APRES SOFT GEL
The Aprés Gel-X soft gel system in one place: 250+ listings of Natural, Sculpted and Ombré tip boxes, 50-piece refill bags sorted by size, Extend Gel, prep liquids and the Gel-X kit, with free shipping on qualifying orders.
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The Aprés Gel-X system at DTK
Aprés built Gel-X as a full-coverage, soak-off extension system around one idea: a pre-shaped tip made of 100% soft gel instead of ABS plastic. The tip is bonded to the natural nail with Aprés Extend Gel and cured under an LED or UV lamp, so the finished set behaves like a gel enhancement rather than a glued-on cover. Aprés says a set applied with proper prep can wear for 3 to 4 weeks or more.
This page gathers every Aprés listing that belongs to that system. Most of it is tips: full boxes for a first purchase, single-size refill bags for restocking, and 14-bag sets that cover one shape and length in bulk. Around the tips sit the four bottles the system runs on (pH Bonder, Non-Acidic Gel Primer, Extend Gel and a no-wipe top gelcoat) and the Gel-X kit that packs them into one case. Aprés colour gels live on their own page, so this one stays focused on structure and supplies.
Natural, Sculpted and Ombré tips: matching the curve to the nail
Every Gel-X tip is moulded from the same soft gel; what changes between lines is the curve.
- Natural: a flatter surface with less C curve. Aprés designs it for clients whose nail beds are on the flat side, and it is the line DTK carries in the widest range of shapes and lengths.
- Sculpted: Aprés calls this its universal fit. It has a more pronounced C curve and suits clients with a more curved nail bed.
- Ombré: soft gel infused with white pigment, so each tip runs from clear to opaque white. The gradient is built into the tip, and Aprés pairs it with its sheer neutral Gel Couleurs.
Shape and length are separate choices from the line, so the same client can wear Natural Coffin Medium on one visit and Sculpted Almond Long on the next.
Boxes, refill bags and 14-bag sets compared
| Format | What is inside | When to buy it |
|---|---|---|
| Natural box of tips | 500 tips: 50 pieces in each of 10 sizes, one shape and length; boxes marked 600 Pcs hold 600 tips in 14 sizes | Opening a new shape on the menu |
| Sculpted box of tips | 10 sizes, 250 tips (Sculpted Coffin Extra Long); boxes marked 600 Pcs hold 600 tips in 14 sizes | Clients with a curved nail bed who need length |
| Ombré box | 210 tips across 14 sizes, half sizes included | Ombré and French-style sets without hand blending |
| Refill bag | 50 tips of one size, chosen from the size options on the listing | Replacing the sizes your clients use most |
| Set 14 Bag | 14 refill bags for one Natural shape and length | High-volume stations that run through a shape quickly |
Boxes come in Natural Square, Coffin, Almond, Stiletto and Round, in lengths from Extra Short to Long; Ombré boxes add Sculpted Coffin, Square and Almond options. Refill bags exist for the Natural shapes and lengths, which is where most of the 250+ listings on this page come from.
Reading Gel-X sizes before you reorder
A box gives you a spread of sizes, but the sizes do not run out at the same pace, and that pace depends on your clients. Refill bags let you replace only the sizes you actually use. On a refill listing, each size is a separate option: the Natural Coffin Medium bag, for example, is offered in sizes 00 and 0 through 9 plus the half sizes 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5. Aprés adds half sizes for a closer custom fit.
- Before a restock, count the bags or box slots that are nearly empty, per shape and length.
- Order refill bags only for those sizes, in the same shape, line and length as the box they refill.
- If one shape empties across all sizes every few weeks, compare a Set 14 Bag with single bags for that shape.
The four bottles that hold a Gel-X set
| Step | Product | Job in the service |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | pH Bonder | Dehydrates the prepped natural nail before anything else goes on |
| 2 | Non-Acidic Gel Primer | Acid-free; Aprés describes it as the second step, leaving a tacky surface that helps the tip adhere |
| 3 | Aprés Extend Gel | The soft gel that bonds the tip to the nail; gold bottles in 15, 30 and 45 mL |
| 4 | Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gelcoat | High-shine, semi-hard finish with no sticky layer to wipe |
Extend Gel is the formula Aprés built the rest of its line around; Aprés describes it as giving the extension both strength and flexibility while keeping soak-off removal easy. For separate base and top bottles, see Aprés base and top gelcoat.
