I had already completed one successful manicure using the same kit, so I knew the issue didn't lie with the products. I must have done something wrong during the process — but what? I consulted two pros to find out, and the answer was embarrassingly obvious.
"The gel could have been applied too heavily," NYC-based nail stylist Elle said. "Opaque colors need thinner layers because the photo initiators on the bottom do not see the light in order to cure."
Celebrity manicurist Gina Edwards confirmed that the most common issues with at-home gel manicures occur during application. "Thin layers are key," she said. "If you apply thick layers, this gives the gel too much flexibility to lift within the layers, causing air pockets and then peeling."
After years of thickly applying regular polish, I forgot that you're not supposed to pile on gel. The light needs to see the color pigments in the gel in order for each layer to set, and I'd just glopped it on, hoping for a thick shell of a manicure. The top coat had cured properly, thanks to three minutes until the lamp, but it was like a hard chocolate shell over melty ice cream.
