Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tips and Tricks: Using Regular Polish with Soak Off Gel

Purchased by Me

When people ask me about soak off gel, there are several reasons I am given most as to why more people don't make the switch from regular polish.  1) "I have a large collection of nail polish.  I would hate for it to go to waste."  2) "I can't commit to a color for that long.  I like to change it up." 3) "I like to wear bold colors on the weekends, but I have to keep it conservative for work."

My answer to all of these reasons is usually something along the lines of "Ok, but why is that stopping you?"  One thing many people don't realize is that there are several ways to use RNP with SOG.  I'll list them now and elaborate on each in a few moments.  1) You can apply RNP over a SOG manicure.  2) You can sandwich RNP between layers of gel.  3) You can use RNP for nail art.

1) If you have a dress code for work or simply can't commit to a color for longer than a few days, you can still get the strength and protection of SOG without giving up your ability to change your nail color.  I wear RNP over my gel on a regular basis.  And the best part is you can apply and remove RNP without damaging the gel underneath!  Simply use non-acetone remover and you're good to go.  Plus there are added benefits to layering SOG under your RNP.  First, the RNP dries much faster over gel.  Second, the gel hides any ridges or imperfections.  This is awesome for metallic polishes that tend to show every flaw in the nail.  Third, the gel adds strength and protection to your nails to help reduce the risk of breaks.  Last but not least, RNP tends to wear longer without chips over SOG. 

I'm wearing this complete SOG manicure at the moment.  The color is OPI GelColor Bubble Bath.  It's a great, office friendly nude. 
OPI GelColor Soak Off Gel
But what fun is that?  So I've applied Sally Hansen Insta-dri in Jet Set Jade on top of my SOG mani.  Excuse the poor application.  I was in a bit of a hurry so I just slapped on a few coats and ran out the door.
I took a few quick pictures as I removed the polish from my index finger to show the pristine SOG mani under the RNP even after removal. 
So, in summary, you can wear RNP over a SOG mani and remove it non-acetone remover without damaging the SOG. 

2) If you have a bottle of RNP that you simply love but can't find a SOG alternative, no problem.  There are many types of polish that simply are not offered in SOG.  For example, linear holos.  I don't know why there isn't a SOG holo on the market, but I assume it has to do with the gel being too thick of a base for the holo pigments.  Either way, I love my holos and I love that I can still wear them without giving up the strength from the SOG mani.

When I wear my holos and other special RNP, I could layer them over the gel and use a RNP top coat, but I often want them to last even longer.  So I sandwich the RNP between gel layers.  Also, I should note that I can't wear RNP by itself.  I have tried every combination of base, color and top coat I possibly can, but it always chips within 24 hours.  I am simply too rough on my hands.  SOG has been a God send for me. 

Here are the steps to doing a successful RNP sandwich.
1) Begin your gel mani as usual, following your regular prep and cure the base coat.  Be sure to cap the tips, allowing a bit of gel to overflow onto the underside of nail as I show in this post.   
2) If you're using a semi-sheer RNP that needs undies, apply a coordinating gel color and cure.  If your RNP is opaque, you can skip this step.
3) Apply your gel top coat, cure as usual, and remove the tacky layer.
4) Apply your RNP as you usually would, allowing each coat to dry before adding the next.  Cap the tips, but be careful to leave a bit of the gel showing on the underside of the nail where you allowed it to overflow when you applied your base.  Having the gel that extends past the RNP on the underside of the tip gives the top coat something to grab. 
5) Finish with a RNP fast dry top coat if desired to protect your color until it has time to dry completely.  I usually wait at least 4 hours before continuing to step 5.
6) Give your nails a quick scrub with a nail brush and an oil cutting soap without moisturizers to remove any oil that may have come in contact with your nails while your RNP was drying.
7) Swipe the nails with isopropyl alcohol or dehydrating prep (as you would before beginning your SOG mani). 
8) Apply two coats of gel top coat, curing each as directed.  Be sure to cap the tips and wrap the top coat as you did the base in step 1 so that it extends past the RNP layer and completely encapsulates the RNP in gel. 
9) Remove the tacky layer, moisturize with cuticle oil, and you're done. 

This is the same gel mani pictured above (OPI GelColor Bubble Bath), but I have added two coats of Color Club Halo Hues Cloud Nine and topped it with a coat of Gelish Top It Off.  Sadly, my photography skills didn't capture it in all it's glory.  However, you can clearly see that the SOG top coat didn't hurt the holo effect.  Another added bonus: if you wear holo polishes, you know they often don't last long.  Sandwiching a holo is the perfect solution.  And the gel hides any imperfections that holos tend to accentuate. You also don't need an aqua base when using SOG. 

3) You can use those RNPs for nail art either on top of a SOG mani or sandwiched between gel layers.  I use RNP for stamping nail art as well as dotting and striping.  Actually, I have found that you can't really stamp with SOG polish.  If you can get it to transfer, it doesn't give crisp lines.  I have a number of stamping polishes, but I also found that most of my RNP stash will stamp. 

4) If none of the uses above appeal to you, then there's always one more way to use RNP.  Pedicures.  Though I do tend to use SOG on my toes as well.  ;)

As you can see, there are many ways to combine RNP with SOG.  You can use it to spice up a boring work appropriate SOG mani (or to hide a non-work appropriate SOG mani).  You can sandwich RNP between layers of gel for lasting wear.  And you can use RNP for nail art on SOG manis.  So if you're already using SOG, break out your old RNP stash and use those babies!  Or grab that new RNP that caught your eye at the drug store but you passed up because you only wear gel.  And if you're avoiding SOG due to one of the reasons I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I hope I have helped you put your fears aside.

