You do so much with your hands. You grasp things with it. You hold things and other people with it. You even use your hands to communicate what you think and feel. With every movement of your hand, others get to see your nails.
This is one good reason why making sure that not only your hands are clean, but that your nails are as well. Many even take pride to have their nails manicured, even embellished with all sorts of designs either with extensions or overlays.
Extensions vs. Overlays
So what is the difference between the two? A nail extension (also known as a tip) is usually a fake nail that is glued or attached to the natural nails to add length or enhance the look of the nails. It is usually made of plastic and cut to take the shape of your nails. It is made to look like the natural nail on which it was glued or attached by applying acrylic, gel, or other mixture on the plastic nail extension or fake nail. Then it is cured to make it stronger and the attached portion to stay longer in place.
A nail overlay, on the other hand, does not need a fake nail, instead uses the acrylic, gel, or other coating system to be applied directly on the natural nail to enhance its appeal and make it stronger as well. If you have brittle or very thin nails, overlays are the best thing that you can have on your nails. Basically, anything that you will have on to cover your nail is considered a nail overlay.
What are your options for a nail overlay? Like nail extensions, you make choose from acrylic, gels, bio scuplture, or the dip color system. All these are great choices, but for a longer-lasting overlay that will stay beautiful for weeks, the better option would be to go with a gel or a dip powder overlay. Not only are they durable but are also flexible and odorless. They are also healthier alternatives to acrylic overlays.
OPI Gel
OPI gel is a UV nail coating. This premium nail polish brand offers an amazing nail color spectrum for that perfect manicure or pedicure. A properly finished polish with one of the outstanding colors of OPI gel creates long-lasting and durable shine, that dries instantly, and can be worn for weeks without breaking or peeling off.
OPI gel is a revolutionary nail color system that works like polish, cures for about 30 seconds, and lasts for even more than two weeks. All you need is a top coat, two coats of your chosen color and a top coat. For each application a 30-second curing is necessary to harden the gel and make it superdurable.
For some spectacular color options from OPI, check out these shades:
GCE82A MY VAMPIRE IS BUFF (#OPIGCE82A). My Vampire is Buff is an off-white creamy creme polish from the brand’s Euro Centrale Collection. It is a soft and subtle color that will bring out the positive vibe in you. This soft vanilla shade may just be perfect if you are looking for some pretty pale hue that will flatter your skin tone.
GCN51A LET ME BAYOU A DRINK (#OPIGCN51A). This pearlescent blush pink shade is so pretty! A soft pink shade with a touch of a shimmer on your nails. Wear it like a princess and rave about it for days on end. It levels out evenly and looks opaque in two coats. It could be your go to color for a more neutral pink look.
GCV31A BE THERE IN A PROSECCO (#OPIGCV31A). From OPI Fall 2015 Venice Collection, Be There In A Prosecco is a creamy beige-yellow shade that changes to a lighter hue when light strikes through it. It’s a simple yet lovely color that will look perfect in any season.
Bio Seaweed Gel
Here is another brand that promises healthier nail polish finish that looks great longer. It is a three-step nail polish system: base coat, the nail color of your choice, and the top coat that is five-free (does not contain Formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, and camphor) and does not even need a UV or LED lamp to cure. It offers a smooth, self-leveling finish with zero shrinkage.
You can try one of these Bio Seaweed Gel colors:
14 Tangy (#BIO14). Get dandy with some peachy-orange hue. Bio Seaweed Tangy is the healthy alternative for that zesty polished look that will never fail to get that second look. Get that wow factor with your nails. This five-free nail polish formula will stick your nails for up to 14 days so you can enjoy a perfect shine that’s totally healthy on your nails.
64 Lilypad (#BIO64). This is a creamy light pistachio green shade that leaves a smooth and shiny finish on the nails. With the Bio Seaweed Lilypad hue, you can create beautiful and natural-looking gel overlays and extensions in no time. No need for glue o artificial tips to build professional nail enhancements with this premium nail polish brand.
85 Sweet Pea (#BIO85). Here’s an interesting pastel shade that liven up your day. It’s a soft lilac hue that looks great on nails. With a no shrinkage formula like Bio Seaweed, you will have fantastic polish finish that levels off smoothly after it is cured under a UV/LED lamp. This is just perfect for fabulous overlays or designs on your fingernails and toenails.
DND Gel Polish
DND is one of the newest innovations in nail coatings. It is a two-step gel system that does not need a base coat or a bond to have a durable and flexible nail polish that can last for up to three weeks. However, a newly coated nail with a DND gel polish needs to be cured under a UV/LED lamp for 30 seconds before the formula would harden and create a perfect and shiny look on your nails.
Here are some interesting shades from this brand you may want to try:
DNDCE35 (#DNDCE35). This is when overlays get even more interesting. With the DND Cat Eye gel polish you can achieve the Cat eye effect that you can wear for up to 21 days. It’s so easy that even a noob can do easily. This one is called Tonkinese Cat, a color that exudes a distinct and striking shade like that of the cat from this breed.
DNDCE24 (#DNDCE24). Get fierce looking nails that resemble the eyes of a marbled cat with the DNDCE24 gel polish. It’s strikingly beautiful. There is a total of 36 shades from this brand. Get one that suits your preference.
What to Do to Care for Your Nails Well?
Just as much you would like to care for your nails, you would also like to ensure that you care much for your overlays so you will get the best value for the money and time you spent to have your nails looking as they are with the overlays. Here are some tips that we recommend to make sure that you can keep your overlays longer.
1. Keep the length of your nails to a sensible length, just enough for the overlay to cover them well.
2. Use hand gloves when you need to do much with your hands. This will keep your gorgeous overlays looking pretty as ever longer.
3. Keep your hands well moisturized and sanitized so dirt and won’t clog the sides and under tips of your nails.
4. Have some cuticle cream handy. Pairing your dainty-looking nails with overlays with ragged-looking cuticles is a no-no. Make sure to keep them soft and supple with some cuticle softener.
One final reminder for those who would rather do the overlays themselves. Make sure to follow the instructions indicated in the manual or on the labels of the nail products that you use. Each brand may have a different set of instructions, so be careful to follow through every detail indicated in the instruction manual or product label.
Keeping beautiful looking nails is so much easier today. You can even make them stronger, yet flexible with a nail overlay. With several options available, you can never go wrong. Pick one and flaunt your nails. Wear them strong. Wear them with a smile.
For other premium nail polish options, visit DTK Nail Supply. It’s your one-stop shop for branded nail polish that that will last for weeks. See no peeling, no breaking, no cracking until the next time you would need to have a change in your nail color.
We welcome your feedback or questions. For advice on what best will suit your needs, contact us today and we will respond to your concerns as soon as we can.