As we are in the era of the "Prescriptive Manicure" it is advantageous for nail technicians to have a plethora of gel bases available in their kit, because as we know, gel enhancement services are not one size fits all. However, with all the products available on the market, the choices can be overwhelming and a little confusing- especially for beginners. We are here to help break each one down so that you can better understand which option is most suitable for your client.
Standard Base Coat
Base coat is the go to option for standard gel polish services without any extras. A great option for those with average, short-medium length natural nails who do not need the additional strength, reinforcement, or flexibility of alternative gel bases. A great starting point in any gel journey.
Ultima Gel | Universal Gel
As a natural nail overlay, Ultima gel is the perfect base for those who require a little bit more flexibility and strength than a standard base coat, without the bulk of a structure gel. Perfect for short-medium length nails.
Flexi Gel | Rubber Base
Rubber base’s are the perfect alternative to structure gels for those with flexible or bendy nail types that require a gel enhancement to flex with the natural nail. Flexi gel provides more strength than a traditional standard base coat, whilst helping to prevent the nails from chipping. Most suitable for short nails.
Angel | Builder Gel
Contrary to popular belief, builder gel is not a one size fits all product. This gel type is best suited to those with existing naturally strong, healthy nails. Angel offers additional strength as a natural nail overlay to help support and maintain nail structure & balance. Works best on medium length nails.
Syner Gel | Hybrid Gel
This gel bridges the gap between Angel and Flexi, so if neither of those options work for you this might just be your saving grace. Synergel is a product that offers the best of both worlds; the flexibility of rubber base, combined with the strength of builder gel. It’s applied thinner than traditional structure gels which makes it a great option for clients who prefer the natural look. It’s strong, yet sleek! A versatile product suitable for a variety of lengths, depending on the natural nail type.
Dura Gel | Hard Gel
Hard gel is the best product for sculpted & structured gel enhancements. Dura Gel is the most durable gel within the Nail Order base range, best suited for those with active lifestyles that need a hard wearing product on the nails. As it is a file off gel, clients should book in for regular infills to maintain the balance of their structured manicure, rather than complete removals and new sets at each appointment. Best suited to medium-long nail lengths.
Xtensions | Full Cover Tips
Xtensions full cover tips are fully formed, durable, sculpted, soft gel extensions that are applied to the nails with gel adhesive. There are various lengths and shapes to choose from. Whichever style is best suited to you will depend on your own natural nail length, width, and shape.
How to use our base gels
As with any Nail Order product, we recommend the "Dry Prep" method which helps nail techs remain consistent across all services. Steps are as follows:
- Cuticle work & Side walls
- Lightly etch the nail plate with a 180 grit file, ensuring a light touch, never going over the same area twice or filing through the nail.
- Thoroughly dust off with a dusting brush.
- Apply Primer, Xprime, or Super Grip to the natural nails and let air dry. (This step may vary for Xtensions services depending on your preferred method)
Standard gel polish service: Go in with a thin layer of base coat, ensuring good contact between brush and natural nail. Full cure for 30 seconds. Paint your colour of choice, cure, then top coat.
The approximate cure thickness for our base coat (as well as gel polish and top coat) is 0.1mm. Ensure that you are painting in very thin layers.
Rubber base service: Go in with a thin layer of Ultima gel or Flexi gel, ensuring good contact between brush and natural nail. Full cure for 30 seconds. If the client needs some added strength, paint another thin slip layer over your cured base layer (leave uncured-this will act as a guide) then, float a slightly thicker over top, and fully cure for 30 seconds.
The approximate cure thickness for our rubber base products is 0.3mm.
Builder gel service: Go in with a thin layer of Angel, ensuring good contact between brush and natural nail. Full cure for 60 seconds. Paint another thin slip layer over your cured base layer (leave uncured-this will act as a guide) then, float a slightly thicker over top, and fully cure for 60 seconds. If the client natural nails need added structure, a small apex can be added to the stress point of the nails when applying this structure layer. Refining with a fine liner brush for a perfect finish is recommended. Complete the set with a gel colour of your choice or go straight in with top coat.
Alternatively, after the nails have been cured -if the finish is not perfect- you can wipe the nails down with IPA or our sanitiser using a lint free wipe to remove the inhibition layer, then buff over the nails to refine. Dust off and go in with your colour of choice or top coat.
The approximate cure thickness for our builder gel base products is 1mm.
Hybrid gel service: Go in with a thin layer of Syner Gel, ensuring good contact between brush and natural nail. Full cure for 60 seconds. If the client needs some added strength, paint another thin slip layer over your cured base layer (leave uncured-this will act as a guide) then, float a slightly thicker over top, and fully cure for 60 seconds.
The approximate cure thickness for our hybrid gel base products is 0.6mm. This is a greater cure thickness than Flexi gel, but a lesser cure thickness than Angel, so please bare this in mind during application.
Hard gel service: Go in with a thin layer of Dura Gel, ensuring good contact between brush and natural nail. Full cure for 60 seconds. Paint another thin slip layer over your cured base layer (leave uncured-this will act as a guide) then, float a thicker structure layer over top with the apex added to the stress point of the nails. Refining with a fine liner brush for a perfect finish is recommended. Fully cure for 60 seconds. Complete the set with a gel colour of your choice or go straight in with top coat.
Alternatively, after the nails have been cured -if the finish is not perfect- you can wipe the nails down with IPA or our sanitiser using a lint free wipe to remove the inhibition layer, then buff over the nails with a 180 grit file to refine. Dust off and go in with your colour of choice or top coat.
The approximate cure thickness for our hard gel base products is 2mm.
We appreciate the amount of Dura Gel formulas we have can also be a little confusing, so let's quickly break this down too!
- Dura Gel Original Standard Formula comes in a BLACK pot
- Dura Gel -4 comes in a WHITE pot (free from HEMA, HPMA, IBOA & DI-HEMA)
Dura Gel LITE comes in a pink pot. These are the same dura gel formulas as listed above, just a thinner consistency.
- Dura Gel LITE (Original) comes in a pink pot with a BLACK label
- Dura Gel LITE (-4) comes in a pink pot with a WHITE label
Gel extensions service: If you have primed the natural nails with our standard Primer or Xprime, you will also need to etch the tips (even if the tips are pre-etched) for maximum adhesion and best retention. You can etch full cover tips using a variety of methods, such as Xetch, Efile etch with Sanding bands, or manually etch with our Etch n Prep tool. Once all the nails have been primed and tips etched, you can apply one by one using a gel adhesive of your choice, such as Xgel or Ultima gel, and flash cure under your torch & stand or Xlight.
If you are using a 2in1 primer like Xprep or Super Grip, this is a one nail at a time method. Apply the primer to the natural nail and to the full cover tip, then rub together to ensure full coverage. Apply a bead of your adhesive of choice to the tip and apply to the nail, then flash cure. Repeat this process until all fingers are done.
To learn more about our prep and application methods for each product in detail, make sure to check out our Online & In Person courses!