gel polish 101
This is your starting point. Applying, removing, making nails stronger. Every step in a few lines, and when you want more, the full blog is one click away.
how to apply gel polish at home
Applying gel polish is mostly a matter of doing things in the right order. A little prep, four steps numbered on the bottles, 30 seconds of light per layer, and the manicure is finished the second the lamp clicks off. This is the whole routine in the order you’ll do it, plus the small habits that decide how many days you get.
how to remove gel polish at home
Removal is where good manicures go to die, or where they end exactly as gracefully as they began. The difference is method, and the method follows your base: the peel-off manicure comes off in one piece, the soak-off manicure takes about ten minutes and a little patience. Both routes, every step, and the honest list of what never to do.
how to do a cat eye manicure
Cat eye gel polish is the closest a manicure gets to a magic trick: ultra-fine metallic pigment that gathers into a band of light wherever you hold the magnet, then locks in place under the lamp. The technique is genuinely simple, but it rewards knowing a few things before your first try. This is the full guide: both methods, the angle games, and the honest troubleshooting.
how to combine the peel-off and soak-off base
Want the strength of the soak-off base without the soaking? Put the peel-off base underneath. The extra layer, the order, and why it comes off by peeling.
frequently asked questions
How do I apply gel polish at home?
Prep first: clean, push back, file, buff. Then follow the numbers on the bottles. 01 prepper, 02 base coat, 03 colour in two thin coats, 04 top coat. Every layer gets 30 seconds under the miure lamp. It's the same four steps every time, so you never have to wonder what comes next.
Do I need a lamp?
Yes. Gel polish doesn't cure without one. The miure lamp is cordless, takes the whole hand at once (thumb included) and does up to 15 manicures per charge. Already have one? miure cures under any standard LED lamp. Ours was simply tested with our formula.
Should I wash my hands before I start?
No, and that surprises everyone. Soap leaves a residue that weakens the grip. Use the cleaner instead: it degreases the nail and leaves nothing behind. Wash your hands after the manicure, when it can't cost you anything.
How thick should each coat be?
Thin. Always thin. Two thin coats of colour cure better than one thick one, and full cure is what lasts. Seal the free edge with every layer. That's where the wear starts.
Peel-off or soak-off base coat?
Pick the one that matches your nails and your week. If you like to switch colours often, go peel-off: up to 12 days, hands only. If you want your colour to stay put, go soak-off: 14 days and more, and toes too. Same colours, same steps, different level of commitment.
Why is my gel polish lifting?
It's almost never the polish. It's almost always a skipped step: oil left on the nail, cuticle under the base, coats that are too thick, or an edge that wasn't sealed. Do the full prep, keep it thin and seal every edge. If your nails are oily, prepper is the answer.
How do I remove a peel-off manicure?
Put a drop of cleaner on each nail and wait a moment. Lift the side edge with the cuticle pusher, then pull towards the tip in one move. If it clings, add another drop. No soaking, no acetone, about a minute in total.
How do I remove a soak-off manicure?
Use the 180 grit side of the file to take off the shine and colour until you see your natural nail colour. Wrap each nail in a wipe soaked in remover, hold it with the removal clips and wait about ten minutes. Gently push the polish off with the cuticle pusher, then buff away anything left.
Does removal damage my nails?
No. Damage comes from removal done wrong, like peeling off a manicure that should have been soaked. The file only touches the polish, never your nail. Not sure which base you're wearing? If it resists, soak it.
What do I do after removal?
Give something back. Work one drop of cuticle oil into each nail. One rule: oil and gel polish don't bond. If you're going straight into a new colour, save the oil for after that manicure, or leave two days between the care and the colour.