IBD Hard Builder Gel for Nails, Round – Clear, UV/LED Gels for Nail Extensions & Sculpting Strong Long-Lasting Enhancement for Women, 2 oz, 1 Pack

I am new to the world of gel nails but even for a beginner it has been very user friendly. I am currently using a model ones small uv/led lamp with it and it's curing nicely. I use the IBD primer as well. It is a thick self leveling gel and I find it hard to flood the cuticle area even on my non dominant hand. The color is clear, and for the price you pay you get a nice size of product that will last a while. The learning curve I had was I did not realize that after it cures it will still be sticky, but that's because if you are adding more layers it will help it adhere. I use rubbing alcohol to get rid of that layer when I am finished. So far my manicure without nail tips has lasted maybe 3 days but I work with my hands a lot. With nail tips it has lasted 3 weeks so far. Still learning, still playing around with it but I do enjoy this product.

I've been looking for a gel pot that would strengthen my natural nails. I've been using poly gel to extend my nails but now that they'd grown out I wanted something that would go on like nail polish and last a while. The description said that it would need 3-5 minutes curing under a UV lamp and since I have an LED lamp assumed it would be a shorter time. because I've been using poly gel I was used to using a primer and base coat and assumed I would need these for a longer-lasting application. When I got my gel, I set to work on strengthening my nails. I removed the poly gel, dehydrated, primed, and added a base coat. I then applied the gel and went with a minute and a half with my 72W LED light. When I pulled my fingers out they were still sticky and felt wet. I put them back in for the additional time that had been suggested. When I again pulled them out I was disappointed to find they still seemed wet and sticky. This wasn't anything like I'd expected. I put it aside for months. While searching again for another gel that would do what I was expecting I happened upon the IBD website and there it said that it would only take 60 seconds to cure under an LED light. I was confused. Why had it still felt wet after curing for such a long time. I decided to try it again. I had some acquired knowledge that there is what is called an inhibition layer with some polishes so I decided to assume it would be something like that. I did my nails and cured them for only 60 seconds. Rather than just expecting them to be dry, I wiped them down with some rubbing alcohol. That was the ticket! My nails are strong and look natural without polish and look great with polish. Great product and I will definitely be buying it in the future. My process: Remove any dirt and polish from your nails. Clean them off a bit with some rubbing alcohol. This will also help to dehydrate your nail bed. Apply a dehydrator. Apply a primer. Apply a base coat and cure for 60 seconds. Apply the IBD gel and cure for 60 seconds. Wipe your nails again with rubbing alcohol to remove the sticky inhibition layer. You can now polish your nails as you would like with either regular polish or gel polish. Things you will need: a small brush to apply the gel, a UV or LED nail lamp, rubbing alcohol. Per the IBD website, you do not need to do the base coat steps but I find it helps the gel to last longer. Gel should always be applied in thin layers and use multiple layers for the desired effect if needed.

I had to write a review because this hard gel is awesome! For people who didn’t give this five stars it’s important to know how to properly use this product for the best result. I use this as a overlay and nail extension and it stays on beautifully until I change my gel nail color which is usually every two weeks. Steps: 1. I prep my natural nail without filing too much off. I just remove the shine and wipe with an alcohol wipe. 2. I apply a nail tip with nail glue to my natural Nail for length. (I sometimes also use a nail form without needing to use a tip for length but that requires some skill and everyone may not want to take the time to master that.) 3. I cut and shape the nail tip with a nail file and make it flush with my natural nail and brush off dust. 4. I then apply a base coat and cure. 5. I apply the IBD hard gel in two thin coats being careful to not get any on my cuticle. I cure for 120min with a 160 watt UV/LED lamp between coats. A high voltage lamp is a must with hard gel. 6. I then file, shape and even out the surface. I ensure the gel is thin at my cuticle to ensure it is flush with my natural nail. If you don’t file it down thin, dirt and oil will get under your nail and that’s what causes nail funguses and nail lifting. 7. I wipe top of nail off with alcohol once finished to remove sticky layer. 8. I apply another layer of base coat, 2 coats of gel polish and 1 top coat curing between each application. Follow the cure timing instructions for your chosen gel polish. 9. Every two weeks I remove the gel polish and add the UBD builder gel in the small area between the cuticle and where my nail is growing out, giving myself a “fill in”. 10. After that I repeat steps 4-8. Using this method, my nails don’t chip or break and I type heavily for work. Hope this is helpful to someone.

