Gel nail polish- help.

[PollyPerky]

I don't understand the differences.

If I use some cheap gel polish- ie Rimmel- do I need a special polish remover, will it be hard to get off, what's the difference?

I'd like to know too..

come on everyone, I'm popping out soon!

I understood that if you had gel done in a salon it was a real faff and you went back to have it topped up and repairs made etc. Like it was some really major operation.

But what about the stuff you buy for £4.99 and do at home?

Nope - just make sure it's acetone based 😊

No, unless it's cured under a lamp you need normal polish remover.

so gel polish that you just slap on like the ordinary stuff is no different really? (As long as you are not suring it under UV light?)

The gel one in shops is like normal stuff! Except thanks to the top coat it's supposed to last a little longer. However the gel in most nail bars is put under a lamp and won't come off with regular nail polish remover. Hope this helps x

The gel polish you get at salons isn't too difficult to remove at home either - just buy a bottle of acetone, dip a cotton wool pad in it, put the soaked pad over your fingernail then wrap it in tinfoil. Leave for 10 mins and you can then easily scrape it off.
For any nail polish you put on at home, presuming you are not curing it with a heat lamp you should just be able to remove it with normal nail polish remover. Think the rimmel 'gel' polish is just marketing speak.

Thanks! I'm not a huge polish fan anyway but had seen more shades that were listed as 'gel' so wondered what was what!

The rimmel gel polish is tough to remove, but can be done without a salon visit.

I soak cotton wool in acetone, press on the nail and wrap foil around the nail tightly.

Give it 5-10 minutes and it should slide right off.

Just normal running doesn't get it off in a hurry.

I think only polish dried with a
UV lamp needs professional removing.

Norma rubbing *

The ones in shops are just normal polish. It's just marketing to call them gel effect as gel manicures are so popular.
You need normal remover.

Rimmel gel polish is like normal polish but more long lasting and has the gel shine. You use the top coat but no lamp. It comes off with normal varnish remover. I really rate it - I am hard on my nails and I can get nearly a week out of it.

Then ones sold in high street shops are "gel effect" rather than gel, aren't they?

You can buy remover pots and wraps on the high street

High street gel polish is just super shiny polish.

All gel polishes in salons require buffing & priming except shellac because it's not a gel.

Hard gel is an extension that requires filing to remove.

I get shellac on an acrylic base. However, because my nails grow at a frightening pace I've bought the Rimmel gel and top coat to do a bit of a home job to cover up the nail growth a bit so I can stretch visits out to 3 weeks.

You do need an acetate remover and it does have a slightly more gloopy texture and glossy finish. It also goes off very quickly. Once exposed to the air I only got a couple of uses before it went all sticky.