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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be disappointed with this gel manicure?

131 replies

Saturdayrabbit42 · 10/05/2025 00:10

As title. Nails short but not bitten etc. (need short nails for work). Went to the salon today, £25 for these. Have had gels elsewhere before elsewhere with same length nails and I was really pleased…not thick/cuticles tidied/edges and skin clean etc. I messaged them when I got home to say that I was disappointed and their reply was my nails were too short and I just had to wait for them to grow. Perhaps they were right and I am being unreasonable?

AIBU
Yes-suck it up buttercup/nails too short
No-dogs dinner, even if short result should be better than this!

PS realise this is a very first world problem!

To be disappointed with this gel manicure?
To be disappointed with this gel manicure?
To be disappointed with this gel manicure?
To be disappointed with this gel manicure?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Jackrussellsaremad · 10/05/2025 08:20

Your nails look like little round circles. Not good.

MellowPinkDeer · 10/05/2025 08:22

It’s not great but your nails are very very short and the colour just makes it look worse. White is only nice on long slim nails. im not sure why you bothered getting them done tbh, a manicure might have been better to work on the cuticles and shape without the thickness of gels .

twilightcafe · 10/05/2025 08:24

Panamacatinahat · 10/05/2025 07:54

Putting gel nails on such short unkempt nails just highlights how bad they look. I wouldn’t have bothered. Tend them and take care of them. Let them grow a bit before going for a colour.

What she said!

Get into the habit of oiling your nails at least twice a day to nourish your cuticles and encourage nail growth.

ohmondew · 10/05/2025 08:24

Where are people getting all these 25£ manicures? I'm in NI in a generally cheap area and the cheapest near me (aside from those walk in places full of trafficked staff) is 35/40.

Back on topic, they haven't prepped your cuticles properly. How long did the tech spend?

ym56 · 10/05/2025 08:25

These are terrible 🙈 but the actual nails themselves would be really difficult to work on.

I suggest the next time you go as previous poster has said, go for a builder in a bottle, neutral colour and help them grow and get stronger, if short nails are you preference it will only take a month or so for them to grow to be in line with your fingertips and they will look much better.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 10/05/2025 08:25

I think there’s a combination of things here. They have not done a good job and the gel looks bulky but they’re also too short to really be shaped. The colour is doing no favours either.

Vanillalime · 10/05/2025 08:26

Ah, this looks a bit amateur and not what I’d expect from a professional nail tech. They haven’t even managed to file them properly.

However, I’m so glad you posted OP as I am heading to the nail salon today and was planning on getting the same colour. Think I will go for something more neutral instead 🤣🙈

elusiveemz · 10/05/2025 08:27

ohmondew · 10/05/2025 08:24

Where are people getting all these 25£ manicures? I'm in NI in a generally cheap area and the cheapest near me (aside from those walk in places full of trafficked staff) is 35/40.

Back on topic, they haven't prepped your cuticles properly. How long did the tech spend?

I pay £35 for a full set of acrylics, £25 for infills in Wales.

Whispee · 10/05/2025 08:27

Looks like the tip ex nails we all did at secondary school!

A decent nail tech would have advised this wasn't the most suitable treatment because of the length, but regardless of that they should have prepped better.

U53rn8m3ch8ng3 · 10/05/2025 08:27

Yeah does look pretty awful. But also did you shape your nails like that when you cut them short? Theys no shaping at all.

Jk987 · 10/05/2025 08:27

They should have put nail tips on.

Banmooo · 10/05/2025 08:29

That's what mine look like when my nine year old does my nails.

Coconutter24 · 10/05/2025 08:30

Panamacatinahat · 10/05/2025 07:54

Putting gel nails on such short unkempt nails just highlights how bad they look. I wouldn’t have bothered. Tend them and take care of them. Let them grow a bit before going for a colour.

Putting gel on them even though highlights how short they are, will help them grow, they’ll probably grow quicker with the gel on because people can’t pick, bite, break their nails

Coconutter24 · 10/05/2025 08:31

Jk987 · 10/05/2025 08:27

They should have put nail tips on.

That’s not what Op asked for though

Jimmyneutronsforehead · 10/05/2025 08:33

Your nails are too short. You need to go to a salon that offers builder in a bottle services and make weekly appointments until they're the desired length and condition to have a proper gel manicure.

Also agree with pp this colour is so bright and eye catching it rarely looks good because it's such an attention grabber. Your nails would have to be perfect to pull it off.

ItGhoul · 10/05/2025 08:36

They shouldn’t have agreed to do gel on nails as short as that. They’re too short to shape evenly and the colour just makes that stand out.

IberianBlackout · 10/05/2025 08:36

YANBU but to be honest I think that colour choice would always look a bit unfortunate

EquinoxQueen · 10/05/2025 08:38

Too short, wrong shape for your finger shape which emphasises the shortness and the colour does not help at all. Cuticles haven’t been well prepped.

MayaPinion · 10/05/2025 08:42

Your first mistake was choosing Tippex white. On nails that’s short you should have gone for a colour that blended in better to elongate your fingers - something low contrast like rose pink. It’s not a great manicure but she didn’t have a lot to work with. They’ll look a lot better once they grow out but you’ll need to lay off the gel nail polish - it’s terrible for nails.

pinkstripeycat · 10/05/2025 08:45

Definitely see if you can get a refund and go elsewhere OP.

If they’ve filed them to this length then I’m shocked. They look sore. They do look bitten as they’re so uneven and so low. I bite my nails (gross I know) and they look like this.

The gel looks wobbly, like a child has done it. Even I can paint nails with polish better than this and I’m no manicurist.

CoastalCalm · 10/05/2025 08:45

A natural nail in BIAB would be better

Lovelife85 · 10/05/2025 08:48

I wouldn’t have got my nails painted with them being so short.It looks like they’ve been done with tippex.
Maybe concentrate on growing your nails first as these look awful.

Whatevernext9 · 10/05/2025 08:50

Agree with pretty much everyone here OP. I haven’t had a manicure in a while as I’ve been working in a kitchen and gardening, but I use this on my now v short nails. It’s surprising how much stronger it makes the nail, and it has a slight tint which makes things look more polished.
https://uk.manucurist.com/products/active-glow

Active Glow™ - Nail Care | Manucurist

The First Nail Care Enhancer for Deep Nourishment & Natural Radiance!

https://uk.manucurist.com/products/active-glow

dudsville · 10/05/2025 08:51

I think you're going to have a hard time getting a nice looking outcome here. Since you have to keep your nails short, I think you'd be better off keeping them nicely trimmed with a very good handcrafted and oiled nails. If you want a polish, then look for a colour that really suits your skin tone

Viviennemary · 10/05/2025 08:57

Not surprised you are unhappy. But why didn't you have nail extensions of some sort. Your nails are far too short too look good with only varnish.