Korean Gel Manicure Essentials. Taking advantage of Black Friday Deals

Korean Gel Manicure Essentials. Taking advantage of Black Friday Deals

 

It's that time of the year to get our wallets ready and finally check out our shopping cart. Today, I want to share with you what Korean gel manicure essentials I would recommend for one of the biggest sales of the year at Zillabeau. Black Friday sale starts on Thanksgiving day at 9pm EST and ends on November 26th at 12:00 pm EST where everything will be 25% off, and get 35% off if you spend over $500 USD. So, let's talk about Korean Gel nail products. 

First things first, a dust collector. This is the perfect time to take advantage of the holiday sales and get yourself a powerful dust collector. This equipment costs a pretty penny, but we want to protect our lungs and clients from the start. I have the Anemone in grey/silver, but they have other color options, too; it's cordless, sleek, and powerful, and the suction grill area is nice and spacious. You can watch this video with all the tea if you want a full-depth review of this dust collector. I really like mine; it's very strong and gives me peace of mind that I am not inhaling loads of nail debris. If you have one, please use it all the time, and if you want to invest in a powerful one, I can recommend the Anemone. 

Clear gels

If you like thinner-runnier-faster moving gels...

If you prefer to work with a thinner, more liquidy, and faster-moving gel for your gel manicures and overlays, I highly recommend F Gel. I am a big fan of their base gel and always order more than one because I use it for everything, especially nail art. Have you ever been working on nail art and thought, "I need to encapsulate this sticker or design, but I don't want it to bulk up because I still have other layers to add"? Well, the F Gel Base is perfect for that. If you are doing marble or layered looks, this base will keep the nail thin and won't add bulk to your design. I also love to use it to double-seal my pigments and chrome powders. One layer of base gel, followed by a top coat, works wonders.

Another brand that has an amazing low-viscosity gel (low viscosity = runnier gel; high viscosity = thicker/slow-moving gel) is Izemi. I recommend using the Neo Base Gel Low, the one with the blue stripe. 

This one is a fan favorite, too, because it has no odor, great retention, and no heat spikes, and it claims not to have residue on the mouth of the polish bottle. I really enjoy using it, but I save this one to use for clients when I am going for a regular gel mani and not nail art. The Izemi gel line is a bit pricier than the F gel products, and I was going through base gel bottles too quickly, and that's when I found the F gel Base. 

Both of these are great products from reputable brands, so you will be happy with either one. My advice is to purchase all the clear, essential gels from one brand. This should include the base gel, builder gel, top coat, and matte top coat from the same brand. By doing this, you can try different brand colors while minimizing the risk of service breakdowns. Also, if you use products from other brands, always make sure to remove the tacky layer before applying a different brand product.

What about thicker consistency gels?

Do not let these intimidate you because once you get the hang of it, you will love them. An example is the line of clear gels from Tiny. The trick to thicker gels is patience and control; the less you touch it, the better it works. I used to opt for the runnier gels because I thought they would make me faster, but I was getting a lot of overspill moments on my nails and having to clean everything out and start over. With thicker gels, I can tackle 2-3 nails at a time and move a bit faster. 

So, if you like color manis with a touch of glitter nails, Tiny is the brand for you. I just tried their clear gels: the base gel, matte, and top gel, and they are THIC. If you have tried the Izemi Neo Base with the pink stripe, Tiny gels are that type of viscosity. The base gel is applied beautifully with 2-3 brush strokes, and without touching it, it self-levels into place beautifully. I was worried about heat spikes because of the thickness, but I experienced none. 

Next, Tiny has THE best-bottleded glitter gels of my life. I don't know how they do it, but the combo of their glitter gel plus the Geling top coat is the most satisfying glitter encapsulation of your life. Seriously, it looks like diamonds inside a glass case. I always wondered how the Korean girlies achieved that look where the nail art looks at the bottom and a glass-like layer covers the top with a super smooth curved surface and this is how they do it, with thick gels like the Tiny Geling Top Coat. 

The thicker top gels will allow you to seal the nails, encapsulate, and smooth out any imperfections. I like to use them for one-color solid manicures, over glitters, decals, stickers, and chrome powders. 

F gel has thicker gels that are fan favorites, like the nonwipe clear gel. This one sells out quickly, so I would grab it as soon as it is in stock. Zillabeau mentioned a huge restock before the black Friday sale, so if you see it, add to cart. This is your builder gel; it has a thicker viscosity, perfect for gel overlays or structured gel manicures. All the girlies have been loving this product because it's the holy grail of mirror-finish chrome nails. Yes, I don't know why, but this gel has been giving me consistent results when I want a mirror-like chrome finish without too much work. I use it with a dense makeup sponge like this one, and it does the trick. 

The nonwipe topcoat has the same consistency and can be used for chrome, too, and the best part the price. This one is one of the less expensive ones, so if you have clients galore, F gel will not disappoint you. 

Because I live in New Jersey and my studio is always super cold, I use a candle warmer to warm up my gels and be able to maneuver them more easily. Again, low-viscosity and high-viscosity gels are both good. Still, sometimes I prefer one over the other depending on the nails and the job I am doing. 

Matte Top gel

My favorites are from the brand F gel and Mayour. These two brands' products are compatible in case you need to mix n match. Both brands have a thicker viscosity Matte gel that is powdery, smooth, and scratch-resistant, leaving no tacky residue. These two are my favorites.

