Review on Orly GelFX Builder Bottle Fl by Mary Cole

I have been doing manicures for many years and have tried to do it myself from time to time. My longtime nail designer had just changed careers and not wanting to look for someone else I decided to give it another try myself. I let my nails grow for a very long time, and then one day one broke off, then another, and then a snowball formed. I did a lot of research and decided on the transparent Orly Builder in a Bottle system. One of the main reasons is that you can absorb the gel. I used double molds to create a new nail and give it the shape I wanted, a nice C curve and slightly curved down like my natural nails grow. I did about three coats and ended up with gorgeous nails! The whole process takes a while to complete and I now use double molded foil molds so I don't have to do a lot of scrambling and rarely have to file from the bottom. I hardly ever have to file after that - a bit on the sides and if I'm sloppy that day maybe a bit around the cuticles and of course the tip. In the photos below I used Sally Hansen's quick drying polish with a CND Clear Shellac top coat. When it comes to maintenance, applying Builder in a Bottle is like applying a coat of nail polish! There is a learning curve in the initial build phase, but maintenance takes anywhere from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes depending on how much I add that day! I have VERY dry hands now so my cuticles are not in the best shape in the photo.