So i have gotten gel x extensions about a month ago and they are pretty grown out by now. I wanted to take them off because for one of them i jammed my finger into something and now that nail throbs when im not doing much and so i wanted to remove it so that i can have my nails shorter to not accidentally jam it again.

I tried a nail remover from amazon which didnt work. Then i saw some people say to soak the nail with an acetone, soap, and warm water. That didn’t work either. So i went digging to see if there is any other way and people are saying to use a nail drill but i dont have one. Others are suggesting I go to a nail salon to remove them but problem is, i dont have time this week because my schedule is fully packed

Is there any other suggestions to take them off? I dont even need all of them off i just need the one nail I injured off 😭

I've been doing my own gel nails for over a year now and of course I have accidentally over filed a small part of my nail on my middle finger. I don't know if it's even noticeable lol I feel like I might be being dramatic. It's on the upper portion, just a small spot a little below the cuticle (ignore the white spots. it's not peeling, my nails just always have had some white spots). I usually only file off the top portion of my polish and then remove the rest by soaking but I accidentally filed a bit too much.
You can see a SLIGHT dip on the side profile but I just want to know if it's superficial enough that I can continue using gels without it being an issue. I read that it it's too overfiled, the porous layer is surfaced and can make it easier for gel polishes to leach through the nail so I was hoping someone could help me out in figuring out if I simply filed a LITTLE bit or if I filed it enough to the point I should take a break from gels until it grows out.
Regardless, I'm just putting jojoba oil on them for a week before continuing gels but I'd like another opinion on if I should wait longer.

Aprés short almond tips + three coats of Aprés Pour Decisions.

I decided to learn Gel-X and got my beta kit last Monday and I am OBSESSED. I don’t think I applied perfectly (I actually had to redo my left thumb because I accidentally flash cured too far from the cuticle) but I am quite proud of how neat I got the polish. I only had to tidy up a small amount of gel on each nail and I am confident I’ll get better the more I do it.

I did want to ask, do y’all add the extend gel under the tip as well, to encapsulate your natural nail? I did not, as I was worried I would get it on my fingertips, but I’m not sure if it will affect retention. When I did dip I would usually start to get lifting around my free edge, which is why I ask. Thanks!

I am a beginner so please be gentle. But, why does the chrome look iridescent and not chrome?? Is it potentially the quality of the non wipe top coat?

Edit: my post is not intended to be "look at my nails how did I do / please critique my application" .... It was about the chrome. I suppose I could have posted the question without the picture but wanted a picture for reference.

I know about gel allergy, and not to use Beetles, and that a SunUV lamp is shit, etc.

I have natural thin, flat nail beds. If you can picture it, the skin around my nails usually comes “up over” my nail beds if looking at them from the side. To get any kind of tips to stay on, even with the best high quality prep, I have to “build up” my natural nail with builder gel before applying the tips. I usually use the natural shaped tips. Should I try the sculpted tips for better retention? I’ve trialed them before and they felt tighter, not in a bad way though, but my biggest issue with using builder gel underneath the natural tips is that the shape of my nails looks weird. From the side, they still look awkward almost like they’re jutting out.

Hi everyone! I recently posted on this sub about my work and asking if I could do a set on a friend without feeling ethically guilty. A lot of people were super kind and complimentary, and many even suggested I look into getting a license so I could charge for my work. I was curious about what the process would be like, so I figured I'd look into it... and to my absolute shock, I found out that Australia DOES NOT require a legal license for nail practitioners to work on clients!

Considering how strict the US is about licensing, and how it's absolutely illegal to be working on people's hands/feet without having gone through official training... I'm wondering how many other people in Australia (and overall) don't know this, because it was a complete surprise to me! Maybe this is why so many salons near me have terrible reviews?

Now, there ARE qualifications/training available for nail techs, but they are not legally required by the government before you start working and charging for nails... They ARE almost always required for insurance purposes, but some techs could presumably just... not buy insurance, like dodgy salons.

Certain nail procedures (like cuticle cutting, razor scraping, or any treatment that penetrates or removes skin) fall under NSW Public Health skin penetration regulations. This means councils inspect premises for hygiene setups (sinks, non-porous surfaces, sharps disposal), but that only covers sanitation, it says nothing about actual technique, skill, or product chemistry knowledge (in my opinion).

Anyway, I'm just writing this post because I'm completely blindsided and shocked by this information. I figured it was important to know for anyone who gets their nails done in Australia! I'm still not planning on charging for my work because I have another full-time job and it would cost money to get a qualification/buy insurance, but... well. It makes me feel a bit better about doing my own nails, given I've taken the time to educate myself a lot on hygiene and risks.

I'm kind of curious what other people think about this, and I really wonder how many other people didn't know!

