THE GEL BOTTLE BIAB

Builder Gel in a bottle by The Gel Bottle Inc: Review.

I have been using Builder Gel in a bottle for just over a year now. In my opinion, the product has been a real game changer within the nail technician's industry.

I began using builder gel on myself to test the product in 2018. My lifestyle includes a lot of outdoor activity with horses and dogs which has always caused my nails to break and become weak.

The builder gel helped to protect my nails as well as helped them to grow without any breakage. Since the product worked so well for myself, I began offering it to clients.

Below are a section of images before and after using builder gel:

@chlodawnails

@chlodawnails

@chlodawnails

The gel has not only helped my clients to grow their natural nails, but has also allowed them to have the choice of long or short nails, have their desired shape and best of all, there is no soak off involved between appointments!

Approximately 90% of my clients have had successful experiences with the gel. However I have found that previous nail biters and pickers have managed to lose the gel, whether this is on one nail or all nails. When querying these clients, it seems clear that the gel doesn't just lift off, it clearly needs some encouragement. Biting or picking at the gel will lift the edges and allow moisture to get underneath, this could lead to further lifting or a bacterial infection. So to those clients who can't help themselves; don't mess!

Wearing gloves for duties such as household chores, outdoor activities and to protect your nails from detergents can have a huge impact on the durability. Reminder: Treat your nails as jewels, not tools.

We all have the odd accident where we catch our nail on something or bang it in a door but the gel is very forgiving. Unlike acrylic, the gel seems to snag in a corner where as acrylic (from my experience) would completely lift off the nail or shatter. The gel seems to be made of a softer formula which still has the same, if not more strength than acrylic.

Maintenance

Providing that the client is going to maintain their gel manicures, the gel is infilled rather than soaked off. Most clients have their gel infilled every three weeks. Clients have found that they can push the gel longer than this time slot and it will remain in tact. This is especially good for the clients who have a busy schedule and struggle to have regular appointments.

Colour

The BIAB that I have mainly been using is number 20, which is nude with a hint of rose. Clients have the choice of keeping their nails nude with just the BIAB or applying a gel polish overlay. The majority of my clients do have a gel polish overlay over the builder gel, however I have had many clients who prefer to keep their manicures nude.

BIAB Application

Overlay: I begin by using CND Cuticle Away to push back the cuticles, followed by shaping the natural nail and then buffing the top layer. After this I wipe with acetone as instructed by The Gel Bottle. I then apply a thin layer of BIAB so that it integrates into the natural nail, I find that this avoids any lifting, where as a thick first layer of gel may have a higher chance of this. The second coat is then applied. I do a thicker consistency of gel to build up the nail now that it has a base layer to stick to. Cure for 1 minute with LED or 2 minutes with UV. Once cured, I remove the tacky layer and file to balance the freshly built up nail. If the client would like to have a gel polish overlay I cleanse the nail and go ahead with the gel polish application.

Infill: Firstly I use CND Cuticle Away to maintain the cuticles. I then file the colour away from the gel, also lighting buffing the infill section of the natural nail. If the client had not had a gel polish overlay then I would only file away the top coat. If this client would like their nails reshaping or shortening then I would do this at this point. I then wipe with acetone and infill using the BIAB. In order to get a strong, natural looking nail I place a significant amount of gel onto the infill section and lightly blend it towards the tip of the nail, making sure I continue to build up an apex. Once all nails are freshly infilled, I file them to balance and maintain the clients desired shape. I then cleanse the nails and apply a gel polish overlay if the client chooses to have a colour.

I have experimented with 18, 19, 20, Teddy, Clear and White. Clear and White were a lot more watery in consisentecy than the others. This made it difficult to place the product in order to build up an apex during an infill. On the other hand, 18, 19, 20 and Teddy have a much better consistency. They are dense, yet flexible which allows the product to be placed in the desired section of the nail and avoids the worry of it seeping into the cuticles when applying a thicker layer of gel. It is important that the technician can see where they are actually placing the gel. Because these shades are nude, it is obvious to see on the nail. When I used clear, it was very difficult to see the denseness and shape of the nail before filing.

Nail Extensions using BIAB

Another bonus to the gel is the fact that it can be used for nail extensions. Whether this be building up a broken nail or creating a fresh set of extended nails. I must admit, I have not undertaken the TGB Extension training course. However I have had NSI acrylic training where I learnt various ways to extend nails.

Nail tips were the first technique I used for extending with the gel. The reason for this is the fact that tips are easy and quick to apply, also the lengths and shapes can be adjusted to suit the clients choice.

The finish of the tip extensions is very satisfactory. However, I have found that the durability is questionable. The first set of gel nails last for approximately 3 weeks before needing an infill. However I have found that when the nails reach this point, the tips begin to lift. This could be because they are growing out with the natural nail and they have grown past the apex which is the strongest section of the nail. Once the tips start to lift, the gel is then susceptible to lift from the tip and below. For future reference, I would use tips for gel extensions that are a one off appointment, however I would be hesitant to infill.

For clients who would like to maintain their gel extension nails, I would use sculpting forms to build an extended nail. This method does use more product in order to build up the nail and it does give slightly more of a chunky look, however I find that it has the best durability. When infilling, the apex can be built back up where the nail has grown out whilst still maintaining a strong extended nail. Also, once a client comes for an infill, the majority of the time they would like their nail shortening back to the length they were before the growth during the 3 weeks. This means that there is less extended nail and more natural nail, allowing a strong base.

Removal

As a basic rule, the gel does not need removing between appointments unless the client wishes to have a break. However, I do recommend to regular clients that they have a soak off at least every six months and have a fresh overlay applied.