Gel polish brush: how to choose and clean?

Well-groomed beautiful nails and manicure applied to them are an important addition to the image. Coating nails with gel polish saves time, as the composition dries much faster and lasts longer. Therefore, more and more professionals and those who do manicures on their own give preference to him. However, the choice of a tool is also important in creating a beautiful, persistent manicure. The article will discuss how to choose a brush for gel polish and how to clean it after use.

The tool for applying shellac has a lot of different characteristics. Depending on the specifics and techniques of manicure, the choice should be given to the most suitable brushes for the quality, size and type of pile.

Components of the gel polish application tool, the quality of which is worth paying attention to.

• Pile brush. It can be natural or made from synthetic materials. Naturally, the first option will be more expensive than artificial counterparts. For the application of shellac, the villi must be dense, brittle. The bristles should not diverge to the sides, forming a sparse bunch. The pile itself should taper at the tip, regardless of the general shape.

A recent novelty is brushes with silicone tips. The elastic material is well suited for working with shellac. It is not clogged or deformed by a dense composition.Such a tool is easiest to clean after use, it is very durable. In addition, silicone tips can save on the expense of gel polish.

• Tool handle. This part can be made of wood or plastic. The main criterion is ease of use. Take a brush and listen to your feelings: if you are comfortable holding it and making the necessary movements, feel free to choose it. Most often, a tool with a plastic handle is noticeably cheaper.

• The middle part of the varnish brush is a clip. This small part connects the handle and tip of the tool, i.e. the pile. Pay attention to whether it fits snugly to the base of the brush, whether the villi hold well. This part of the brush should not be bent or dented. Using your fingers, gently pull the hairs at the tip of the brush. They should not fall out of the cage.

• For a monophonic coating it is best to use wide brushes. In this case, the varnish layer is well distributed over the area of ​​the nail. It is also convenient to apply a base with a similar tool.
• The drawing of very small decorative details or dots is done with the dots tool. It is also suitable for decorating manicure with adhesive elements, such as rhinestones.
• Thin, pointed at the tip of the brush is suitable for drawing elegant lines and patterns. Usually, a tool with a pile diameter of 1-1.5 mm is used for this.

• Brushes with a beveled tip at a slight angle are used for applying the so-called jacket. This form of bristles is very convenient for creating an even line of "smile".
• Too large and wide brushes when working with gel polish are not particularly convenient. They absorb too much varnish composition, thereby increasing its consumption. And applying shellac with such an instrument is very difficult, the result most often does not look very neat.
• The brush, the tip of which is cut in the shape of a semicircle or oval, paints well the areas at the base of the nails. It is also ideal for applying the composition under the cuticle.

Recommendations for choosing brushes that are needed to create a manicure of various types and styles.

• Neat and beautiful jacket. Brushes number three and four are best suited. Choose the one with a rounded pile. Professionals use rather thin brushes with elastic bristles to apply the “smile” line.
• Drawing on the gradient nails. In this case, manicurists most often use silicone brushes or sponges. The tip of the instrument should be flat, the only way to achieve a smooth flow of colors and shades. For the best shading of fairly thick shellac, after applying it, you should choose a brush with a soft pile. A hard brush to recreate a smooth color transition on the nail will not work.

The quality of the manicure directly depends on the condition of the tool. To extend the life of the brushes, it is important to properly care for them. One of the main conditions is to clean the brush from gel polish immediately after work, until it has dried.

Tools with which you can clean the pile or silicone tip of a manicure tool.

• A common option, especially among professionals, are special fluids for degreasing and removing the sticky layer. Their cost varies depending on the manufacturer and the softening components included. The most affordable options can be purchased at a price of 50–70 rubles per bottle, with a capacity of 100 ml. Very popular is the Brush Cleaner brand product. It well removes gel polish and acrylic from natural and artificial surfaces and materials.

• At home, if there is no special liquid at hand, you can use alcohol.He also does a good job of cleansing the pile.

The progress of the cleansing brushes after applying shellac.

• Pick up a small flat glass container. Pour in it a little of the means for washing the pile you have chosen.
• Lower the brushes into the container so that the product covers the bristles. Top up if necessary. Leave the tool for a couple of minutes so that the bristles get a little wet.
• Gently move the pile along the bottom of the tank, trying to do this on each side.
• Remove the tool from the cleaning agent container and rinse it under warm water.
• Take cloth or paper towels, dab a little moisture on the pile.
• Until the brush has dried, carefully give its tip its original shape. If this is not done, the hairs can lock in a bent position, and the pile will lose its contours.

Removing frozen gel polish from a brush.

• Take a product for degreasing and removing the sticky layer. Soak the tool for 15–20 minutes.
• After the villi have softened a bit, remove the brushes from the liquid.
• Using pressure, give the tip of the brush the shape of a fan.
• Next, you need an orange stick with a beveled tip, which is used to move the cuticle. She needs to carefully remove the softened gel polish remaining between the hairs. The work is quite painstaking and slow.
• The washed brush is rinsed under running water, dried and stored.

In order not to spoil your brushes for applying gel polish, trying to wash them, remember the following tips and cautions.

• In no case should you use acetone for washing brushes to remove and dissolve ordinary varnish. After this substance comes into contact with the pile, the tool will definitely become unusable. Natural bristles are especially affected by acetone.
• Do not try to soak the brushes in boiling water or very hot water. The artificial pile is instantly twisted in different directions, and the tool turns into an ugly panicle.

• When cleaning and washing the pile, do not push the brush too hard.
• Avoid too frequent and long (more than 15 minutes) soaking of the tool in the cleaning composition. This greatly weakens and thins the stubble.

For care and storage of brushes for manicure and how to clean brushes from gel polish, see the next video.