Nail stickers are a great way to add some pizzazz to your nails. They’re inexpensive, easy to apply and make a huge difference in the final look of your manicure. If you’re thinking about making the leap from traditional nail polish to gel polish, it might seem daunting. But rest assured that nail stickers work just as well with gel polish as they do with traditional polish. It’s one more way to get your creative juices flowing.
Nail stickers have been gaining popularity for a while now, among fashionable ladies. They are used to make manicures more interesting and adorable. People who take good care of their nails usually use gel polish to give their nail tips superior shine and gloss. Adding cute nail decorations using stickers seems like the perfect way to complete a classy outfit with your manicure.
But some people can’t get it right. This article will change that.
How Do You Put Nail Stickers on Gel Polish?
Putting nail stickers on gel polish is actually very easy. But if you are not familiar with this process, it can be difficult to understand how to do it.
Of course, not all nail stickers are created equal, but these guidelines will work for the majority of brands, particularly for ultra-thin styles.
1. Make your nails clean and dry
Before putting the stickers on, make sure your nails are well-groomed. Your nails must be clean and dry at all times. If you had nail polish on before, remove it entirely or the stickers will lose their adhesion. The sticker will not fit correctly, and the sides will most likely peel up.
2. Figure out which stickers and nails go together
Remove the stickers from the container and determine which nail would be ideal for each sticker. If your hands are sweaty and you’re worried about the stickers losing their adhesiveness, use tweezers to remove your chosen nail stickers from their sheet.
Once the sticker gets very close to your nail, you can hold on to the edges.
3. Stick the stickers on your nails
Measure the sticker as evenly as possible. Although it’s likely that you won’t get it perfect on the first trial, remember to just try to gently lay the nail stickers on your nail in such a way that you can easily replace them if you make a mistake. Hold it for at least a minute the moment you’re satisfied with the position.
4. Smoothen the sticker out
It’s critical to smooth down the stickers from the center to the edges in order to avoid air bubbles. The top coat will bubble slightly if you skip this step. You can complete the work with a silicone tool because it won’t harm the stickers. The sticker’s soft surface ensures that it will stay flat on your nails.
5. Trim the sticker’s edges
After applying and smoothing, you must clip the surplus stickers. Trim the edges to make it fit your nails perfectly. Take care as you work your way around the borders and around the nail bed. You don’t want to make any cuts because they’ll ruin the sticker. Cut the extra at the top with a nail clipper or scissors to finish it off.
6. Trim the sticker’s edges
Trim the sticker’s edges (after it has been applied to a nail) to ensure that it fits perfectly and follows the shape of your nail (free edge) or nail bed. If you’re applying the sticker exactly at the edge of the nail or at the nail bed, place it over the free edge/polish and trim the excess with cuticle nippers to ensure the sticker follows your nail form or nail bed precisely.
7. Apply 2 coats of topcoats over the entire nail and stickers
To seal and protect the stickers, apply two coats of a topcoat (or gel/shellac topcoat) over the entire nail and the stickers. This will help extend the life of your manicure and smooth out the edges of the stickers. The clear edges of the stickers will melt away completely, leaving only the print visible on the nail surface.
8. Apply a base coat to your nail
If you’re performing a negative space design or applying stickers over bare nails, paint your nails with a base or clear nail polish before applying the stickers. Nail stickers won’t attach well unless your nails are polished because they produce natural oils.
How Do You Get Nail Stickers To Stay On?
Nail stickers, wraps, and polish strips can easily last 5-7 days on average, but they can last much longer if applied and used correctly. It’s also worth noting that different nail sticker brands will endure for varying amounts of time. These tips will extend the life of your nail stickers.
1. Apply a Finishing Coat
One of the best and quickest ways to extend the life of your nail polish strip is to apply a coat of clear nail polish. The stickers can last up to two weeks with a clear coat of nail paint.
2. Choosing the Right Brand
It’s crucial to pick the correct nail sticker brand. Stickers from premium brands are made with high-quality materials and durable adhesives. This boosts the nail strip’s strength, allowing you to wear them for extended periods.
3. Keep Water and Heat Away From Nail Stickers
Water and heat are the natural enemies of nail stickers. High temperatures affect the vinyl used to produce nail stickers; the heat weakens the wraps, making them more likely to tear. When you’re cooking, be sure your nails don’t come into touch with the flames.
In addition, the adhesive used to adhere the strips to the nail dissolves in water. Therefore, it is recommended to wear gloves to keep the wraps from getting wet while bathing or cleaning the dishes.
4. Ensure that your nails are properly prepared
To ensure that your nail stickers stay as long as possible, you must first prepare your nails. The first step is to file your nails properly to ensure they are perfectly smooth. This increases the surface area of your nails, making it easier for the glue to stick. After that, make sure your nails are properly cleaned.
5. Make use of a lot of nail glue
Applying an extra dab of nail adhesive to your nails before applying the sticker is important. The strips’ pasting power is increased as a result of this. However, only apply more nail adhesive if you truly want the sticker to last a long time. Furthermore, extra nail glue may not work for all stickers because different adhesives may work against each other.
