Dip Powder: Is it Good for Your Nails? Can You Do it at Home?

You guys know me by now. If everyone’s getting it done at the salon, I’m trying to figure out how to do it myself. Before I headed off to Hawaii, I was worried my gel polish might peel from being in the ocean and pool a lot, so I decided to finally give dip powder nails a try. I did some research first and found that it is NOT the same as acrylic and does NOT require a tip to be put on the nail. I wanted my natural nails, but with color that would last me on all the adventures that would come with my vacation.

Here’s What I Found:

1. Dip powder is placed on the nail after the application of a liquid adhesive, rather than using a monomer initiator that is found in acrylic. Then, an activator is placed on top after 2-3 coats to accelerate the curing and prepare the nail for top coat.
2. It’s better for the nail than acrylic and does not require a nail drill.
3. It acts as a protective overlay to the natural nail.

So, I got my nails done before Hawaii and they lasted me the entire trip plus some. I, of course, studied the way the powder was applied to my nail and decided I could definitely handle it. There are lots of brands out there.. SNS, OPI Powder Perfection, and ASP QuickDip. I ended up going with the OPI system from CosmoProf, thanks to my cosmetologist best friend, Erin– I think you might know her. 😉

After looking at the products, I wasn’t entirely ready to give up all of my favorite gel colors. I also wasn’t ready to go all in buying the colored powders for $50 a jar— not when I had plenty of colors I already loved. So, I decided to get a light white shade of powder (OPI Funny Bunny) and paint one coat of gel polish on top.

What I Like About It:

1. My nails grow fast.
2. My nails are hard and feel protected. They don’t break.
3. My polish stays on longer.
4. It takes me less time to do my nails, as the LED light is only required for the gel color.

Above is my most recent attempt. This is the fourth time I’ve done them. I did them once on myself after returning home from Hawaii, once on my sister, and once on my friend, Kristina. If you are usually neat when applying nail polish, you can probably figure it out too! It’s all about neatly applying the Step 1 adhesive so that the powder sticks to the right places!

*Since the items I bought came directly from CosmoProf (can’t shop there without a professional license), I am going to link the products on Amazon. Just be careful when buying from third party sellers on Amazon, other than directly from the company. Always read reviews first. 

Step 1: Apply Base Coat Adhesive to each nail and dip into powder (clear powder linked), ONE NAIL AT A TIME. Repeat this 2-3 times, depending on desired thickness. You have to dip them at a 45 degree angle and rather quickly after applying the adhesive.

You can purchase the bottles for all three steps here.

Step 2: Apply Activator (Step 2 bottle) to nail and let sit for 1 minute. After 1 minute, file and buff nail to desired smoothness. I use an OPI 100/180 smoother (similar here) and a regular nail file. I also purchased this electric nail file from Amazon to speed the process and make it a little easier! You definitely don’t need it. A regular one got it done for me with the first set I ever did. After they are buffed and smoothed to your liking, wash you hands without soap.

Step 3: Apply the top coat (step 3 bottle). This top coat adds shine and only takes about 30 seconds to a minute to dry. If you are happy with the color of the powder, you are done at this point. If you want to add color, go on to step 4!

Step 4: Apply gel polish base, color, and top coat to nails with a UV or LED light as you would normally. I am wearing a pale pink shade, Shellac Naked Naiveté. If you’re not sure how to apply gel color or what you need to do so, you can read a previous blog post that I wrote about that here. I also go into details about my nail table and other products I use!

Two of my most recent favorite colors are Shellac Romantique (very light pink, almost white) and Shellac Cake Pop.

 

You may also want to check out Sally’s version of dip powder. It does say “acrylic” on the packaging though. SNS is only available wholesale to salons. I am very pleased with the quality of OPI’s Powder Perfection! I have found that it costs anywhere from $45-$60 to get a dip powder manicure. I figure that once I do my nails twice, it’s basically paid for! I rarely go and get my nails done somewhere. Plus, I’m a little particular when it comes to making sure everything is perfect. Doing them myself is just much better for me! Are you going to give it a try? At the salon or at home? Let me know how you like it!

 

xo,
Ash