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A nail technician's guide to choosing the right gel builder product for their client: Builder in a bottle or hard gel — and getting the perfect result every time. As a nail technician, one of the most common questions you'll ask yourself before a treatment is: Which gel should I be reaching for? With so many formulas on the market — each promising strength, longevity, and salon-worthy results — it can be hard to know where to start. So let's break it down.

You may have seen that our new incredible MEGA GLOSS nail polish range has launched with 34 shades that match our all-time best-selling gel polish colours. Brilliant, right? Now, we want to give you all the tips and tricks you need to ensure your client's Mega Gloss nail polish manicure or pedicure stays beautifully glossy and chip-free for days. 1. Preparing The Nails Just like with gel product application, the preparation of the nail is key and very important for the longevity of your polish. You should similarly prepare the nails. Complete your cuticle work as required. File and shape the nails as desired. Cleanse the nails to remove oils, dust and contaminants. We recommend using our Pro Prep & Wipe solution with a lint-free pad. 2. The Base Coat Base coat is an important step and shouldn't be skipped. The base coat acts as an adhesion layer adds strength, and prevents any staining of the natural nail. The MEGA GLOSS base coat is formulated to work harmoniously with the range and is the perfect all-round base coat. Apply a thin layer of Mega Gloss base coat over the entire nail. Cap the free-edge of the nail. Allow this layer to dry completely. This takes, on average, 2-3 minutes. 3. The Colour Now, for the fun part, applying the beautiful MEGA GLOSS colour coats. Thanks to the beautiful creamy MEGA GLOSS formula, this should be a dream.  PRO TIP : Don't overload the brush with the product. Keep layers thin. This will avoid any flooding of the nail and cuticle and aid in a fast drying time. Starting at the centre of the nail, push the brush up towards the cuticle and then drag it down the nail with light pressure. Repeat this on each side of the nail to cover it fully. Cap the free edge of the nail with the colour. If the nail is short, you can cap the free edge first to help with the application. Allow this first layer of colour to dry. This should take no longer than 3-5 minutes. Repeat the process for your second coat of MEGA GLOSS colour. Although some colours will cover the nail in one coat, we recommend two coats for optimal wear. Allow the second coat of colour to fully dry. Again, 3-5 minutes should be sufficient. 4. The Top Coat It's time to seal in your work and add that layer of glossy shine. Your top coat is a crucial step and acts as the shield for your manicure, protecting your colour and adding that beautiful MEGA GLOSS finish. NEVER skip this layer if you want glossy nails that last. TIP: If you have any polish on the skin, remove this using a nail art brush (we recommend one of our Creative Pro brushes for touchups like this) and some gel off or nail polish remover before applying your Top Coat. This gives your manicure a clean and sharp finish. In the same fashion as your colour coat application, apply a generous layer (but not too thick) of MEGA GLOSS top coat to each nail. Don't forget to cap that free edge. 5. Some Final Advice Your MEGA GLOSS nail polish treatment looks good, glossy, and smooth. Let's prevent any last-minute disasters. We recommend that clients avoid doing anything with their nails for 15-20 minutes after top coat application to make sure the product is fully dry. You can then apply Bio Cuticle oil to each nail to rehydrate and advise the client to continue using the oil, which will aid in retention. Advise your client to be careful for the next few hours and to avoid using their nails as tools.

Introducing The Revolutionary 'Zero Builder Gel™ In A Bottle' In the ever-evolving world of nail care, innovation is key. We have been at the forefront of this innovation, consistently raising the bar when it comes to professional nail products. Our latest development, the 'Zero Builder Gel™ In A Bottle', is a testament to our commitment to excellence and the well-being of both nail technicians and clients alike.

