DIY Gel Manicure

Howdy!

I am going to be in a friend's wedding next weekend, which I am super duper excited about! She picked out this gorgeous OPI pink-nude nail color to go with our sangria-colored dress. I absolutely love the elegance of it all!

ANYWAY... I work all week so I can't get a manicure and I will not have time to do my nails at all in the two days before the wedding. Everyone knows that no matter what the brand, nail polish only lasts up to 3 days without chipping, so I was in a real pickle!

Then I found out about Sally Hansen's gel nail base & played around with it for weeks until I found the perfect solution that lasts over a week! So here it is, folks, the best DIY gel nail manicure around. The best part is that this does NOT require a UV salon lamp!!

The Ingredients:

• Base Coat
• Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Hardener
• ANY Nail Polish (that's right, any kind... it doesn't have to be a special gel nail polish!)
• Sally Hansen Strengthening Top Coat OR Sally Hansen No Chip Top Coat

The Process:

The more time you can devote to this, the better, but I understand you probably have a jam-packed schedule like me, so you can definitely do this in under 15 minutes.

1. 1 thin coat of your favorite base coat. I love the Wet 'n' Wild base coat because it really works to protect your nails and keep them healthy. (Dries in ~1 minute)
   
   
2. 1 coat of Sally Hansen Hardener. (Dries in ~1 minute, I give it 2, just in case)
   
   
3. 1 coat of nail polish. (Let dry for as long as you need... 3-10 minutes)
   
   
4. 1 coat of Sally Hansen hardener. (Dries in 1-2 minutes)
   
   
5. 1-3 coats of your nail polish. Whatever it takes to get the color you desire. (Let dry fully. You may use ice water to accelerate the drying process)
   
1. Side note, if you've never used the ice water drying process, you should DEFINITELY try! Let your nails air dry for a minute or two, then put each nail under running cold water for 20 seconds OR soak your entire hand it a bowl of ice water for 20 seconds. Top 2 coats will dry automatically!
   
6. 1 coat of Sally Hansen Top Coat. (Dries in 1 minute)
   

VIOLA! Perfect gel nails that will last at least 1 week! :)

Happy Manicuring :)