I just started using the one from Tiny, and I'll update you with my thoughts about it in the next post. But! I like it when matte topcoats are thicker because they are not as streaky and smooth out imperfections. 

Accessory fixing gel

The cover and part gel from Make.N will always be my babies ...."tururu, oh, tururuturuturoh (sings Mariah Carey)." I have been looking for a gel that can be an alternative in case the Make.N gel is out of stock or something. Still, I haven't found anything with the same consistency, look, and feel as this power duo. If you see them, do not walk but run to get them. The parts gel secures nail parts in place, allowing you to move the hand around and place all your nail enhancements without chasing them or holding them into place. 

Next, the cover gel. This gel will add a security layer around the entire perimeter of the nail parts and stones to secure them for weeks and prevent hair from getting caught, cut, or scratched with your nail art. After it's cured, it becomes clear and does not add bulk. It's amazing, and I cannot recommend it enough if you want your stones and nail parts to last for 3-4+ weeks. 

Colors

Get.them.all.... jk! Before you start buying colors, think about the type of art you like to do and buy according to that. The last thing we want is for our products to collect dust and be a waste of money that we need to discard because we never used them. 

If you have a ton of colors and nail art stuff collecting dust, that means you might need to offer it more to your clients, and they need to see it in action, on your nails moving and doing daily life stuff. 

But if you told me, Fabs, I'm heading to Zillabeau, and I want to buy gel colors, which ones should I get? This is my shopping list:

Nail brushes

These are my most loved, repeated purchases from Zillabeau. Some of them are from the Japanese gel nail brand Leafgel, which is very durable, high quality, and long-lasting. 

  • Best long liner brush: Leafgel Gel Brush 《 Liner L Ⅱ Perfect for long straight lines and micro details. Long, thin, and flexible. 
  • My best short liner is 1st Street #01 Short Brush. I enjoy this tiny liner for fine details and sealing nail parts, stones, and charms. It's a great price for the quality; I love the long gold cap.
  • Best thicker liner: Sometimes, you need a brush with this shape to create thicker lines for plaid-like designs or nail art. Leafgel Gel Brush Border Ⅱ.
  • Best use for everything liner: This is the liner I find myself reaching for most of the time if I need to paint fine details or apply gel to a very tight/small area and to seal chrome or seal nail parts. Very versatile. Leafgel Gel Brush x MORETHAN Art Liner .
  • Best for overlays. These brushes have a rounded shape and are stiff enough to scoop out thicker gels like builder gel and thin enough to self-level the nail surface when doing a structured gel manicure. Izemi #503 Round Brush, Lily Gel Brush Oval+.

Nail Tools & Files

Having a great cuticle pusher is essential, and SHiNY offers an impressive range of professional-grade tools that are available at Zillabeau. I have written a detailed post about this Korean brand if you would like to learn more about them. I would highly recommend their cuticle pusher, as it is designed with sharpened ends that effectively remove the cuticle from the nail plate and push the skin upwards for a cleaner application without having to apply too much pressure; the tool does all the work for you. 

Files! 

I really enjoy using hand files, and my preferred brand is Leafgel. When dealing with clients, I always ensure that I have three types of hand files in my kit - a 180g brad file to shape the nails after product application, an emery board to shape the natural nail, and a 180/100g to smooth out the surface after product application and a 220g sponge buffer to prep the natural nail. Leafgel offers a kit of five files that I have been using for years now.

The kit contains two sponge buffers, one of which is a 220/280g sponge buffer, which  I love to use for prepping the natural nails. Since Korean and Japanese gel products are high-quality true gels, meaning they contain fewer dilutants, they have excellent adhesion power. As a result, minimal preparation of the nail is required, so please don't use anything coarser than 220g on the natural nail. Also, the emeryboard is flexible and small enough and has the perfect coarseness to shape the natural nails without causing damage.

Cuticle Remover & Hand care

I rarely use cuticle removers, but when I have a client with hard, thick cuticles, I like to use hand care treatments to re-moisturize the skin and thoroughly remove all the dead, dry skin.

If you use a cuticle remover, make sure you clean everything afterward with 90% alcohol to remove all the oil and dry the skin off the nails. If you don't, there could be gel-lifting issues. 

Aftercare: After washing your hands, finish your service with an exquisite drench of moisture and luxe fragrance. The Izemi hand creams are delicious; they definitely add an extra touch your clients will love.

  • Izemi Hand&Body lotion (Sweet love) This is the one I have and keep using. The fragrance dissipates with time; it feels rich without heaving the hands greasy.
  • Fiote If Care Daily Oil If you want your manicure to look like the ones on Instagram and want it to last for weeks, then we must make it a habit to use our cuticle oil. This one from Fiote is very popular, easy to apply, and fast absorbing. 
  • Lily gel Fragrance Hand Mist This is the perfect moisturizer on the go. Because I love it so much, I use it even with my regular clients.

Okay! We went through a lot today! These are the items I think are essentials for the perfect Korean gel nail manicure. Let's do a quick rundown, shall we?

  • Dust collector
  • Clear gels
  • Art gels
  • Colors
  • Brushes
  • Cuticle pusher a files
  • Cuticle remover & hand care. 

I hope you are able to find something you love here! If you do, I would love to hear in the comments below what item gave you good results or what you already use. It would make my day knowing that I cut that way! You can also tag me on IG @ nail.fabs

Have a beautiful weekend, and I'll talk to you next week!

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