With a gel tip extension and dip powder combo, you can easily do a complete fashion overhaul of your nails in just a little under an hour. You can even add all sorts of extra decorations like decals and nail stickers to make them stand out even more. In this short guide, we’ll be showing you how to do just that all by yourself using Double Dip’s professional dip powder and gel tip extension kits. You’ll be surprised just how simple the process is!
Preparing all the materials
Double Dip’s Deluxe Dip Powder Mystery Box will be used as a reference in this tutorial, which contains three variations of dip powder color, heart-shaped decals, nail stickers, Valentine’s Day-themed foils, a nail brush, cuticle scissors, and some clear nail swatches. If not included, you will also need the dip powder liquid kit and a mini UV light lamp. As for the nail extensions, the Bellavena Premium gel extension and gelly liquids kit were used. That said, you are absolutely free to use whatever products you feel the most comfortable with, but we highly recommend you give these products a try. You also need a nail clipper, buffer, and a hand file or an electric nail drill (e-file) to shape your nails properly as you go along.
Swatching the Dip Powder
Do this if you are unfamiliar with the dip powder colors and accessories you will be using to test out different combinations and designs. You can also this method to find the right thickness of the dip powder; more layers mean a stronger color but also bulkier nails.
Step 1: Apply the Double Dip base inside the nail swatch.
Step 2: Push the nail swatch into the dip powder, then tap away the excess powder after you take it out.
Step 3: Repeat the first two steps to add another layer of dip powder. Generally, two is enough, but you can do this as many times as you want until you get a desirable consistency.
Related article: Pro Tips for Dipping
Prepping Your Nails
To avoid damaging your natural nails and to make sure your manicure lasts longer, you need to do proper prepping.
Step 1: Push back your cuticles using a cuticle pusher. We do not recommend cutting them because it would leave your nail bed exposed to the chemicals you will be using in your manicure. Bacteria can also enter your nail bed causing infection.
Step 2: Use a hand file or an e-file (set to ~4000 rpm) to remove the shine on the surface of your nail plates. Be sure to dust it away using a nail brush or a lint-free wipe afterward.
Step 3: Apply protein bond. This will dehydrate your nails and make it easier for the tips to adhere to them. Rubbing alcohol can be used as an alternative for the liquid.
Step 4: Apply adhesive primer. This liquid prevents your tips from lifting, thus making them last longer.
Step 5: Apply a thin layer of press-on glue gel. This is a thick and viscous liquid, so it is very important that you spread it evenly on the surface of your nail plates.
Step 6: Cure each nail under the mini UV light lamp for one minute.
Know if dipping powder can harm your natural nails with this article: Can a Dip Powder Starter Kit Harm Natural Nails?
Applying the Gel Extensions
Luxe Gel Tips Medium Stiletto | 300pcs
Once your nails are prepped and ready for the manicure, it’s time to apply the gelly tips. You may need to clip your nails so that the free edge of your nails doesn’t look too thick. Note that you are also going to be applying a tip one at a time to make sure your tips don’t move around before the glue hardens.
Step 1: Your gel tip extensions should come with a wide variety of sizes and shapes of tips, so be sure to assign the correct one for each of your nails before you attach them.
Step 2: Turn on your mini UV light lamp.
Step 3: Put a small amount of the press-on glue gel on the underside of the tip, then push it down from the cuticle area of your nail towards the edge. Make sure you don’t leave any gaps between the tips and your nail plate, as this could be a place where bacteria and fungi can grow.
Step 4: Hold the tip in place, then put your nail under the UV light lamp to cure it. Repeat this process for the rest of your nails.
Step 5: File along the sides of your nails and the cuticle area using a hand file or an e-file.
Step 6: Remove the shine off the surface of your tips with a buffer.
PRO TIPS: You can start putting on your gel tips from the pinky so you don’t end up putting too much glue gel for each subsequent nail plate. Avoid shaking your bottle of glue gel before applying it so it doesn’t end up forming bubbles.
Applying the Manicure
Now for the fun part: applying your dip powder manicure. Just like the gel extensions, we’ll be doing this one finger at a time for the sake of simplicity, but you are also free to do it all at once if you are confident enough in your skills. The pattern you follow will also depend on the nail art design you want to accomplish, so you can deviate slightly from the steps below whenever necessary.
Step 1: Apply the base coat gel on the entire surface of the nail.
Step 2: Dip your finger into the dip powder of your choosing. Be sure not to push your finger in too hard to prevent your tip from moving around. After you take it out, give it a tap to remove any excess powder.
Step 3: Cure your nail under the UV light lamp for one minute.
Step 4: Dust away any excess powder using your nail brush, then repeat the previous steps to add another layer of dip powder.
Step 5: If you haven’t already, do the previous steps for your other nails. Apply activator liquid.
Step 5 (Optional): If you don’t want to add another layer of powder to your nails, you can use liquid builder gel to encapsulate the powder. Hold it upside down after applying the builder gel to allow it to settle before curing it under the UV light lamp
Step 6 (if Step 5 was followed): Remove the sticky surface of the builder gel using rubbing alcohol to prevent it from ruining your file.
Step 7: File your nails to remove bumps and rough surfaces that may arise when the dip powder hardens.
Adding Decorations
Your manicure is almost done. All you need to do now is add decorations to your nails. Of course, you don’t have to follow the next steps word for word unless you want a very similar nail art design. We highly encourage experimentation.
Nail Art Stickers - for this, all you need is to place the sticker of your liking onto your nail. Done!
Nail Art Foils - It works like a temporary tattoo, there is a special liquid for foils that come with the deluxe kit. Apply those on your nails then attach the foil. Take it out carefully afterward.
Nail Decals and Glitter - this process is a little bit more complicated. Refer to the steps below.
Step 1: Apply a thin layer of base coat on your nail.
Step 2: Use a small brush to pick up the glitter, then spread it however you like on the wet gel.
Step 3: Add supplementary decorations like nail decals then cure it.
Step 4: Encapsulate your decorations using liquid builder gel. Cure it, then clean the surface afterward with rubbing alcohol.
Step 5: File your nails.
Finishing Touches
You’re pretty much done! All you need to do now is apply the finishing touches.
Step 1: Apply the top coat over all of your nails.
Step 2: Cure your nails under the UV light lamp for another minute.
Step 3: Rehydrate your nails using nourishing oil by applying it to your cuticles.
Conclusion
Congrats! You just finished your very own DIY glitter ombre! The next time you do it, try experimenting with different designs and patterns that will truly personalize your manicure. If you are interested in other types of manicures, be sure to follow us on our website or visit our Youtube channel for video tutorials with the help of KC Nails. Now go out there and shine!
You can also try out Double French Tip Nails with this article: https://doubledipstore.com/blogs/nail-tutorials/easy-double-french-tip-nail-tutorial-mini-gel-tip-kit
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