I love a good set of press on nails, and I’ve been rocking them exclusively for a few years now. Recently, I decided to kick things up a notch by trying out gel nails at home. I found some soft gel nail sets that I like, however, when you use soft gel nails it requires some extra steps. They need to be painted with builder gel, gel top coat, and cured under a UV lamp so the design lasts longer.
I decided to give it a try, and I LOVE how my nails came out. Not only was this cheaper than going to the salon, but now I can customize my press-ons however I want. It’s safe to say I’m hooked.
Check out my TikTok tutorial below to see how I did my gel nails at home and avoided placing my hands under the UV lamp. Everything I used is saved here on my Amazon storefront, in addition to some cute nail charms and more nail sets.
What I Used
Soft Gel Nails
I ordered a set of soft gel nails from BTArtbox nails on Amazon. They are short, square, skin tone shade french tip X-coat nails. The set comes with five different shades of nude french tips. You get 16 sizes of each style. Much like their other nails, they come in different lengths, colors, and shapes.
I’ve seen BTArtBox nails all over TikTok but hadn’t tried them because I knew I’d have to use gel polish, etc. I decided to finally try these soft gel nails now that I know how to do them without putting my hands under the UV lamp all the time. These nails come already prepped, so all you have to do is add builder gel and top coat.
My Current Favorite Nail Glue
I’ve tried a few different nail glues over the years, and my current favorite is the drip & clog proof nail glue from Sally Beauty. It went viral on TikTok, so it can be hard to come by in stores. If you can find it, I suggest buying two lol. This is the first glue I’ve used that felt like it immediately snatched and started to bond my nails.
Builder Gel & Top Coat
For nails like the set I got, it’s suggested that you paint them with a builder gel and top coat so that the design lasts longer. I got a set by BTArtbox Nails on Amazon for around $16. Per the directions in the product description, I applied one coat of builder gel followed by one coat of top coat. I cured each coat for 60 seconds under my UV nail lamp.
UV Nail Lamp
To cure gel polishes, you need a UV nail lamp. I picked up the Sun8 by SunUV on Amazon, as it has pretty good reviews. It’s a 48W unit and has settings for 30, 60, and 99 seconds. As I don’t want to place my hands under the UV lamp habitually, I cure the nails under the lamp while they’re still on the nail stand above.
Nail Charms & Rhinestones
I also bought some nail charms, rhinestones, and pearls to customize my nails. I heard that the rhinestone glue by Makarrt is really good for applying them, so I got that too. FYI, I cured the gems and rhinestones under my UV light before applying the builder gel and top coat.
DIY Gel Nails At Home TIKTOK Tutorial
@flyfiercefab I got some @BTArtbox Nails on Amazon to try doing gel nails at home & making some press on nails. They came out so good! ?????✨ I love this square short nude french tip set. I saved everything I used on my Amazon Storefront! ? #gelnailsathome #nailsathome #BlackGirlTikTok #diynails #pressonnails #brartboxnails #amazonfinds #amazonmusthaves2024 #frenchtipnails ♬ Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris) – Usher
Check out my TikTok tutorial above to see how I did my nails. These DIY gel nails were so easy to do at home, and I love that it allows me to customize my nails. I can’t wait to make more press on nail sets in the future!
Have you tried doing gel nails at home? What’s your go-to style? Let me know in the comments!
Stylishly Yours,
Theresa Seyi
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