IBD Nails Day 1, 2, & 3

Day 3 IBD Gel Nails Pic

My nails looked great after I finished them I was very pleased. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of my nails first done but I do have pics for Day 3.

The process was EXTREMELY simple. I'm actually quite surprised how simple it was to do my nails with the right tools.

First thing was buffing the tops of my nails with a buffer block (which gets rid of shine and dehydrates the nail) and then cleaning my nails with rubbing alcohol.

I made the mistake of first using drugstore nail glue (KISS) for my nail tips. Before you do any of this make sure you have good glue! I lost a tip the second day and that made the gel crack and created air spaces.

Anyways, after applying all of the nail tips to my nails I cut them using a nail cutter specifically for tips. Then you file down the corners a little bit until your nails are shaped the way you want them to be.

Then wipe I wiped my nails off again with rubbing alcohol to clean away the dust and get rid of any oil that might have gotten on my nails in the process.

I applied a thin coat of IBD bonder/primer all over each nail and cured in an LED lamp for 1 min.

I should mention, although it says to use a UV lamp in the instructions I was curious to try out my Sensationail LED Lamp because my UV lamp had not arrived yet. As far as I can tell it works perfectly.

I will try using the LED and the UV (one on each hand) next time and see if it makes a difference with how long the gel lasts.

From what I've read, LED lights are stronger and therefore faster at curing. I did a lot of research on UV vs LED and I really couldn't find a lot on the topic so I will experiment with both and maybe save some of you the hassle of having two lights for different products.

Anyway after curing the bonder/primer, I applied a thin layer of clear gel and cured that for 1 min. I then applied another coat of gel and cured that for 3 mins.

The last part of this was applying the Intense Seal to add shine and smooth out the top. I cured that for 2 mins.

That whole process is surprisingly quick I was very impressed. Especially since I'm use to having to take 4 hrs out of my day to get the perfect salon nails at home from lightless UV kits from the drugstore (that look good for about 3 days)...never again!!

Day 2

Lost 2 tips because the glue didn't hold well....so I went to Sally's and bought better glue.

Day 3

Tips were fine, noticed some lifting in the corners which I think is due to my own fault of getting a bit of the gel on my skin. Very minor though. Also noticed some cracks in either the top coat or gel itself...other people wouldn't notice it because they are hair pin cracks but I could see them and it bugs me....

See the lifting in the corner??

Day 4

Lost a tip that had the old glue on it... I did put the new glue underneath all of my other nails but that can only do so much....so now I need to redo that nail with the new glue.

That's as far as my journey has gone so far....

I really want to try the 'builder' gel which I've already ordered. The soak-off clear gel has a thinner consistency than the builder gel from what I've seen on tutorials.

If you have naturally uneven nail surfaces, such as I do, with little dips and whatnot, I would recommend trying the builder gel. It's suppose to be self-leveling and be a little thicker.

Once I get that in I will post the results.

Hope this was helpful and if you have any questions just post them up!

~Gwen S~

IBD Nail Products For Doing Your Nails at Home

Here are the IBD nail products I purchased off Ebay. I meant to order the 'Soak-Off Clear Builder Gel' but the shipper sent me the 'Soak-Off Clear Gel'. They are different in consistency so I ordered the builder gel as well and I'm still waiting for it to come in.

The products I purchased is the IBD bonder/primer, IBD soak-off remover, IBD Intense seal, IBD soak-off clear gel, and also an IBD #6 flat brush that is not in this picture. You will also need a curing lamp.

Currently I'm on Day 4 of my IBD nails and I've lost a tip because I was using KISS glue, which is just not as strong as other glues. Unlike Acrylic, gel will NOT keep your nail tip from coming off so it is definitely worth it to go to a beauty store and purchase 'salon grade' glue.

Some other things that will come in handy in the future would be a metal cuticle pusher, electric nail file, a block buffer, a nail tip cutter, and a 100/180 grit nail file which is good for filing down artificial nails.

~Gwen S~

How To Soak Off Acrylic Nails

This is a "How To" on getting rid of your acrylic nails. I've struggled with this so much and have made my nails so brittle doing this the wrong way.

You don't need to go to a salon to get your nails soaked off.

First here's some tools you need to have to start this process:

1. 100% Acetone ($3 or $4) at Walmart, Shoppers, or other drug stores or department stores.

2. Metal Cuticle Pusher/Scraper

3. Nail File (rough grit or electric nail drill)

4. Cotton Balls

5. Aluminum Foil

6. Cuticle Oil


These things are ESSENTIAL to get this done quickly and properly. And it's still not a fun process.

In my previous post I was saying how I used to soak my nails in a bowl of acetone for 15-20 mins. This is just not the way to go...trust me. Its hard on your nails and your skin and the smell will give you a headache.

What you want to do first is cut your tips as short as possible and file the top of the nail down as much as possible. Be careful to file down your actual nail. The purpose of this is to physically remove as much of the acrylic as possible before using the acetone.

Then take the aluminum foil and tear them into thin strips that can easily wrap around your fingers.

Have a bunch of cotton balls at hand (I tear each cotton ball into smaller parts, just big enough to cover each nail) and soak the cotton balls in the acetone, place it on top of your nail and wrap your finger with aluminum foil (this prevents the acetone from evaporating).

This is a way better way of doing it because your skin is left alone, although if you want you can put some petroleum jelly on the skin surrounding the nail to protect it even more.

And you just wait.....for 15 mins or so.

After 15 mins remove the foil (only one finger at a time) and take your metal cuticle pusher and scrape away the acrylic. It will be mushy and should scrape away fairly easy. If not, replace the cotton ball and foil and soak for awhile longer.

Only remove the foil one finger at a time. If you remove all of the foil at once, the acrylic re-hardens and you will have to replace the foil and soak again. So work with one finger at a time.

If you have soaked your nail long enough the acrylic will be mushy and will scrape away. You have to be fairly quick because the acrylic will harden.

After you have removed the acrylic from your nails, wash your hands and apply cuticle oil. Your nails might be very brittle after having acrylic on them. You might choose to put on a nourishing top coat then applying cuticle oil afterwards.

Be good to your nails for a bit because they will need a little TLC.

I know I'm not the biggest fan of acrylics. I like how they are durable and very long-lasting but I definitely prefer gel to acrylics...which I will talk about in another post.

~Gwen S~