do this, you can use a brush from the bottle, although many masters prefer to apply the composition with a separate brush. To carefully lay the material, you should put a small drop of gel polish in the lower third of the nail plate, stretch it first to the cuticle, and then lift it to the free edge of the nail, carefully paint over the edges without touching the side rollers. It is necessary to seal the end of the nail well. This will further strengthen the coating. If your product has flowed under the cuticle or from the sides, then you should use an orange stick and remove excess material until the gel polish has cured. After that, you need to turn the painted fingers down with the nails and leave them in this position for several seconds, so that the product is smoothed out as much as possible.

• Drying. Now you should send your hand into the lamp. Single-phase gel varnish from different manufacturers dries at different times. Therefore, you should read the product instructions. So, in an LED lamp, the polymerization time of a single-phase gel polish is 30-40 seconds. If on the packaging you did not find information about the drying time, you should withstand an extended period of time. In the UV device, it is recommended to dry all gel polishes for at least two minutes. If necessary, the color coating can be repeated several more times. Do not forget to dry each layer. Single-phase gel polishes do not have a sticky layer, so it is not necessary to treat the surface with a degreaser.

Appearing on the shelves, single-phase gel polish at first did not cause much enthusiasm for customers, since many thought that such a composition could not be compared with three-phase coatings in durability, but subsequently the opinion about this material changed radically. Those who have tried single-phase gel polish say that the quality of the coating is not inferior to their brother, but it takes much less time to manicure with such material. Even masters often use it in their work, not seeing the need to spend client time on a three-phase system. However, you can also find negative reviews about this type of product. They say that the durability of single-phase gel polishes is lower, they shine worse and are quickly scratched, the compositions often flow when dried. But they all mainly relate to cheap samples ordered at all kinds of Chinese trading floors.

For how to apply and remove single-phase gel polish, see the next video.