![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Gel nails are my favorite craft right now. So this is a geekery post.
Because I'm really into nails right now I've added some different hard gels to my stock, and a few months ago I ordered some glitter from Aliexpress. Well last week Aliexpress had a big sale so I ordered a lot more glitter and nail art stuff. I think I mentioned that in a previous post.
Here are the hard gels that I have. They're all Cuccio T3 potted gels.
Self-leveling:
clear
opaque ultra pink
white
Controlled leveling: clear
Some observations about the gels: all of the self-leveling ones have a slightly different consistency. The clear isn't runny enough for my preference, but the pink is much more runny. The white is thicker and a bit rubbery in texture, it has more bounce and stretch than the others and that makes it harder to scoop up on the brush.
The white also cures much harder than the other colors. It's hard enough that my efile kind of screeches when it hits the white.
Bits:
Since I started I've used a carbine tapered 5 of fine grit for debulking and a diamond sanding band for finishing. Lately I felt like the carbide was struggling so I bought a medium grit ceramic taper and a XF grit small barrel (for cutting/shaping smile lines.) Oh my god, the fine carbide is so, so smooth. It makes a surface smoother than the sanding band. I used it for finish filing last night and was in love. So easy.
The ceramic bit wasn't as efficient as I thought so I am thinking that maybe my efile needs replacing. It has been iffy but I didn't think it was losing torque, but maybe it is. I would like to get a brushless model but they're so expensive. I am already waiting on a black friday sale to get a new dust collector because the cheap ones from Amazon just aren't very effective.
Because I'm really into nails right now I've added some different hard gels to my stock, and a few months ago I ordered some glitter from Aliexpress. Well last week Aliexpress had a big sale so I ordered a lot more glitter and nail art stuff. I think I mentioned that in a previous post.
Here are the hard gels that I have. They're all Cuccio T3 potted gels.
Self-leveling:
clear
opaque ultra pink
white
Controlled leveling: clear
Some observations about the gels: all of the self-leveling ones have a slightly different consistency. The clear isn't runny enough for my preference, but the pink is much more runny. The white is thicker and a bit rubbery in texture, it has more bounce and stretch than the others and that makes it harder to scoop up on the brush.
The white also cures much harder than the other colors. It's hard enough that my efile kind of screeches when it hits the white.
Bits:
Since I started I've used a carbine tapered 5 of fine grit for debulking and a diamond sanding band for finishing. Lately I felt like the carbide was struggling so I bought a medium grit ceramic taper and a XF grit small barrel (for cutting/shaping smile lines.) Oh my god, the fine carbide is so, so smooth. It makes a surface smoother than the sanding band. I used it for finish filing last night and was in love. So easy.
The ceramic bit wasn't as efficient as I thought so I am thinking that maybe my efile needs replacing. It has been iffy but I didn't think it was losing torque, but maybe it is. I would like to get a brushless model but they're so expensive. I am already waiting on a black friday sale to get a new dust collector because the cheap ones from Amazon just aren't very effective.
Tags:
From:
no subject