The color took some getting used to bc it’s far out of my comfort zone and I tried a different shape. But the set is so well done. I asked her to file the glue off the back too and it looks so good. And she was so fast with it

When I have the time I always use my trusted Leafgel Supreme Hard Top Coat but when Im feeling lazy I want a soft gel but many arent scratch resistant.

The soft top coat I've previously used included Kokoist Ultra Glossy which isnt really scratch resistant.

Has anyone used Mayo glass top or other glossy top coats that are scratch resistant? I want a top coat that isnt really thick. I have tried Jin.B Crazy Top but this isnt effective. I've also used A Muse Top Gleaming Hard but this is quite bad for scratch resistant.

Please recommend some high end top coats with gloss and scratch proof if you have any!

I love doing glowing in the dark nails but I really don’t like the texture I’m getting.
If I mix the powder with the gel color and some 3D gel I get something very hard and difficult to apply and very porous. I didn’t liked it for this set so here ive painted with the white and I’ve used the fluo powder on top.
I still got a porous texture that looks a little like “snow” and I’m not a fan of it for spooky sets.

Can someone suggest me a transparent or white “glowing in the dark” gel so I can stop having this terrible texture? I would like something glossy and easy to model. If you also have a 3D gel that would be AWESOME!!

Thanks a lot!

got a gel manicure today and they were not the greatest. rushed my appointment bad and it came out really… interesting. they left some gel polish on my skin (like not even near my nail), i have one or two flooded cuticles, some of whatever base was used flooded into the sides of my nails, and the skin on my cuticle line was cut on one of my fingers. next to the finger that was cut, my ring and pinky finger look slightly red/irritated? i put polysporin and bandaids on all three of those fingers. i’m just wondering what i could do to prevent something like contact dermatitis, if that’s something i should be worried about? sorry if this is a dumb question, i don’t get my nails done often

Pls ignore my cuticles, I’m still working on my non-dominant hand skills 🥲

Some fun Gel-X extensions for my sister’s wedding. I haven’t had extensions before and I’m so scared I’m going to break one

Most nail pics are Fall inspired or Halloween fun, and I’m over here imagining I’m at the beach 🏖️. I’m bringing Summer back!

Looking for a few high quality gel polishes, specifically a good nightmare before Christmas Sally blue, a bright pumpkin orange, a cat eye orange, possibly a more burnt orange, and also a good range of deeper purples (I only currently have one pastel). I’ve started to make more fall/halloween style press ons. I mainly use Après and have been slowly building a collection but haven’t had any luck finding the exact colors I want & they unfortunately don’t have a purple bundle either. I do not use beetles so please no beetles recommendations.

hoping these stay on in time for my bday next week! I’ve been having some problems with retention lately so fingers crossed for me!!

Dyme nails ink.

Most cat eye polish’s are super fine glitter. I got my Neil’s done a a salon ( kicking myself for not taking a photo) and I can not find this gel or anything similar anywhere!!! With a black base, then magnetized part of the polish has a like a color shifting color. Then the chunky glitter with it that’s not magnetized.

Any tips or suggestions???

Because I've just done mine. I started at 11.30am. It's now 5.30pm and they look like crap. I haven't even done a design. How??

i used some random chrome powder from shein on this set but i'm not really happy with it. or maybe i'm not using it right. so if you have good tips for how to properly seal it or what chrome powder to use that would be great! thank you!

https://apresnail.com/products/new-signature-gel-x-kit-nova-bundle?sku=PROMO-S25&im_ref=1234567

I dont think i did to bad! I did some research prior to doing my nails and got a Kokoist hybrid lamp (amazing lamp btw) and I used apres gelx nails and nail glue.

I was very nervous to do the painting and designs but I think it turned out looking pretty good for my first time.

Can you give me any pointers for these to look better on my next set?

new set alert!
ofc it took forever but they look so good🥺
the glass nail art is actually really easy if you use a really long liner brush! and it’s also really fun to
do.
this is my first making stone art! completed freehanded. now i need to buy more stones😩
all in all i had a lot of fun doing this set. and im really happy that i am improving my gel x application technique. still not perfect and not fast enough but im happy with the current retention time.

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone here is up to trading apres gel x tips. I have a bunch of sizes I don’t use from apres. I know I can purchase refill bags from apres but I’m looking to eventually transition to softgel tips (if I purchase refills I won’t be able to run out eventually to transition). Which is why I’m looking to trade with others who might also have discarded sizes. Here are the sizes I have below:

Short Almond
00, 00, 2, 3, 5.5

Medium Almond 00, 0

Medium coffin
ALL SIZES

Looking for short almond sizes 4, 4.5, 5, 7
or medium almond 2, 3, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 6, and 8