6. Apply the Finishing Coat
To further increase the quality of the stickers, two coats of a topcoat, such as gel or shellac, can be applied to each one to seal and protect it. This also extends the life of the stickers and smooths down the edges.
7. Keep your physical activity to a minimum.
Swimming, for example, may damage the stickers and diminish the adhesive strength of the strips. So it’s better to not overdo it with the exercise to allow the stickers to last long.
How to Apply Nail Stickers With Water (Water Slide Decals)
A water slide decal is a huge or tiny pattern or image printed on special paper. When it’s submerged in water, a layer between the picture and the backing paper dissolves, allowing the image or pattern to slide off and onto your nail (or any other surface)
Water slide decals are significantly thinner than vinyl decals, and they’re a great method to quickly create salon-quality nail art. There is a limitless variety of them on the market nowadays, ranging from French manicures to full nail designs, flowers to hearts to cartoons, Christmas to Halloween, laces to half-moon designs, and so on.
Water slide decals are the simplest method to achieve a salon look at home, yet many people still have trouble applying them. These easy-to-follow steps for applying waterslide decals will get the job done in no time.
1. Apply a base coat
To begin, paint your nails with a base coat of nail polish. Water decals come in two varieties: one that can be applied to any base nail polish color and the other that must be applied to a white base color exclusively. You can use those that can be applied to any base.
2. Prepare your tools
Make a workspace for yourself by gathering everything you’ll need in one location. A pair of tweezers, a basin of room-temperature water, and a sheet of waterslide decals are included.
3. Remove the decal sheet’s protective sheet.
Place the decal sheet on a flat surface, and use a sharp hobby knife to slice through the decal sheet and its protective paper.
4. Submerge the decal sheet in water
For 5–10 seconds, put the piece in the water dish. After a few seconds, the decals will separate from the backing. If they don’t, leave them underwater a little longer.
5. Apply the sticker
Using tweezers, carefully remove the flower decal from the sheet and place it on your nails.
6. Apply a top coat
Finally, for long-lasting nail art, apply a top coat to your nails.
Can You Put Clear Nail Polish Over Nail Stickers?
Yes, you can put clear nail polish over nail stickers. You can put clear nail polish on top of nail wraps to create a lasting manicure. Have you ever had a manicure where the polish chipped within hours? If you want your manicure to last longer, try adding a clear coat of nail polish to the wraps.
Just make sure you let the first coat of nail polish completely dry before applying the second layer. Clear nail polish helps seal the wrap and also makes your nails look shiny and smooth.
Can You Put a Gel Top Coat Over Nail Stickers?
Yes, you can put a gel top coat over nail stickers. A gel top coat is a product that you can use in place of regular nail polish to give your manicure a long-lasting shine. It’s also possible to use over nail stickers, but there are some things you should know before doing so.
Before using a gel top coat over stickers, ensure the sticker is completely dry before you begin. If it isn’t, the sealant may smudge or be pulled off by the top coat.
Most brands of gel top coats don’t work well with stickers because they are formulated to be applied over natural nails. On its own, this could lead to peeling and chipping of the sticker in addition to the nail polish underneath. However, there are some brands that specifically advertise their compatibility with stickers. These gel top coats are specialized for covering nail art.
The best way to apply over stickers is not with a brush but instead with a sponge-tip applicator that comes included with most brands of top coat. This will ensure even distribution and help prevent air bubbles from forming near your cuticles.
Best Nail Stickers To Use With Gel Polish
1. Danni&Toni Nail Stickers
Danny & Toni’s gel nail stickers are easy to apply and blend in effortlessly, making them ideal for sticker rookies. The adhesives are ideal for folks who aren’t particularly experienced with traditional nail paints; they’re pliable and come with a strong adhesive, but they can be repositioned if necessary. Because of the gel nature, these can last up to two weeks and look just as good as the day they were applied.
2. Kdsuh metallic nail stickers
These nail stickers are fashionable nail wraps that stay in place and provide a lot of value for your money. Fans of nail stickers will enjoy Qdsuh’s nail wraps. These are extremely user-friendly as well as artistically pleasing. When you apply a top coat to your gel nails, they don’t slide about.
3. Augoog nail stickers set
Augoog’s nail sticker collection has 14 sheets and 196 stickers, so there’s something for everyone. Keep it simple by keeping to one neutral color, or be creative by mixing and matching colors and prints for a distinctive design – the possibilities are unlimited. They’re easy to put on and take off as well.
4. Kingmas 50 sheets of nail art stickers
Not sure what kind of mood you want from your nail stickers? When you get this 50-sheet set, which has a wonderful selection of butterflies, florals, and feathers, you won’t have to choose. Because these stickers are on the tiny side, it’s not a bad idea to use tweezers to apply them to your nails.
Conclusion
Nail stickers are a great way to get nail art without adding the commitment of having to paint your nails yourself. Place these stickers on your nails, follow the instructions and you’re done! They’re easy to apply and even easier to remove at any time which is why they’re incredibly popular with many clients.
If you have decided to try out nail stickers and are looking for tips, hopefully, this article has helped you gain a little insight into how to use nail stickers successfully with gel polish.