Semi-Cured Gel Nail instruction
This is not like any other posts on this website but I get a lot of questions about the type of nails that I use and I love talking about them and sharing about them! I’m constantly getting asked for info on where I purchase, and can I share links to everything so I thought it might make more sense to put all of the information into a post so I can share ONE link with all of the relevant information to make it easier for everyone involved.
I will also say that this is NOT an MLM. I share these products because I use them and like them. I get no free product or $$ for sharing about them.
What are semi-cured gel nails?
Semi-cured gel nails are kind of a cross between wraps (which are essentially nail polish stickers) and acrylic or dip nails. If you are familiar with gel polish, these work similarly in that you need a UV light to “harden or cure” the gel which makes the polish last way longer than regular polish manicure.
Semi-cured gel nails are 60% cured gel “stickers” that you stick on your nails and trim and then you put them under a UV light to “cure” to 100%. This makes them feel more like acrylic on your nails and not like a simple sticker.
How do you apply them?
The best part about semi-cured gel nails is that they are pretty simple to apply at home and will save you $$$ and time going to get a professional manicure done. They are slightly more complicated than simply polishing your nails, but they will last way longer and they look much more professional than simple polish.
Basic application:
Prep your nail surface: push cuticles back, trim or file if necessary, buff the surface of the nail
Wash hands: Wash with dawn dish soap or something similar to remove oils from hands
Wipe with alcohol wipe: wipe all finger nails and beds of nails with alcohol
Apply nails: take stickers off one by one and apply to corresponding nail size. Press the stickers down aggressively to ensure good adhesion. Push down edges with orange stick.
Trim off any excess sticker
Cure: do two 60 second cure cycles or until nails feel hard and stiff to the touch
File: once nails are solid, file the ends to desired shape
Apply no wipe Top Coat, cure for one cycle. I like this one and this one.
What you need to use semi-cured gel nails
You pretty much just need the basics for any at home manicure - cuticle pusher and trimmer, nail file and buffer, and either scissors or nail clippers - and a UV light, top coat and remover.
Everything else you need will come in your box of nails. You’ll get the sheets of nails, a file, and an orange stick which you can use for various things.
This is what I use:
Nail brands I like:
Zinipin nails by Gellight
These are my personal favorite mainly because I like the thickness and the shapes of their nails fit my nails the best. The sheets are also identical so I know exactly which sticker to se for which nail. They have a good amount of solid colors which I tend to like better than the designs.
You can get Zinipins from a few different places, but I prefer getting them from CuredBeauty or Gellydrops. I would not recommend getting them from Amazon. I’ve heard from many who have purchased that they get the wrong sets in the box or the box has been opened or is missing things. I don’t find buying from Amazon to be reliable at this point.
Ohora
This is by far the biggest brand with the most styles available. They are my second favorite mainly because they don’t fit my nails quite as well, but they do have LOTS of colors available and they are pretty easy to find and purchase. You can get them from a few different places including Gellydrops which I liked above. You can also get them through an app called Vanity Table as well as the Ohora.us website.
Other brands:
Other things I use:
Nail polish remover (for removing any left over adhesive that might be on your nail)
Common questions:
Do these damage your nails?
Mine personally, no.
That being said, every person has different nail chemistry. Some people have more dry nails and might have trouble getting these off. Others might have more oily nails and might have trouble getting these to stick.
These "stickers" do adhere to your nail surface with an adhesive. They are meant to hold tight. They work similar to press ons in that way although in my opinion they work better and adhere better because you can shape and mold them to your nail bed. Press ons are typically rigid in shape and so they might not "fit" your nail bed in quite the same way.
If you have oily nails and have trouble getting these to stick you are likely not going to have any nail damage. If you have dryer nails and have more trouble getting them off, you could potentially have some damage but you can 100% minimize that damage by utilizing good technique when removing the strips.
How do you take them off?
There are many removers on the market for SCG nails. Most of them are some sort of mix between acetone and oil. When you are removing the strips you essentially need to "melt" the adhesive. Some people even use something like goo-gone which works well for them. I have used a few different removers and by far my favorite is the one I have linked above. It is thicker and not as runny as some others and overall just works better than anything else.
My technique for removal is pretty simple.
1) Break the seal between the nail and the strip with the orange stick included in the box.
2) Add remover all along the edge of the strip
3) Wait a little bit (maybe 2-3 minutes)
4) Take the orange stick and pop up one side of the strip and then put a little more remover so it flows underneath the strip. This will get the remover under so it can help soften the adhesive. Do this for every nail and again, wait a few minutes.
5) Take a dental stick and slide the floss underneath the strip. This helps to un-attach the strip from the nail in a smoother fashion rather than lifting up on the strip which could lead to adhesive pulling up some of the surface of your nail.
6) If you have any adhesive left on your nail after you remove the strips (I typically do), I will use the regular nail polish remover I linked above and then buff my nails a bit to remove any left over remover that might remain.
7) That's it!
How long does it take you to do your nails?
From start to finish, if I am removing my nails AND adding on a new set it takes probably about 60-75 minutes. Sometimes I will take my nails off in the evening and then put the new set on in the morning.
Removal for me usually takes around 10-15 min and putting on the new set of nails takes around or just under an hour.
I typically listen to an audiobook or podcast and I find the process pretty relaxing and therapeutic.
If you feel like this is a long time, I can see where you are coming from. It does take longer than just slapping some polish on. However, I have a flawless manicure for 14+ days without any chips. I have never seen any sort of polish (even gel polish) last that long while looking pretty much the same as day 1. Also, going to get a manicure is going to take as long as that if not longer and you'll have to get in your car, drive there and spend 5x as much.
How much do these cost?
Each box of strips is usually between $11-$18. I tend to like the darker, plain strips, although there are LOT of designs and some with gems and embellishments. Those tend to be a little more expensive.
You can often find deals or sales from some of the bigger websites that sell them. Also in a couple of the facebook groups I am in, some people will "de-stash" their sets and sell partials (the rest of the strips that they didn't use in a box of nails) or sets that they no longer want to keep for whatever reason. There is a weird phenomenon with these strips in that a lot of people (yours truly included) will buy a LOT of sets all at once...especially some of the harder to find or out of stock colors or designs. So some people buy more than they can use, they get them home and then decided they won't ever wear whatever color or design they bought, so they sell them in these groups. I have sold and purchased this way as well.
Why do you like these more than you like regular gel polish manicures?
For all the reasons listed above! I like having my nails done and for them to look good. I don't want to spend the money going to get manicures every couple of weeks. It would probably cost me upward of $100/month to have my nails looking this good with manicures.
I don't have problems with adhesion. I like the process of doing them. I like trying different colors that I wouldn't try otherwise. It's easier to spend $11 on a color that I might not like than $50. If I end up not liking it, I just won't buy that color again. I do still go and get pedicures, but a typical pedicure will last me around 2-3 months so I don't have to go nearly as often and I like the additional foot and leg massage that comes with.
I've been using these SCG strips for almost two years now and have not had naked nails for more than 24 hours in that time frame. I love it!
