Gelish, soak off gel polish

[ferretkingdom]

I have been hanging out watching the shellac thread, as that is what I started with, but this seems much more active. I have gotten several of the minis at Sally's and will do one of them on the next mani. I have a question. Is the chocolate mini and the sweet chocolate regular size the same color?

yes the minis are the same colors as the full size versions. I'm not sure if there are just more of us that prefer Gelish and similar formulations, or if we are just more talkative, LOL. I have a few shellac colors, but it doesn't wear as well on me and doesn't give me the added strength my nails need. Even when I use shellac, i have to use a couple coats of Gelish Structure.

Alright, I have a question about decals and rhinestones with this stuff. Would I put it on before or after the final top it off coat cure and wipe?

I usually do them after the final color coat. I stick them into the tacky layer, then topcoat and cure. I have also added stuff afterwards like a week into it, when i get bored with my mani. I've done clay cane slices like that. I just use a dab of glue to stick it to my topcoat, then add a couple layers of regular polish topcoat I have that is really good for securing down things like rinestones and clay canes.

Another question while Im at it! How many of you dry brush after the foundation coat??

It isn't in the instruction manual, but Ive seen some people do it on their youtube tutorials. My salon didn't do it on me.

What are the pros to doing it vs not doing it?

A lot of us don't do this, and my salon never did it on me when I had my few trial gelish manis before I started DIYing. However, if you feel you need to, you just take a dry, clean gel brush and wipe across the tacky layer. it's supposed to help remove excess tacky layer and keep the coats thin i guess.

 

[Abersweetie]

@ Ferretkingdom - Thanks for the answers! I just wasn't sure why one would dry brush! I think I'm good with the thin layer of that! Thanks!

 

[Blumblee]

Yes, fhe Gelish minis are the same colors as the full sizes.

The mini just said chocolate and the full size online says sweet chocolate. That's why I wondered. So far I have swatched the ones I have and like tiger blossom, red roses and exhale. I have ordered glamour queen and samuri. Hope i like them. I have spent a fortune ordering colors I don't like (several different brands) The online color guides are terrible! I prefer ones that have a bit of shimmer but not to frosty. The swatches here are helpful! Still looking for my perfect brownish pink- or pinkish brown. I am hoping OPI will put out my favorite colors. Does anyone know if OPI will be a gel or a hybrid?

 

[wohlgie]

Another question while Im at it! How many of you dry brush after the foundation coat??

It isn't in the instruction manual, but Ive seen some people do it on their youtube tutorials. My salon didn't do it on me.

What are the pros to doing it vs not doing it?

Harmony must have changed their instructions, because in the pdf instructions I downloaded from their site a few months ago dry wiping/brushing is step #4. I do dry wipe, but just because I think that it both thins and even things out even more for me. I sometimes get too close to my cuticles and the base coat is something that can pool and run towards your cuticles as you cure your colors, so I prefer to make sure mine is as thin as possible.

There certainly are enough people who don't and have great success with Gelish, so it isn't necessary. If it works for you to skip this step, no need to worry!

 

[Sunrize]

Alright, I have a question about decals and rhinestones with this stuff. Would I put it on before or after the final top it off coat cure and wipe?

Right now I use the Cina self sticking decals.. I usually put mine on after the top coat and wipe.. then put a coat of Super Shiny top coat over it. But Ferret has a good idea of putting them on after final color and before the top coat and wipe. I'll try that next time and see what happens.

 

[Sunrize]

Harmony must have changed their instructions, because in the pdf instructions I downloaded from their site a few months ago dry wiping/brushing is step #4. I do dry wipe, but just because I think that it both thins and even things out even more for me. I sometimes get too close to my cuticles and the base coat is something that can pool and run towards your cuticles as you cure your colors, so I prefer to make sure mine is as thin as possible.

There certainly are enough people who don't and have great success with Gelish, so it isn't necessary. If it works for you to skip this step, no need to worry!

I did notice that the foundation is a bit thicker than the other liquids.. I think if you're able to get the right amount of base, and keep it not touching the cuticle or sides, you don't have to dry brush? I don't usually dry brush, but it might help if you get too much foundation on and want to even it out or move it further from the cuticle or sides, prior to curing?

