In this video we go over the mistakes nail stylists make when creating a natural nail apex on a gel overlay, and two ways to fix it. We also go over what a structured gel overlay is.
When creating a natural nail apex on a structured gel overlay and using premium soft gel, you must understand the viscosity of the soft potted gel formula. It is not super runny or super thick. It has just enough self-leveling for a natural nail overlay. I luvz it!
We’ll be talking about a structured application, but more specifically where we may place the apex incorrectly.
Transcript:
All right, here I have my base gel and my soft builder gel.
I will be structuring the nails with this, our builder Joe, in case you’re like, what do you mean by structuring a structure? Joe Manicure is one that has a volume to it has structured and just like you would structure any building so that it stays upright and properly balance a structure. Joe Maneker is just that a nail that is properly balanced, it has the correct structure, has the correct thickness all around, and especially that apex area is nice and center and has the correct thickness.
OK, this area where the smile line is is preferably where your apex should land or at minimum, this area here at the smile line. So the area of the free edge and the body of the nail where they connect, that’s the area for the placement of the apex. That’s where your apex should be. Because if this nail or this free edge is going to break, it’s going to break at the stress point. And those stress points are at the corners of the smile.
That is your stress point, which means it needs to be reinforced via a structured application. The first mistake we make when applying our APACS is applying our job to think and simply forgetting to include an API. So we’re going to grab a big dollop of Joe. We are going to apply it right. And you are going to be like, well, the more the merrier. And you’re totally going to omit placing an apex on this tail because you’re like, well, is Steg, I have enough product under surely the snail cannot break.
And so you leave thick area here in a thick area there sometimes somehow some way. You just kind of managed to leave some interesting gap in the center there in that apex area. So what do I recommend when doing a structured application or an overlay that has volume to it for strength? Well, here we go. I’m going to go ahead and remove this clear gel for the most part, and now I’m going to show you what you should do instead.
So let’s imagine that this now it’s been prepped. We’ve done cuticle work and all of that. We’ve buffed it and now it’s time to apply our base coat. So we would go ahead and apply our base show. Then we would come back and apply. And only now you can apply your overlay application. So your soft build or gel that you’re going to be using to structure the now now you can structure them now with a gel base especially, we’re using soft premium gel like we do in this channel.
Japanese gel nail brands like Vetro, Kokoist, and Leafgel allow you to do it with only your base gel. But if your client has longer nails like so, I would definitely recommend that you come in with yourself, Joe Builder, and reinforce that now. Otherwise this nail will tear if it only is overlayed with a base show. Now, if you’re structuring your gel manicure with a soft build builder, Joe, do not worry about structuring your job application. Simply go ahead and apply that gel based.
Just a generous, thin layer all over the nail and then come here and come back with this soft gel build. Your soft job builder is what you’re going to use to strengthen to structure this long, natural nail here. OK, second mistake we make is putting our apex way up here, right? So we add all of the volume of that Joe way back there. So I’m going to apply a thin self leveling layer on the entire nail here.
So we grab a big drop. Big mistake is to kind of just apply it up here and then just kind of let it chill there. Right. And that’s kind of it if you look at this nail here. It’s then over here, which is nice, but now it’s super thick and it almost feels like this now needs to be reversed, like this area needs to be on the critical area and this area needs to be over here. Now, do you need a thick application at the base of the nail?
Someone not like this, though, you do need a little bit so that it doesn’t kind of like peel or kind of come off as if it flexes during, like, your day to day stuff you can lift over there of this area. The category is too thin, but you don’t want to leave it hanging there, even if it’s self level, because you do need some strength also in your fridge. The whole idea of soft Perdigão builder’s or premium soft Charles, is that they’re nice and thin and they look natural.
They will never look super thick because that’s just not their formulation. Already, the third mistake we make when placing an apex is to actually leave the free edge way too thick or thicker and really no gel in the back of the cuticle area. Now, that is important because you do need some segments at the critical area because you don’t want that gel to lift there with the, you know, everyday natural flexing of the nail. So you’re reaching for something.
You’re grabbing something not you’re using your nails has tools. But if it flexes here, it’s like lifting on this side. So what this mistake will look like is something like this. So you’ll grab a little thin amount of child to self level. And then you’re going to grab a bigger dollar to self level, and so then you may leave a thick three edge if you apply your chow. OK, and then you just kind of let us sit there, so now we’ve got a situation here where your fridge is left to deck.