What the Gel-X kit packs into one case
The Gel-X Nail Extension Kit (Black) is aimed at techs starting the system. Its listing names 15 mL bottles of pH Bonder, Non-Acidic Gel Primer, Extend Gel and Non-Wipe Top Gelcoat, an X-Lite LED light, a 100/180 grit file and a black vegan leather case. The tips are chosen separately, which lets you start with the one box that matches your clients' most common shape and add refill bags later.
How a Gel-X set goes on
- Prep: push back the cuticle, remove shine from the nail plate and dehydrate with pH Bonder, then apply the primer.
- Fit: size a Natural or Sculpted tip to every nail before opening any gel, using half sizes where a standard size is too wide or too narrow.
- Tip prep: etch or prep the inside of the tip if your training calls for it; some techs report better retention when they do.
- Bond: apply Extend Gel inside the tip and on the nail, press the tip into place and flash-cure it.
- Cure: once every tip is placed, cure the full hand under the LED or UV lamp.
- Finish: shape and blend, add Gel Couleur or another colour, then seal with the top gelcoat.
A handheld lamp makes the flash-cure step easier to control; see handheld flash cure lamps for the options, and UV and LED nail lamps for the full-hand cure.
Colour on a Gel-X set
Aprés designed its Gel Couleur gel polish to sit inside the same system as Gel-X, Extend Gel and the top gelcoats. Gel Couleur is a highly pigmented line with a precision brush built into the bottle, called Brush-X, so the same bottle handles full coverage and fine detail. On Gel-X extensions, Aprés notes that colour may go directly onto the tip; on natural nails, a base coat comes first. In both cases the colour is sealed with a compatible Aprés top gel or no-wipe top coat. Matching base, colour and top from one brand and following the system protocol gives the most predictable adhesion and wear. The sheer neutral shades are the ones Aprés pairs with Ombré tips, and the Light and Shadow gels are the brand's sheer, buildable range.
Why techs choose Gel-X over other extensions
- Time: Aprés engineered the system to go on faster than acrylic or hard gel sculpting, because the tip already carries its shape and apex.
- Feel: the soft gel tip stays lightweight and natural-feeling even at long lengths.
- Cleaner service: less filing dust, less odour and fewer tools on the desk than a classic sculpt.
- Fit: a wide choice of shapes, lengths and half sizes for a closer custom fit.
- Removal: an acetone soak instead of heavy filing, which Aprés positions as gentler on the natural nail when the set is applied and removed correctly.
- Learning curve: suitable for beginners and home use with training, though prep and application still need precision.
Are Gel-X tips press-on nails?
Not exactly. Gel-X is a soft gel extension system: each clear tip is bonded to the prepped nail with Extend Gel, cured under a lamp, then coloured and sealed like any gel service, and it comes off with an acetone soak. The page name keeps the press-on wording because many shoppers search that way, but everything listed here is part of the Aprés soft gel extension system, not a ready-to-wear stick-on set.
Keeping a set on, and taking it off
- Common lifting causes: prep that skipped dehydration or the bonder, gel flooding the cuticle area, a tip that does not fit or was not prepped inside, and short cure times.
- Aftercare: ask clients to limit heavy water and heat exposure and to use cuticle oil daily.
- Maintenance: because each tip has a built-in apex, many professionals replace the set once the nail grows out instead of filling it.
- Removal: soak in acetone and lift the softened tip gently. Do not scrape or drill it off, because improper removal can damage the natural nail. Follow up with nail care afterwards.
Stocking a Gel-X station
A working station needs less than the size of this page suggests. Start with one box per shape you offer, the two prep liquids, Extend Gel and a top gelcoat, plus a lamp for the full-hand cure. Add refill bags as sizes run out, and move to 14-bag sets only for the shapes that turn over fastest. For tips sorted by shape across Aprés, LAVIS and LDS, use Gel X tips by shape; for adhesives, primers and lamps from several brands, see the full soft gel nail system.
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