Since buying the ibd Builder Gel, it took me at least 3 manicures to get it right. Here are my tips. Some of them might be wrong, but they've worked for me: 1. Apply a gel foundation base before putting on the builder gel. In one tutorial video it seemed the builder gel went directly on the nails, but doing this caused them to flake off within 24 hours. Also, buff your nails really well before starting the manicure. 2. Apply 2 coats of the builder gel. Every time I only did one coat to limit the thickness of my nail, I would get dimples and bumps in the dried builder gel. Two coats seem to control this issue and smooth out the builder gel. 3. Don't get the gel on the skin around your nail or cuticles as this will mostly likely lead to the polish chipping off. Also, cap the ends of your nails to seal the gel. These are standard gel manicure tips, but it's taken practice for me to get a clean manicure, avoiding skin an cuticles. Hope that helps for anyone. Overall, good product and I will buy again although the bottle is large and it's probably going to last me a long time.

Some have complained about the thickness of the product, but if it was as thin as the base/top etc. coat, I believe it wouldn't be a builder gel. Just get some very good brushes and practice. The thickness is what finally ensures I never have to go back to have my nails done again. I can do them myself now. When you go to the salon to get "gel" nails they have to put a gel "powder" on top for strength. I could never master that technique on myself and I've tried for years. Then builder gels came onto the market and it's eliminated my need to go into the salon altogether. I put the base coat on, use builder gel, apply a color (if I choose) and then top coat. I NEVER break a nail anymore. Previously, no matter how many layers of gel I put on - without the builder gel, my nails would break. Now my nails are as strong as if I've been to professional nail salon. I love the thickness of the builder gel as I see that as the strengthening layer. It is self settling and seems as if it is too thick to work with at first, but if you have to - apply to one nail at a time, cure under the light and then go on to the next nail until you get the hang of it. This color is beautiful too. Very sheer, very natural looking when I do French tips. Note in the photo I have this builder gel on my nails, however the color I am using on top of the builder is a color-change glitter nail color (when nails are warm color fades, cold -- color darkens) so the sheer results of the builder gel isn't depicted in the photos. I am just showing results of how, with practice, you can get a smooth result with the builder. I'm no pro - but it's good enough for me.

sorry that they are so blurry but, I’ve been doing nails for years and I haven’t had a builder gel that levels so easily as this one does. I have used tons of salon brands and I continuously go back to this one. It is beginner friendly. I don’t find that it smells very bad, it is crystal clear and shiny, and extremely durable. Sometimes my nails are more flexible than the builder gel, which can cause the tips of my nails to lift from the builder gel, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the gel and everything to do with my prep/nail health. 10 out of 10 definitely buy this!

Probably user error but I prepped my nails, dehydrator & primer. Thin layer, cured for 3 minutes, top coat and it started peeling off within hours. I didn’t use a base gel but will try again with it to see if that helps. Seems pretty thin, not sure how this would work with extensions but I just want to strengthen my natural nails.

One of the og of builder gel. My salon loves it and also you can use it for chrome also. But it is a solid product.

Bueno producto, llegó bien

utmärkt material, hållbart och lätt att använda.

came on time and is really easy to use

Honestly ye fake ibd gel hain...original.ibd gel bahut hard hota. Hain ye bahut thin hain ....

Ik heb clear besteld. Maar ik heb pink gekregen. Gel is goed maar niet wat ik wilde.