 

[MoreGelColors]

I've done this combo as have several others. I call it the "ruby slipper" Mani. I love the combo and have swatches posted here or in the swatch thread, or maybe both. Lol



The gelish topcoat is acetone resistant, so wiping off the tacky layer with acetone won't hurt it

That makes sense, because you have to buff first to remove it. I guess I've always used alcohol since I started with Shellac

 

[MoreGelColors]

Oh, and here's my newest mani... Ooba ooba blue. I am loving the neons!!! I guess I am a true child of the eighties

 

[Sunrize]

That makes sense, because you have to buff first to remove it. I guess I've always used alcohol since I started with Shellac

Yes, the cleanser is alcohol, acetone and ethyl something or other, but alcohol is listed first, so I would imagine that's the main ingredient. I usually use non acetone remover if I need to remove a temporary top coat of regular nail polish over the gelish. I believe acetone is the main ingredient in the gelish nail remover, filing the top coat helps the acetone to penetrate faster.. so I wouldn't say that the topcoat is completely acetone resistant?

 

[Sunrize]

Oh, and here's my newest mani... Ooba ooba blue. I am loving the neons!!! I guess I am a true child of the eighties

oooohhhhh.. that looks like fun, thanks for sharing!

 

[fooze]

Oh, and here's my newest mani... Ooba ooba blue. I am loving the neons!!! I guess I am a true child of the eighties

Beautiful. I was waiting to see a good picture of the blue before I bought it. Guess there's another trip to Sally's in my future!

 

[kandc88]

Another question while Im at it! How many of you dry brush after the foundation coat??

It isn't in the instruction manual, but Ive seen some people do it on their youtube tutorials. My salon didn't do it on me.

What are the pros to doing it vs not doing it?

It was in the original instructions, didn't realize it had changed. Most people don't bother but it's been said that it helps keep the color coats from migrating. I was going to try it the next time I used my darker Geleration Colors, Venus Was Her Name and Notorious, to see if that would prevent it shrinking back from the tips, which is what always happens with these colors to me, slight but noticable to me...probably not to others

 

[kandc88]

Oh, and here's my newest mani... Ooba ooba blue. I am loving the neons!!! I guess I am a true child of the eighties

LOL, me too, I guess. I think a few weeks back I said I had no interest in the neons and now I own 5, oops!

I'm actually thinking for my next mani I will mix my snow bunny with ooba ooba blue to try for a lovely shade similar to the mani posted awhile ago, I already forget the color...up in the blue?...the one with the champagne ring finger...

Doing the blue either full strength or with a glitter coating on my toes, though! Last vacation of the summer coming up in a few days!

 

[kandc88]

The mini just said chocolate and the full size online says sweet chocolate. That's why I wondered. So far I have swatched the ones I have and like tiger blossom, red roses and exhale. I have ordered glamour queen and samuri. Hope i like them. I have spent a fortune ordering colors I don't like (several different brands) The online color guides are terrible! I prefer ones that have a bit of shimmer but not to frosty. The swatches here are helpful! Still looking for my perfect brownish pink- or pinkish brown. I am hoping OPI will put out my favorite colors. Does anyone know if OPI will be a gel or a hybrid?

I think the whole gel/hybrid discussion is kind of a marketing ploy started by shellac. True gels, hard ones are I guess what people call gel, then there were soak off gels, axxiom being popular, then shellac started the whole gel polish hybrid comments, but that's just saying that it has some qualities of the gels, like the staying power and some qualities of a polish, such as the solvents that thin it and make it a "power polish" their newer terminology coined to try to differentiate it from Gelish and others. My thought is that they are all gel hybrids to some extent. I'm sure there are formulation differences between some of the brands, but I'm not convinced they are all that different. In any event I think that OPI is simply calling itself a gel polish.

 

[November_Love]

The mini just said chocolate and the full size online says sweet chocolate. That's why I wondered. So far I have swatched the ones I have and like tiger blossom, red roses and exhale. I have ordered glamour queen and samuri. Hope i like them. I have spent a fortune ordering colors I don't like (several different brands) The online color guides are terrible! I prefer ones that have a bit of shimmer but not to frosty. The swatches here are helpful! Still looking for my perfect brownish pink- or pinkish brown. I am hoping OPI will put out my favorite colors. Does anyone know if OPI will be a gel or a hybrid?

I don't like brown at all but I picked up Sweet Chocolate because it's going to match my dress for a wedding I'm going to be in in October. Surprisingly I actually really like it! It's shimmery and not a flat brown.