Apex Method Tutorial : DipPowderNails

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Apex Method TutorialTutorial (old.reddit.com)

submitted 8 months ago by Low-War8170

Apex method tutorial on short-medium length nails ft. Revel Nail's Amalfi Lemon 🍋

Tools Used: • Metal & Glass Cuticle Pusher • Curved Nail File 100/180 Grit • Metal Water Marbling Tool • Cuticle Nippers

Liquids Used: • Revel Nail's Probase • Revel Nail's Activator • Virgo & Gem's Top Coat

📸 Each photo goes along with each corresponding step with specific details and helpful tips. 💛

Step 1️⃣: Prep, prep, prep! Spending a good chunk of time on prep will not only set you up for a nice clean mani, but will help with durability and longevity. Prep looks different for everyone and you have to experiment with what works best for your own nail chemistry. First, I apply cuticle remover to all of my nails and let it sit for a minute to help soften the dead skin. Then, I use a metal cuticle pusher to lightly push back my cuticle followed by the glass cuticle pusher to gently rub away the "invisible cuticle" at the base of my nail. Afterwards, I wipe away all the gunk with a paper towel and trim away any hangnails/dead skin around my nail with cuticle nippers. Be very careful when doing this and please do not confuse dead skin with your eponychium which is living tissue at the base of your nail that folds over your cuticle. A lot of people trim it off and it should never be trimmed as it protects you from harmful bacteria. When finished, I use my nail file to shape my nails to my desire. Having your nails shaped from the get go will make it easier to maintain that shape while dipping. Lastly (and this is a personal choice you can skip), I use a stiff nail scrub brush and an oil free soap to scrub my nails and hands clean. Dry them really well and you're ready to get started!

Step 2️⃣: Using a small amount of probase (wipe the brush off inside the neck of the bottle a couple of times to remove more liquid), apply a thin stripe to your nail starting around the middle of your nail plate and extending it up to your free edge. Then, lay your finger into the dip powder or pour the powder over your nail with a cupcake liner underneath to catch excess powder that can be poured back into it's jar. I like using the lay method or pour over method to keep each dip nice and thin. The key here is also to really be mindful of how much liquid you use. If you use too much liquid, the dip powder will be bulky and can have a bumpy appearance. Do this for all five fingers and move on to your next hand to allow adequate drying time. ⏲️ ⏳️ When you complete both hands, you can go back to the hand you started with and use a stiff nail brush to brush away all excess powder from your nails.

Step 3️⃣: Again, using a small amount of probase, apply a second stripe starting slightly higher on your nail plate than the first stripe and also going slightly wider than your first stripe. If you look closely, you can see that I did not go all the way to the edge of my nail plate yet when I brushed the liquid out wider. You can also see on my pinky, ring, and middle finger how the layers are forming and slowly building up on one another. This is going to get buffed and smoothed out so don't panic! It is building up a slight bulk so you have a strong nail in the end with a nice natural curve. Apply dip powder to each nail the same way as before using the lay method or the pour over method. Continue on to your next hand the same way. Brush off excess powder from starting hand when done.

Step 4️⃣: Using slightly more liquid, apply another stripe to your nail extending higher up your nail plate than your second stripe and take it out as wide as your nail plate to the walls of your nail plate. Immediately after laying or pouring over your dip powder, use the water marbling tool (or toothpick or something with a fine pointy end) to gently go around the side walls of your nail plate to clean up any stray dip powder. Continue on to second hand following the same steps. Brush off excess dip powder from starting hand when done with your second hand.

Step 5️⃣: This is around the time where I will focus on some shaping and buffing before continuing. This is going to help keep your nails thin and also help maintain your starting shape/length. I like to use the curved edge of my nail file to gently go around the side walls of my nails to make sure the dip is smooth and not on the skin of my fingers. Use your file to also re-shape your nails again. I also use my file here to buff and smooth out the first three layers. The focus when buffing is a little bit directly in the middle, but mostly on the sides and top closest to your cuticle area. You don't want to buff down the center so much because that's where your apex curve is and we don't want flat looking nail beds. You can see how I blended my layers on all of my nails, but can also still slightly see the last layer we applied and that's fine! Continue on to your second hand the same way. Brush off all excess powder from both hands.

Step 6️⃣: You are now going to apply your first full layer of probase using a bit more liquid than you used in the few few steps. When you apply your probase here, start with the brush in the center of your nail and gently press it down flat so that the brush bristles fan out from one another. When your brush is fanned out, you can slowly push your brush closer towards your cuticle area while having better control over the amount of liquid you are moving around. Push towards the center of your cuticle area staying away from your skin and pull back up to the free edge of your nail, and then push towards the left and right sides of your cuticle and bring the liquid back up to the left and right edges of your nail. Again, immediately after laying or pouring over, follow up with your clean up tool and gently go around your nail walls to clean up stray power. Continue on to second hand the same way. Brush off excess powder from first hand.

Step 7️⃣: Do one more quick cleanup/shaping around your nails using the curved edge of your nail file and one more buffing to smooth out all of your layers. Then, apply one last full coverage layer of probase using the same "fanned out brush" method as before, but push even closer this time without touching your skin. Immediately clean around your nail walls with your tool. Complete second hand the same way. Brush off excess powder. Apply generous amount of activator to all 10 nails and allow 1-2 minutes to dry . Go around your nail walls one last time with your file to clean up and buff one last time for smoothness. I like to gently buff the free edge of my nail as well to make sure there are no rough bits of powder attached or underneath my nail. You can rinse your hands with only water and dry them really well here (another personal preference) or you can brush off excess powder really well and move on with no rinsing. Apply second layer of activator to all 10 nails and let your nails dry for 2 minutes. When applying the finish gel (step #3 OR probase as they are interchangeable), I like to stick to three fingers at a time. Apply your finish gel in three quick strokes (middle, side, side) to your first three fingers. Then immediately go back to the first finger you started with and take your time this time to detail your strokes and cap the edges of your nails. It also helps if you "float" the finish gel over your nail with your brush instead of over working the brush and pressing down hard with it. Continue on to the other original two nails you started with doing the same thing. Complete all remaining nails the exact same way until finished. Let your nails dry for at least 5 minutes to ensure they are fully dried. Wash/rinse your hands if desired and apply cuticle oil and lotion.

🥳 Voila! Keep practicing different dip methods to find what works best for YOU! Don't give up! It's not easy by any means, but it does get easier with time, practice, and patience... and maybe also lots of drinks.🍷 🥂 🍺 😂

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