Fiberglass Nail Extensions

I've been seeing fiberglass nails all over the internet lately and I couldn't resist trying them. Nail videos make things look so easy, but then when you try it, it's a big frustrating mess! (acrylic nails for example). I wanted to share my first impression of fiberglass nails,  and show you how I applied them.

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You will Need:

Gel base coat
​Fiberglass strips
Builder gel
C curve clips
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Let's get started:

After you've prepped your nails, apply a gel base coat but DO NOT CURE! One thing I noticed is that the base coat should be a little thicker than you would normally do, so that the fiberglass can be fully saturated in it. 

Next, flatten out the ends of the fiberglass so that they're not all bunched together and lay them on the nail. Don't place them right at the tip or over the entire nail, lay them somewhere in the middle. Use a cuticle pusher to pat the fiberglass into the base coat. Make sure the base coat saturates the fibers. You can tell when the fibers are fully saturated when they blend in with the colour of your natural nail. When you're finished, cure. (30 sec LED/2min UV)

Using scissors, trim the fibers to your desired length. Now, apply the builder gel over the entire nail and the fiberglass extension. Cure.

After curing, place the C curve clip at the end of the nail and leave it for 30 seconds to 1 min. When you remove it, you should have a nice C curve as pictured below. ​ 

Using the C curve clip really makes a difference. Here's a before and after photo. You can't skip this step if you want a natural looking shape to your nails. You could also use acrylic pinching tools or tweezers would probably work too. I prefer the C curve clips because you can just put it on and move on to the next nail instead of having to hold it in place.

Now that you've got your basic shape, continue using the builder gel to add layers and build up the nail thickness (curing in between each layer). I applied two thin coats of builder gel.  

Next, cleanse the nail with a lint free wipe and isopropyl alcohol. Now it's time to file and shape the nails. 

After filing, buff the nails using a buffer block and cleanse again. 
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You're now ready for some polish! I did an ombre technique, but why not try one of my other nail art tutorials.

If you would like me to do a tutorial on filing different nail shapes comment below.