Double Take How To | Faux Gel Nails At Home

Hello Lovely Readers~

We are SUPER excited to share our faux gel nails tutorial! You can do our “double take” gel nails at home and it’s very affordable. I’ve worked the last few months on perfecting the steps and making sure the products were readily available. (This is the secret weapon, available with free shipping!!!) But make sure to read the whole tutorial so you know which shade is the one you need for the fabulous results!

I get lots of questions about how I do my own nails and how they look good with having a toddler. And, I don’t go to the salon for manicures (just for pedicures). Who doesn’t love the feel of thick and shiny gel nails? But, who hates the salon prices and the effort to remove the gel polish, ugh? Nothing worse!

I’ve always loved reading G’s blog Nouvea Cheap and her fab nail tutorials and polish reviews (like the jelly sandwich). So, it motivated me to do our own “double take” approved tutorial for our readers. This 4 step process that can be done at your house, no light or special things required. It’s also easy to remove with regular nail polish remover. Please note that this tutorial doesn’t work with all Essie polish. This is a semi opaque glossy shade that self levels and will make your nails feel thicker. Trust me, I’m a nail polish addict! (This is Lindsay here by the way). I’ve been doing my own nails since about the 8th grade. You will never catch me without nail polish on in some form. If I have bare nails, then I must be in crisis lol! Anyway, without further ado – I give you our “faux gel nail” how to step by step.

Step One: The must do step! Clean your bare nails with rubbing alcohol. This helps get off any extra oils or lotions and keeps you polish on longer. You then apply one coat of Nuance base coat. It dries really fast and doesn’t get glumpy. Also, I don’t do anything to my cuticles. I just trim and quickly file the edges of my nails before starting step one.

Step Two: Once your base coat is dry (just a min or 2) you apply one coat of Essie polish in Adore-a-ball.  (P.S. this is the only place I can find it online, and they offer free ship on any order. Win win! ) This color is a MUST. This fabulous, long lasting manicure doesn’t work with all Essie. This polish does not streak, self levels if you get a bump and covers well without being too opaque or too sheer.

Step Three: Apply second coat of Essie polish once the first coat is dry. I usually wait about 5 min to be safe. Note: I do have a toddler at home so I either do this during nap time or after she is in bed.

Step Four: Apply gel Revlon top coat once those 2 polish layers are dry. This also dries within a few min. You can touch your nails and it will feel hard on top if ready to go. I’m still careful about doing dishes and chores that first 30 min – hour after the polish sets. That’s why I recommend doing this at the end of the day when you plan to relax and read or watch a bit of tv. The reason why I’m patient for that part, is that if done correctly, this polish can last you up to 10-14 days depending on how hard you are on your hands. I type a lot during the day as a teacher and blogger, do dishes (recently though I started wearing gloves to help extend the manicure), clean, cook etc. So I really don’t want to have to do my nails more than 2-3 times a  month at most. No one has time for that lol!

Ok, happy polishing and feel free to send me any questions via email thedoubletakegirls@gmail.com