Builder Gel for Overlays, Apex and Extensions
Builder gel is thicker than gel polish, and it exists to add structure: an overlay that gives a thin natural nail some body, an apex that keeps a long nail from folding, or a full extension built on a form or over a tip. It comes in bottles with a brush and in jars you work with a gel brush. Unlike acrylic it does not set until you cure it, so you have time to place the bead and let it level itself instead of racing the product.
The working method is the part most techs get wrong at first. Drop a bead just behind the free edge, let gravity spread it rather than brushing it flat, flash cure for 5 to 10 seconds to lock it in place, then cure fully. File the apex after curing, never during. Soak-off builder gels come off with a buff through the surface and an acetone soak, while harder ones have to be filed off with an e-file, so check which type you are buying before you build a client's set on it.
This is a small, focused collection of 11 products. It pairs directly with natural nail tips and Apres for extension work, nail lamps for curing, and files and buffers plus drill bits for shaping and removal. Color goes on top from gel and lacquer. Orders ship in 1 to 2 business days, free over $150 in the 48 contiguous states.
