Hi All,
I am new to this forum and I have successfully executed the Gelish "Sandwich" manicure (Gelish Foundation, regular nail polish of my choice, Gelish Top it Off top coat).
I'm only three days in, but so far so good! All layers cured just fine, and there's been no lifting whatsoever (that had been my biggest problem with other sog manicures)!
* I applied and cured the Foundation, then did a dry wipe
* Next I applied a thin coat of Bashful, cured for 2 minutes, then removed the tacky layer with rubbing alcohol and a lint free nail wipe. (next time around I plan to skip this step because I don't think it served any purpose other than to build up a little thickness beyond the foundation)
* I applied 2 coats of nail polish, letting each coat dry for about 5 minutes.
* I then applied the Gelish Top it Off topcoat and cured for 3 minutes on each hand.
* I have heard a lot about Gelish requiring a 36 watt lamp, but I used my basic 9 watt lamp, with no problems.
Gelish seems to be the answer to my prayers...my nails are super thin and bendy
I've got TONS of polish colors, but my regular manis always seemed to chip or peel, or my nails would tear. I am a pro at applying my own nail color, but sog's were a bit of a challenge. Gelish allows me to strengthen my nails so that I can rock my own polishes now.
Next time around, I plan to try this using only Gelish Foundation, with my own nail color on top and China Glaze UV Activated Top Coat. I want to have the option of changing up my nail color a couple of times a week, without sacrificing the strengthening layer. The China Glaze UV Top Coat gives the same shiny finish as Gelish, but doesn't have to be soaked off. I'll let you know the results when I finish.
In the meantime, I'm a total Gelish fan! (Never tried CND, because I wasn't able to get my hands on their base coat, so I'm afraid I can't make any comparisons)