Over 3 years in development we are so happy to introduce our latest product, 'Zero Gel Polish®,' a hypoallergenic gel polish system that goes beyond traditional solutions

We want to take a closer look at our Builder Base gel builder in a bottle in this blog. We get a lot of questions about Builder Base so we want to delve into this brilliant product and answer all the common queries we get. BIAB What is Builder Base? So, essentially Builder Base is a gel builder that comes in a handy bottle and brush component making application quick and convenient. It's loved for its strength and varying shade range. Who is Builder Base for and when would you use it? As Builder Base is a gel builder it can be used in all the same ways as any other builder gel product. However, the most common use of Builder Base is on natural nails to add strength and help your clients natural nails grow.  The perfect client for Builder Base is one who regularly attends their nail appointment every 2-3 weeks and currently, is looking to grow their natural nails or  struggling with breaks and damage. That's not the be all and end all of this versatile product though. Builder Base can be used for so many things in your salon, infilling hard gel, nail fixes, short extensions using tips or forms and so on. The utility is limitless for this great builder gel product. How do you apply Builder Base? Builder Base was formulated to work in harmony with our gel polish system and as such is recommended to be applied over our gel polish base coat. This is the main application difference with this product and our 'hard gel' that come in pots. Depending on the treatment or result you are looking for, Builder Base can be applied very thinly or built up to create even more strength/structure. Here's a step by step for creating a Builder Base overlay on your clients natural nails. Complete your standard nail prep removing the cuticle and the surface shine from the nail plate. Cleanse the nail with our Pro Prep & Wipe solution to remove dust and dehydrate the nail. Apply your chosen primer liquids (ph bond, ultra/pro primer) Apply a thin layer of our gel polish base coat to the nails. Cure this layer for 60 seconds in the Dual Pro UVLED nail lamp. Apply your chosen Builder Base shade. Here you can apply one single thin layer or if looking to add more bulk and shape you can add multiple layers. Ensure to cure each layer for 60 seconds in the Dual Pro UVLED nail lamp. After curing, if you have applied a thin layer and the coverage and base is level you can proceed directly to your gel polish colour coat. However, if you have applied a thicker layer of Builder Base and the finish needs refining, cleanse the cured product with Pro Prep & Wipe solution and then refine with a 180 grit nail file or our E-File Pro. Your now free to apply gel polish if desired or you can just top coat the Builder Base if you want to leave the beautiful natural colour on it's own. Should I remove Builder Base or infill it? Builder Base is classed as a 'soft gel' which means it can be removed with acetone. However, Builder Base was designed to be infilled regularly rather than be removed at each visit. So, we would recommend infilling your clients nails at their regular appointments. Regular infills will help your clients nails stay protected, strong and grow. Should you need to remove the product completely from the clients nails ensure to file off the majority of the products (gel polish, builder base etc) that is on the nails before soaking in Gel Off solution. This will aid in the speed of the removal. Ok, so how do I infill the nails with Builder Base? Builder Base is infilled in the same manor that you would infill a hard gel or acrylic enhancement.  Using a hand file or E-file remove the gel polish colour from the nails. Preform a dry manicure on the new growth. Ensuring the remove the cuticle and surface shine. You should also check the nails to ensure there is no product lifting. If you see lifting ensure to remove this also. Cleanse the entire nail with Pro Prep & Wipe solution. Prime and Dehydrate the new nail growth with your chosen solutions. Apply a thin layer of our gel polish base coat over the entire nail (new growth and existing product). Cure for 60 seconds in the Dual Pro UVLED nail lamp. Take a bead of your chosen Builder Base shade and apply it starting at the back third of the nail floating it onto the new nail growth and working it down over the entire nails. Ensure the product is flush with the cuticle and the nail is balanced. Cure for 60 seconds in the Dual Pro UVLED nail lamp. Cleanse the nail with Pro Prep & Wipe solution and refine the nail with a 180 grit nail file or E-file. Proceed with your new gel polish application as normal. What should I be charging clients for Builder Base? Every salon is different however here are our recommendation of pricing Builder Base in your salon. If you are adding a one thin layer to your clients nails as part of their gel polish application you should add a fee equivalent of 20-25% of the gel polish treatment. So, if the gel polish treatment was €25 then you would charge an additional €5 for the Builder Base. If you are applying a thicker application in essence, creating a gel overlay then we recommend charging in line with your gel enhancement prices.  Is Builder Base right for your salon? We hope the details above give you an idea of just what is possible with Builder Base builder in a bottle. However, if you need any further advice our team are always available online via our live chat or by phone or email.