People who do their own nails, talk to me please

[OhBollocksFuck]

My mum has just had her first ever manicure and is very impressed but now wants to start doing them at home herself. I want to get her some good professional stuff but I have no idea what I'm doing.

She likes gel varnish and for her nails to be that pale pink-y colour so it doesn't totally look like you've got anything on them at first, just really healthy nails. I think she had OPI bubblegum put on at the salon- that kind of colour.

Can you please help me with:

A good, professional nail file...
A good undercoat...
A good gel...
Anything else you think's needed...

I don't mind spending quite a bit of money but I want to make sure I get good stuff!

Thanks

I'd recommend a nail drier - I got lots of lovely gel polishes for Christmas last year and they all smudged or wouldn't dry properly. My mum bought me a little black box with a heating device in it which I stick my nails in for a few minutes (its all timed) and they sort of bake on. Much better!

Tbh I think she got it from somewhere like B n M or Tesco or similar. But I use it for all my polishes now - they dry lovely.

Nails Inc soho silk base coat
Or seche vite base coat
Leighton Denny glass file
A nice cuticle oil
Seche vite top coat
Nails Inc Porchester Square

Do you mean a gel that's cured by a lamp?

I don't think there's much of an art to it really- just slap on a gel colour and a top coat and sit still for half an hour.

Obvs at the salon, there's much more to it. But I can't afford Shellac anymore so do it myself and I think I do a decent job.

No7 do great colours, so do Barry M, and bizarrely, Essence at Wilko (for £1.60).

Thanks everyone for the advice so far

Wolfie I don't know. I know nothing about nails! Are there gels that you need a lamp for and gels that you don't?

leccy Your nails look very nice

Does she want to do her own gel nails, or does she want gel-type polish that she can do without the heat curing? Most brands now do a gel topcoat, but my experience of them is they go really thick and gloopy quickly, plus they take a long time to dry - I don't rate them.

My suggestions would be:

Base coat - Orly Bonder - this is a sort of "rubbery" texture, so the nailpolish really sticks to it, unlike a shiny surface
Topcoat - Jessica Brilliance - dries super-quick, lasts a long time, and nice and shiny (not gel)

In terms of colour, Essie have lots of nice pale shades, but if you wanted something treaty then YSL nailpolishes are very good. The new revamped Chanel polishes are much better in terms of not chipping, and a lovely present to give/receive.

I think it's the gel-type polish she wants.

Thanks for those suggestions..

God I'm completely rubbish with nails!

Fabulous nails leccy

OP, here's what I use:
nail file - Tweezerman (Superdrug or Boots)
base coat - Rimmel
top coat - Leighton Denny or Seche Vite, I prefer LD
Cuticle oil - CND Solar Oil
Hand cream - nothing fancy, Vaseline Intensive Care is v good
colours - Essie, OPI, Rimmel are my favourites

I get my nails done professionally (basic manicure) once a month to keep my cuticles in check but paint and maintain them myself in between

As you say you're prepared to invest a bit of money, can I suggest Dior gel top coat? I've been using it since it came out and I can't do without.
Lovely quality and doesn't tend to go gloomy. I use it on top of my regular polishes and I often get comments asking where I get my nails done as they're so shiny.

Thanks everyone!

I use Essie everything.

Essie basecoat, two layers of Essie nail colour, then Essie top coat. Lasts a week easily ( I usually take off and redo each weekend for ease as that's most convenient)

OPI nail polish isn't gel unless it's OPI gel colour which is a professional only product and cured under a lamp.
Did she have a normal polish manicure or gel polish?
If she loves it then she should continue getting the treatment professionally. It's not going to look the same done DIY. Part of the reason it looks great is the manicure and skill of the nail tech.

If she's after gel nails, I would recommend a Sensationail starter kit (either from Sensationail website or Boots). I got mine on offer for £35, do my own gels and I'm loving them. You can choose a sensationail colour to be included in the kit.

If she wants traditional nail polish, then go for a Leighton Deny glass file, opi envy original base coat, opi bubble bath polish, Seche vite top coat. All are excellent, top quality products.

Maybe add a good hand cream too? L'occitane, Crabtree and Evelyn, Body Shop Hemp, Clarins are all excellent.

I also recommend Sensationail. Cheaper direct from their own website vs Boots. I do mine every 3 weeks and have been doing for last few years. Prior to that I was going to a salon every 3 weeks. Took a couple of goes doing my own before I got the hang of it but now you wouldn't know it wasn't a professional job.

nails inc do a gel that you don't need a uv lamp for.

This stuff makes your nails long and strong, apply as base coat and top coat and ur colour stays in place, can't recommend it enough
www.amazon.co.uk/Nailtiques-Formula-Nail-Protein-14/dp/B000BB9M2A/ref=pd_bxgy_194_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1BXM5808WWM5F2XPS48W