~Michelle

26 comments:

  1. Exactly! I did a blood splatter gel manicure for Halloween and I'm having to be around family tonight who would think that is super creepy. So I'm just going to cover it up with regular nail polish and take that off tonight! I couldn't imagine not having gel polish anymore!

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  2. Thank you for sharing this! I have quite the stash of SOG and RNP and now I can mix it up a bit more. I love the sandwiching idea, I've never tried it but can't wait to bust out my holos!

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  3. OPI Bubble Bath is one of my untrieds. I need to change that. ;-)

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  4. Is WATER based nail art paint ok sandwiched in SOGs? Anyone tried it? thank you. ..

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    1. Mal, what do you mean by water based? Do you mean acrylic paint?

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  5. Quick question - do you find that your RNP lasts when you put it over SOG? I am just curious if it is similar to how nail polish acts over acrylics? It would be awesome if it does because I love my SOG but there are so many great RNP colors that I want to try. Thanks!

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    1. Yes, I find that RNP lasts much longer over SOG. I can't get a full day out of RNP alone because I'm so rough on my hands. When I layer it over SOG, I can get 3-5 days before I have noticable tip wear or chipping of the RNP.

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    2. This is an old post, but for what it is worth, I wanted to say that I have done this for a couple of years now. The regular nail polish lasts as long over a gel mani as it did when I wore acrylics. I use a UV topcoat over the RNP, but not a gel topcoat. For me, it will last a good 5 - 6 days before chipping.

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  6. I might try using regular polish over a gel base. When I usually use RNP with my gel I only switch out the gel color for the polish color, then an hour or two later I seal it with a gel top coat. I really like that way but I think I might try your way soon!

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  7. Can you use the gel nail polish alone with out a primee like regular nail polish?

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    1. It is not recommended to use gel polish without a base gel. I have done it, but it doesn't last long and is more likely to stain your nail during soak off.

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  8. In the case of a gel polish sandwich with RNP in between, do you have to wait so long for the RNP to dry if you use your UV/LED gel lamp on this step? Would that make any difference? I'm all for spending some time for myself and my nails, but 4 hours seems like a lifetime!

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    1. Curing the RNP won't really help. When regular polish is drying, the solvents evaporate. If you add a layer of gel before the solvents fully evaporate, the gel will trap them and stop the regular polish from drying completely. I usually add the regular polish and top it with a quick dry top coat so that I can go about my business. Then I go back that evening or the next day, cleanse the nail with alcohol, and apply the gel top coat.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Have you ever tried using your own regular base coat, two colors of regular nail polish, let it dry thoroughly and then use a gel top coat that you cure with an LED lamp? I tried that this week because I don't like having to soak off the gel, which includes scraping what is left of the color and gel base coat. So far, it has been 3 days and I see little to no wear of the polish by ONLY using a gel top coat.

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    1. I have tried it and know of many ladies who do it that way. Sadly, it does not wear well for me at all. Regular base polish just won't stay on my nails.

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  10. For the ladies that you know who do it that way, how long has the manicure lasted? Are there any tips or tricks that you can provide? Also, I am having a hard time finding recommendations for a good regular base coat. I have tried Nailtek II, a plain ole Essie base coat, Seche Vite base coat, and some Sally Hansen. One last thing. I used to use Acetone to remove polish all of the time. But then I switched to Cutex non-acetone (the one that says it removes polish much faster) and my nails got very dry, started peeling and broke easily. I supposed you use acetone because of the gel but have you heard that some of the non-acetone removers are actually harsher on people's nails? Lots of questions, sorry.

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    1. A lot of people swear by OPI Nail Envy or Orly Bonder for base coats. As for acetone vs non-acetone, its a double edged sword. Acetone is more drying but works faster so your skin is exposed ti it fir less time. Non-acetone should be gentler but takes longer so greater exposure. Both will dry out your skin and nails, though.

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  11. Have you experimented with actually mixing RNP with a clear gel polish?

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    1. I have not tried it yet, but I am testing a product called Gelibility that you mix with polish to make it a gel. Review will be up soon :)

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    2. I have seen Gelibility popping up. I recently tried mixing a Sally Hansen InstaDri with a IBD Just Gel Fireworks (a clear base with.light glitter). I used it in the same fashion as Gelibility, and it is wearing quite well. On the other hand I did a a gel topcoat over Orly Bonder base, and the same Instadri color- to compare wear time. So far, the mix is wearing better, and as well as a full gel manicure does for me.
      Now, I know there are plenty people screaming "the polish can't fully dry, that's not safe" (especially places like salongeek). However, this is only being tested on myself.

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  12. Really very excellent to read this article. As I’m beautician this article is very useful to me.

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  13. Hi there! I have been using RNP for art over my gel manicure (I add it after about a week when I am starting to get bored of the plain gel color but don't want to take it off yet). But here's the problem I'm having. While the regular nail polish adheres to the gel just fine, when I go to use a RNP topcoat over top of the nail art, I find that the RNP top coat starts to peel off of the gel within a day or two. :-( I've been using Out The Door as my topcoat. Does anyone have experience with a RNP top coat that will stay on a gel mani? Thanks!

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    1. I have noticed this with fast dry top coats a few times. Regular top coats seem to stay better.

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    2. I have noticed this with fast dry top coats a few times. Regular top coats seem to stay better.

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