What makes a home manicure look professional?

[Mygardenandme]

I do my own gel nails. They are neat, cuticles tidy etc. They are short and all the same length. My shaping is a work in progress. They are perfectly presentable.

But! If you put my nails next to some done by a professional mine definitely look amateur. Even if they were perfectly shaped, they still like I did them.

So what would elevate them? What are the professionals doing differently?

FYI - I tend to wear classical colours eg neutrals, very dark red etc. No nail art but I might occasionally have a bit of glitter or have one nail a different colour if Im feeling adventurous.

Have you got one of those lamps to dry the nails ?

If you want a professional finish you will have to pay professional prices. It really devalues something that someone has spent a long time training for and practicing when people want an expensive finish without the price.

What a weird thing to say..

If OP gets the skill to give her self a really good home manicure, she's not devaluing anything - anymore than my killer loaves of bread devalue Gregs..

I did a one day course so I could do my own/friends nails. Wasn’t cheap but in the long term saves a hell of a lot. I got a qualification and certificate so it’s also enabled me to purchase gels/lamps/tools from professional companies, rather than the cheap DIY kits from Amazon or Mylee. Also learned a lot about nail and skin health. I found correct prep and professional products has made a massive difference to the overall look. As always though, practice makes perfect.

What prep do you do? I get a smooth result and I dont get any peeling or chips so I think my prep is good?
I dont buff my bare nails but my nails are naturally rough and like I said, the gel only comes off when I remove it.

I thought the Mylee kits were pretty good - no?

I understand that but I just cant afford £80 a month. I refuse to go to a conveyor belt nail bar.

And surely you can say that about most things anyway? We've ordered some wallpaper but wont be paying someone to hang it.

I think so. I did a lot of research before buying the kit and that was the general consensus from experts.

where do you live? I go to a (non conveyor belt!) nail bar where it is 23 quid a set. I have them done every 2-3 weeks. I had tried a couple of times to do them myself with various kits (own gels and lamps and those powder dip kits) and persisted a bit, but always gone back to professional as I think they do just look better, sorry!

Mylee is not a professional product. It's pretty nasty stuff.

If you want to improve the finish of your DIY manicures, you could use a very small liner brush to get right up to the cuticle in a neat curve, rather than relying on the brush from the bottle. It will also look neater as it grows out.

Thank you. That makes sense.

Nowhere special. The standard price varies between about £35 and £45 in a salon. I did think about going to the beauty college but (obviously) they are only open when Im at work.

I think like everything it’s practice practice practice. If you are doing yours every couple of weeks it won’t look as good as one done by someone who does this for a living.

I do full cuticle prep either by hand or with an electric file (I did do a course on the electric file but still find it v scary so prefer to just use hand tools) - cuticle push back and removal/trim, I use a tool to etch the nail plate very gently instead of buffing. Professional tools and products also make a big difference. I use a prep wipe before the base coat. And I cure with the same lamp that matches my gels. Plenty of cuticle oil daily.
If your nails are looking smooth and lovely, you’re probably just you being harsh on yourself comparing it to a professionals work. Don’t forget they also pose pictures using natural lighting and will post the best pictures.

I did stay off using Mylee but the more research I did I now wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole, and wouldn’t trust any professional manicurist that tells you it’s ok.

It’s so hard. I used to do my own and was decent at it.
process: Soak off old gel, push and trim cuticles, buff, gel polish process. Decent kit bought and high quality tools, managed to get lower price but still cheap salon standard. However, this was during Mat leave. I went straight back to my nail tech as she is a world apart, about £90 a month for full mani with nail art and luxe pedi both with gel. Not terrible I’d say.