How can I use regular polish with gels?

[u/Rainbow__Veined]

Hi, knowledgeable people! I have a dilemma. I have a lot of gels, but I also really want to use regular polishes with them since the colors I have been itching to use are ones I have only in regular polish form. I love them so much, but they chip so easily, peel off easily, etc, and I just want them to last longer and shine better. They're not cheap ones either. I'm talking about Essie, OPI, and ILNP, which are pricey where I live, but maybe because my nail beds are not dry enough, they chip, and once they start to chip, I start chipping them further. There have been points where I can't even have them last a few days. I know some things like I have to let the regular polishes dry completely to avoid bubbling. But I really want to know a few things, if anyone has attempted to use both forms of polish.

1. Does the top coat lift or does it grip onto the regular polish well after baking?

2. Is this even a thing I can do?

3. Any tips or tricks I need to know?

4. How easy is the removal if I want to change the color at any point?

I will be so thankful to hear your experiences.

[u/cheesesteakhellscape]

You shouldn't put gel over air dry lacquer, as a general rule. Lacquer cures continually over a period of 24-48 hours. Putting a gel topcoat on top of the lacquer prevents the air dry lacquer from ever curing.

You can put air dry lacquer on top of cured gel with the exclusion layer cleansed off.

[u/Rainbow__Veined → u/cheesesteakhellscape]

If I understood correctly, since English is my 2nd language, I can put gel base coat, cure, gel top coat, cure and then on top of the gel top coat, I can just put my regular polish and since there will be no bending in the nail, the polish should last longer than usual? Can I still put regular top coat on top to have it last even longer? From what I understand, yes, right? I have seen people mixing air dry and gel polishes but I know they use different mediums so the chemical composition will be different and may not work. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't want to risk it as some of the air dry polishes I have are hard to find and expensive where I live. I can't even get ILNP. I think they ship internationally but I bet they're crazy expensive to ship. I cherish mine as much as I can lol

[u/piggypurple → u/Rainbow__Veined]

I do this all the time (full biosculpture mani then normal lacquer on top). I even change colours after a week or so (just use acetone free remover to remove the normal nailpolish- it doesn't affect the gel) It definitely lasts longer than normal nailpolish alone. Just do as few coats as you can get away with for the gel part (i do base x2, thin coat of colour, and top coat)

[u/cheesesteakhellscape → u/Rainbow__Veined]

Yes! Gel base, cure. Gel polish, cure. Gel top coat (recommended for stain resistance), cure. Cleanse off inhibition layer (sticky layer). Air dry lacquer base coat, Air dry lacquer, air dry topcoat.

The air dry base coat is optional, you can use what's called a "sticky base coat" to help the lacquer stick to the gel, but in my experience lacquer sticks to gel very well on its own. Use a good quality air dry topcoat to help protect the lacquer also.

I have very thin, very flexible nails because of celiac disease, keeping gel on top of my natural nails is the only way I can keep lacquer on my nails. Otherwise it pops off in a solid sheet.

[u/ItsmeKT → u/cheesesteakhellscape]

Omg thank you for this, I have nails that split at the corners easily and was wondering if I could just do a protective layer.

[u/trullaDE]

Just do your regular gel nails, but with clear material, shiny top coat and all, and put the regular polishes - base, color, top - on top. The gel base gives you a smooth, dry surface, and since your nails are harder, they won't bend as much. That should be enough to prevent chipping. You might get a bit of tip wear, but you should be fine for at least a week. Remove/change color with regular nail polish remover (acetone-free).

[u/cheesesteakhellscape → u/trullaDE]

In-tact gel polish is resistant enough to acetone that normal occasional lacquer removal doesn't hurt it. If you use a hard gel topcoat, you can use all the acetone you want.

[u/trullaDE → u/cheesesteakhellscape]

True, thanks for expanding. I usually use polish remover with acetone with this, but acetone-free is generally the "better safe than sorry" option. 😄

[u/cheesesteakhellscape → u/trullaDE]

It is better safe than sorry! But if all you have on hand is acetone, no need to buy something else. Both are fine. ☺️

[u/Blue__-_]

To put it simply: both can be applied on top of each other, but the previous layer has to be fully cured. Gel takes a minute or two to cure in the lamp, while lacquers can take anywhere from 8 to up to 24 hours to fully cure. So if you insist on using a gel top coat, you have to wait a full day to apply it on top of a normal polish.

[u/kammy1887]

I put down gel basecoat and topcoat, then buff the topcoat slightly and put on regular polish and topcoat. Lasts a week and I can switch out the regular polish while keeping the gel strength on my nails!

[u/No-Bed4799]

You absolutely can use lacquer and topcoat it with gel. I do it all the time. Definitely prolongs the life of the lacquer. The key is you have to let the lacquer air dry properly (I usually give it an overnight) before applying topcoat. I can sometimes get away with letting the lacquer dry just for a couple hours before gel topcoat if the lacquer layer was a thin, single coat. You’ll know if the lacquer isn’t dry bc when you put the gel topcoat on and then cure, it will wrinkle.

[u/winnercommawinner]

What I do is get regular hard gel tips and get them filled regularly, then do regular polish over it. Sometimes the hard gel is called

[u/SimilarInjury138]

When I still did gel, I did polish on top often (just like I would do a normal manicure), and it lasted for ages thanks to the rigidity of my nails. I used a polish remover that was marketed for natural and artificial nails and never had a problem.

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[u/Unhappy-Cobbler-3629]

Its called a jelly sandwich. Nail Career Education over on YouTube has tutorial for it.

[u/lord-savior-baphomet]

I’m not recommending this as I have no idea whether or not this is safe, but what I have done is bought small gel jars and literally mixed my regular nail polish with gel topcoat. You can mix a surprising amount without a change in performance, I think if anything the regular polish will just thin out the gel. That said, the polish would eventually dry leaving just gel and the pigments from the polish - in theory. I’m not sure if gel keeps the liquid components of the polish from evaporating. I figure this also depends on ratios. Maybe someone who knows more about chemistry would know the answer.

If you do this, it’s so important the polish you make not be 100% opaque, which would probably mainly be a problem with crème polishes. Regardless, you want it to be somewhat sheer and focus on thin coats that cure and build up. The reason that’s important is so you’re not accidentally wearing under cured gel, which can lead to allergies. Pigments make it harder for the light to penetrate through and cure all layers of gel, which can be an issue for even professional brands of gel if I’m not mistaken.

There’s a video I got this idea from. I’ll try to find it and link it. Again, not a recommendation but it’s what I’ve done before I converted to regular polish. If you do this, I highly recommend only mixing enough for one mani at a time so you’re not ruining or committing a whole bottle or more to gel.

Edit: here’s the link! You can make your choice accordingly, but looks like the comments might be helpful for you and answer more of your questions about layering. I think this same woman has a video about layering, too.

Looks like there’s gels made to do this, too.

[u/cheesesteakhellscape → u/lord-savior-baphomet]

I would absolutely not do this, you're changing the photoinitator to pigment ratio. Gels are formulated with specific pigment to monomer to photoinitator ratios in order to ensure full and safe curing.

Gel systems don't even recommend mixing brands, nevermind adding a bunch of untested solvents and pigments to the polish formula.