You see that that is not pretty at all. And so how do you fix it? So how is the correct way, Paula, to apply myself to a builder so that I don’t make these mistakes? OK, you have to remember the characteristics of soft build or soft filter gel from our premium brands, virtually Joe and Coco. I’m talking because these are like the ones that are familiar with. They are somewhat runny somewhere around the viscosity of a medium viscosity, not hard like a sculpting gel, even though you use it for sculpting and not then like a really thin, watery base either.
So there they lie somewhere in the middle. And believe it or not, that’s perfect. That’s what gives you those natural now overlays while staying structured and having nice volume to them. OK, so here’s how you will take care of ensuring that your builder stay structured just where you want it to. So I’m going to play a slip layer making sure that this lip layer is everywhere I want it to be. Imagine if you were applying it just in one piece.
It’s nice and even everything is nice and straight. If I would pull this off, it would be like one nice sticker and in the form of this now. OK, so yes, you can start at the critical area, but your gel is not going to stay there. So just touch. Does Killgore area bring it down. Kind of start working that you pattern write you all the way down, all the way down and then kind of stop right there, touch the free edge, bring your string up, get rid of the excess and then.
Combing through make sure it goes wherever you want it to go. And personally, I always rely on gravity to do the work for me, so I’m always going to turn my client’s hand upside down and then I’m just going to correct any imperfection before carrying. And then if it’s perfect, it should be a nice, solid line down the center. And there it is. Here’s another way you can apply your builder child so that you don’t have pooling either at the critical area, the front edge or both are members of Perdigão formula.
It’s not a sculpting or a sculpture gel with super thick and viscosity. It’s a little bit runny, just a little bit. I mean, I could still in the salon apply even all five fingers and allow it to self level without it actually flooding into the critical area. If it floods into the category, you’re applying way too much there. And when you apply your slip layer, maybe you touch the skin any time you touch the skin that is going to run into the skin.
So you have to clear that application with alcohol. So grab your lint free toweled and wipe it down and reapply. OK, so the second way to apply your style filter gel for a structured application. So that has a nice apex. It’s applied like a thick layer of the south polar gel. You can leave it like this again in May last on the client like it’s kind of like how we first apply. But the best thing to do is to give it an apex to really strengthen this application.
So all you have to do with this type of Joe, you’re going to drop in there like a millimeter or two away from the tip of the fridge and then just call my back and then boom, that’s it. And this will give you the perfect self love. Like it will take a little while. You can call it a little bit if you want to. What I mean by coming off, taking the tip of your brush and going in there without ruining the apex.
And then do this on all of the fingers that you feel comfortable working with, so you feel comfortable working with two fingers, do it until you feel comfortable working on four fingers or four and so on and so forth. Again, I always rely on gravity to give me the proper placement, strongly, strongly recommend with soft gel formulas, otherwise that Josia is going to fall flat because it does have some weight to it. Even though it’s not like a thick sculptor gel, it still has some weight to it.
And so it will just fall down and cause, you know, to just be one thick flat now, which will last, but it won’t necessarily be pretty. And then just any final coming. And that’s no way for there not to be any break in your reflection of the light there. And then you can’t if you would work on four fingers, it will self level all very fast, very nicely. Right now we’re just waiting on one nail to self level.
So it does take a little bit of time, but it gets there. He’s it’s nice and beautiful. It’s nice and thin especially. But, you know, you just saw me add a whole bunch of gel. So, you know that the gel, no matter that it has already dispersed, you know that it’s there. All right. Time to care. All right. And to know that you’ve done an amazing job, I always recommend you use a nice, beautiful red color.
You can be even more critical in yourself and use a white color. But we’re not going to do that tonight. And because, remember, we applied a thick layer. We know that the entire perimeter of the nail is thick and balanced. And all we did was come in with a drop of gel, a thicker drop of a bead of gel and allow that to self level where it matters. And a second covid looking beautiful. And here’s the deal.
Believe it or not, your top coat shines the most. If there is no breakage in the light, if there is breakage in the light. So if there’s bumpiness and imperfections in your structured overlay application, then your top coat is not going to shine at is flat. When you have a nice, beautiful light, a reflection like so your top coat, it’s going to do what it’s supposed to do and shine bright like a diamond. And here’s our final product.
Notice how thin it is. But again, you know that we put a whole bunch of gel in there. So it’s self level, but it’s just the nature of how this product material curious, just curious thinly and allows us to use a lot of gel to reinforce the now. All right. Let me know. Your thoughts is in softhearted. Just amazing. Make sure to check out our brand new masterclass down in the description box below. We’ll see you on the next.
Bye for now.
