Extend Gel Novice

when I first got this, I was a baby in this gel-x world. I admit that it makes it easier to start doing gel extensions and it makes it easier to know how much gel to use, but… a lot of things in my day today meeting I have to have a strong extend gel that way my nails do not pop off. with extension, my nails popped off so quickly it would be two days after I did them and they would go flying off and I’d be left. I tried to use this four times each time the same thing happened where my nails would come off two days after I would try my best not to get in contact with water, but even when I did not contact water that much, and I wore gloves to make sure there would be minimal water even when I did dishes the nails would pop off inside of the gloves. if you just need something quick and sturdy this is a great option but for day-to-day if you use your hands a lot if you need your hands a lot, this is a no, but it really does make it easy!

Much easier to work with! No more sideways nails and much less overspill

As a nail tech, I developed an allergy to nail products and could not do my own nails anymore. I bought this product hoping it would help me “not spill” gel as the consistency is not runny like the regular gel that we use to glue the tips, and then hopefully that would minimize the contact of wet product with my skin which is what causes the allergic reactions. Only later I realized that this product is actually HEMA free, which is the allergen that I react to and is in most nail products. I honestly find the consistency to be too thick and even hard, at some point it even bent the nail tip on the part I was scooping the product with (just like they did in the video above). The thick consistency also makes it a little harder to “press down” the tip and spread the gel evenly, but with practice im sure I can perfect the amount needed for an even distribution. That being said, I am still extremely happy that I haven’t had any allergic reactions so far, even though I got some of it on my skin! I would 100% recommend this to anyone who is allergic to HEMA. Not so sure about the retention because I’ve only had it for a day now lol but so far so good! The tips on the picture are medium almond Chloe btw!

The first time I tried Apres gel nails I used the gel “glue” that was in a nail polish brush. They lasted 25 days and I was SO happy. I bought the novice and followed every instruction. I use the dehydrator, tip prep, nail prep, put the gel novice on the Apres nail, mold it to my nail, remove excess gel that comes out from under or around my cuticles, flash cure for 30 seconds with their lamp and then full cure for 90 seconds. I REGRET this purchase. The first time I used the novice I thought maybe it was user error. I’ve done it two other times with the novice to try and “get better” but yesterday was the last time I’ll do it. I followed their insta for tips and within a couple hours 3/5 nails popped off. The next day, 2 others popped off. So within 24 hours 5/10 had already popped off. This product is a complete waste of money. And it’s more expensive than the regular “polish brush” gel and advertised to be better for beginners. I wish I would’ve never ordered any of it.

The new novice gel is so easy to use. I don’t have any issues using the regular extend gel and I love it as well. But I’m not a nail pro, I’m a hair pro so I get a good amount of seeping with either product. I’m getting better but the novice is so easy to just peel away when it seeps around the edges. It’s so important not to get product on the skin, I feel a lot better when I use the novice so I know I’m not getting extra chemical exposure. I love learning about nails and apres has made it easier for me to have my nails look more professional when I’m doing hair. I can’t replace the perfection of a nail tech but it helps me better about my beauty image.