I’m Officially a Believer in the Apres Gel-X Manicure

Manicures for me are what blowouts are to other individuals: whether expert or DIY, they offer me a major increase of serotonin. But compared to many nail connoisseurs, my choices are quite basic. I adhere to routine nail polish or dip powder manicures if I’m doing them in your home and gel if I’m at the salon, and I just get nail-art designs on uncommon events. For my birthday, however, I wished to do something various.

I’m among the couple of charm editors who can state they have actually never ever gotten acrylic nails and, due to fear of them compromising my currently brittle nails, I didn’t intend on altering that anytime quickly. Still, I wished for the long, stiletto-shaped tips that have actually been flooding my Explore page on Instagram. That’s when I chose to attempt an Apres gel-x manicure.

I began seeing Apres gel-x, or gel extensions, manicures noted on more beauty parlor menus over the last couple of years, which is a newer type of nail enhancement that bind a gel suggestion to your natural nail with an LED light (no glue, extreme buffing, or chemicals needed). The suggestions are then cut and submitted down to your preferred shape and painted and embellished with any style you’d like. They last anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks and come off quickly after an acetone soak. Apres gel-x provides the exact same length as acrylic however is thought about to be more natural-looking and gentler on your natural nails.

That all sounded right up my street, so I scheduled a visit at a regional nail beauty parlor that used the treatment and began conserving nail-art motivation. Here’s how the procedure went.

My Nails Before Apres Gel-X Manicure

Upon arrival, my manicurist cleaned up and rubbed the surface area of my natural nails, which were on the much shorter side due to a couple of damaged nails. Then, they secured a box of gel-x suggestions and, one by one, fitted each finger by holding the extension as much as my natural nail to discover the best size (much like you make with press-on nails).

Once all 10 fingers were done, they utilized an electrical file to scratch the within the gel-x nail. Then, a coat of gel extend polish was used to my natural nails and treated with an LED light, much like a routine gel manicure. Once the skim coat was done, it was time to connect the gel-x nails. After using the exact same gel extend polish to the submitted area of the gel-x suggestions, they treated it with a heat light.

That preliminary application procedure took about 35 minutes. The next action was to cut and submit them to my nail shape of option — I chose stiletto. Once all of the nails were formed, they were wiped from any file residue and it was time to paint them. I chose to choose a french manicure design utilizing red nail polish on a neutral base due to the fact that I desired something that would look helpful for weeks to come as they grew out.

My Nails Immediately After Getting an Apres Gel-X Manicure

The nail-art part of the manicure went as it generally does — base polish, remedy under LED light, and so on. All stated and done, the visit took a little over an hour, which was time well-spent due to the fact that I could not have actually been better with my nails in the end. They were long and completely shaped however still looked natural, as if they were my genuine nails.

I got many compliments on my manicure in the weeks following my visit. They held up truly well and stood up to opening bundles, a week holiday at the beach, cleaning my apartment or condo — all of the typical things. Not as soon as did I seem like they might come loose and fall off.

My Nails 3 Weeks After Getting an Apres Gel-X Manicure

In brief: I’m consumed with Apres gel-x nails. The just downside to the treatment is it can be on the pricer side — I paid around $120 for my manicure, which in theory filled in 3 different basic manicures. Depending on your spending plan, it might be excellent for unique occasions, like wedding events, holidays, and birthdays, which is what I intend on waiting for.

My Nails After Removing the Apres Gel-X Manicure

I made it 2 and a half weeks with the set on prior to I returned to the beauty parlor to have them eliminated (although I might have made it the complete 3). Removal was basic and, although it took 40 minutes to finish, I was shocked to discover that my nails weren’t the least bit broken later.