Hi friends! Welcome back to the KOKOIST USA channel for another educational video to share with you all. Last time we did a video on Gelips, I mentioned you could apply Gelips with the Nail Thoughts bases. What if I told you that with the Nail Thoughts Bases it’s even easier to apply Gelips?? Well today, KOKO is back to show us just that and bring you two cute simple looks using the Nail Thoughts Base Gels.
Are you ready to find out? Without further ado, let’s get into today’s video.
If you’ve seen our original Gelip video, you’ll see a lot of similarities. HOWEVER, we’ll be tailoring this video to bring you the easiest and quickest Gelip application method you can do using Nail Thoughts.
We’ve already thoroughly prepared our nails by buffing the tops with our sponge buffer to get rid of any shine so that the nail creates a tighter bond with the extension. Remember that prep is everything!! Without a good prep, we definitely can’t expect our extensions to last much longer than a couple of days. So, do. Not. Forget. This. Step.
Now that we’ve done that, we’re taking our lint-free cotton wipes to thoroughly wipe down each nail with 90% alcohol. We’ll do that with each finger to make sure no dead skin or debris is left on the nail plate. And again we’ll go in and wipe down each Gelip (which we’ve already pre-sized!) with 90% alcohol. Doing these steps all at once will cut down your application time and make life easier for your peace of mind.
Look 1: Clear Builder Base
Here we’re taking the Clear Builder Base (my personal favorite) and are rolling out the Gelip to create that perfect apex. At this point of the video, you may be asking why aren’t we applying a thin coat to the nails before we go in with our Gelips? That’s because, well, for the Nail Thoughts Bases, you just don’t need it! Now of course, you totally could if you don’t feel like it’ll be secure enough. However, with the Nail Thoughts Bases, the gel will create a tight enough bond with the nail plate alone. And that my friends, is going to save you all the time in the world at the salon.
Here we’ll take our Nail Thoughts Clear Builder Base and generously apply into the pocket we’ve created only about 2/3rds up from the base of the gelip on the pre-etched matte portion. Once she applies that, she’ll take the rest of the gel on the brush and create a dollop on the very base of the gel. Then with a light hand we’ll take the same gel to tap on some of that excess base to the tip of the nail.
Take your Gelip (here we’re using the Oval Shorts) and place gently about 2mm past the base of the nail and hold. Use the milk cake light and while the light is on, press down all the way using our free hand, allowing it to flash cure while you press down. This will remove all the air out from under the nail. If you’re doing this by yourself you can also use the light sensor and the compact stand to execute this method. The gel we put on earlier at the edge of the nail will help to stop the gel from overflowing past the free edge.
And now we’ll just do that to all our nails until we have a complete set. You can see by just going directly in without our base gel we still get a full and complete application between the Gelip and the nail and there are no awkward gaps. Once we have finished, we’ll make sure to give the whole hand a full 60 second cure to ensure they’re all on there nice and tight.
Now we are just blending the edge of our Gelip to the natural nail with our e-file to create a flawless, natural looking appearance. Then taking the Sponge Buffer, we’ll remove the shine from the tops of the Gelip and get it prepped for our gel that we’ll be applying on top. Once again, we’ll take our lint free cotton wipe with 90% alcohol to remove any debris.
For today’s look we won’t be adding any color and finishing off with just a top coat, so we won’t be adding another layer of the Clear Base. Ideally, if you were going in with color, you’ll want to make sure that you have that to ensure the color sticks.
To account for the softer type gels when using Gelips, we’re going in with the Nail Thoughts Glassy Top Gel. This Top Coat Gel is the perfect consistency for applying Gelips with the NT Bases. The harder top coat will add a final layer of strength to our nails. We will cure each finger for a minimum of 30 seconds each.
And because we are feeling so ~extra fancy~ today, we’ll add some ultra diamond top coat for the perfect subtle glitter. Since we’re doing a clear coat, adding the glitter top coat to the underside of the nail will camouflage the small transparent size number. You can also always file down the number on the underside if you don’t want the glitter look.
You can leave it like this for a touch of glitter just at the tips or go over the whole nail with the Ultra Diamond Top Coat like we did for an oh so sparkly manicure.
For a final finishing touch after curing, Koko goes in with the file to shape up the nails before we’re finished. After dusting everything off, we can admire our beautiful nails. Peep the slay reveal.
Look 2: Tinted Base
So now that we’ve opened up the possibility and taken you through using the Nail Thoughts system for Gelips, where does this leave us? You don’t suppose we can use the tinted bases for our Gelips now, do you? We definitely can and we definitely will. Here we’ll demonstrate a beautiful clear french look using the Tinted Bases.
This time we’re using NTB-02 or Strawberry Milk Base and generously apply into the pocket we’ve created after rolling it out onto the base of the gelip. Again, we’ll take the rest of the gel on the brush and create a dollop on the very base of the gel. Then with a light hand we’ll take the same gel to tap on some of that excess base to the tip of the nail to prevent overflowing.
We’re going to take that Gelip, place it a little past the base of the nail and hold, but not completely press down the Gelip on the nail to initially leave a small pocket of air. Use the Milk Cake Light while the light is on, press down all the way completely, allowing it to cure while you press down to remove all the air out from under the nail.
Give it a nice 60 second cure once you’re done applying all the Gelips.
After we’re done attaching all the Gelips and giving it a nice full 60 second cure with our curing lamp, she takes the e-file to smooth down the Gelip and blend the edges in with the natural nails.
Now we take our file and buff the tops of the Gelips with our sponge buffer and we’ll finish our prep by wiping it down with alcohol.
Now we’ll take our Glassy Top Coat and finish off the application. To match the other hand slightly and camouflage the transparent numbers, Koko applies the Ultra Diamond on the underside once again and cures for another 40 seconds.
Since the Nail Thoughts Glassy Top Coat Gel is not a non-wipe type gel, once we finish curing all our nails with it, we can’t forget to wipe off the inhibition layer with our 90% alcohol one last time.
And here you already have a beautiful clear french tip, but we can go one final step further. What better way than to create a sleek french outline with our Markers Line. The thickness of the Marker’s Line is great for linework and helps to add some beautiful dimension. It also really enhances the clear french look. No need to add an extra layer of top coat since the Marker’s Line is a non-wipe type gel.
Finally, we go through with the last perfecting touches with our hand file. And once we dust it off, we’re alllll finished. Isn’t she just a cutie.
And that’s it for the video today! Was this video helpful for you? Let us know in the comments below! I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy method of applying Gelips with NTB. And as always, thank you so much for watching. I’ll see you all next time in the next video.
