Even though seeing people use dual forms was what convinced me to give polygel a try at all, I ultimately found them a lot harder than they looked and wasn't really in love with the shape of them when I finished, so I decided to try my hand at sculpting them with paper forms and that's what I did for this week's mani - and it definitely worked out better this way and there was a lot less time spent filing and shaping the nails once the polygel was cured. If you're thinking about trying out polygel but want your nails to look a little bit more natural at the end of the day, I definitely recommend using paper forms. Also, I'm still using the Gershion Poly Nail Gel Kit that I got from Amazon and I've decided that all of the shades are not created equal and my favorite to work with is the Dark Pink shade - which isn't particularly dark, but looks really, really pretty on the nails.

Once the nails were completely shaped and filed - which is a bit of an arduous process when you're first learing - I was about ready to be done but I wanted some nail art so I kept it simple. For the base I did two thin coats of Vishine Gel Polish in Shade 1592 - a really classic cool toned pinky mauve shade that is pretty much all I used to wear on m nails before I got into nail art - curing between each coat. 

After the second coat, without removing the tacky layer, I went in with my flakies. I used the gorgeous NailStuff.ca Gold Flakes* - use affiliate code TRYSH for 10% off at NailStuff.ca - and applied them using my NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper. This is definitely my favorite technique for applying nail flakies because you can get them onto the stamper head with the exact density you want and then just press them on nice and flat.  For a gradient, I just apply them more densely at one side and then sort of let them feather out. 

Once I had my flakies applied, I applied a coat of the Aimeili No Wipe Gel Top Coat, cured for 30 seconds, and voila!

(For a more dense application of the flakies at the tip, I would recommend using a foil glue to apply them because the tacky layer didn't quite get it as dense for me as a glue does.)

All Products Used

ASP Make It Peelable Base Coat

Gershion Poly Nail Gel Kit

Paper Nail Forms

100, 180, 220, & 320 Grit Nail Files for filing, shaping and smoothing

Vishine Gel Polish in Shade 1592

Aimeili No Wipe Top Coat

NailStuff.ca Gold Flakes*

NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper

Dulcii 54W LED Nail Lamp

For my first go with sculpting a nail extension, I think I did a pretty good job and I'm looking forward to playing with it a little bit more and maybe even trying some different nail shapes and lengths when I do. These are a little longer than I generally like to keep my natural nails, but not all that much longer than they were a month ago (still crying for the brutal nail break!) and I think they did end up looking pretty natural. I'm definitely curious to trying out something a little bit crazier.

If you're interested in trying out polygel, I think it's very much worth a go. Personally, I find that if I use dual forms I definitely need to have an eFile on hand, but with the paper forms I was definitely able to get away with only using hand files for shaping and buffing the nails and only reached for my eFile for the underside for a thinner C curve. And definitely watch Youtube videos for help with the actual technique - channels like Nail Career Education are invaluable for this.

Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to head over to Cosmetic Proof, See The World In PINK, and Tea & Nail Polish for more #CBBxManiMonday nail art!