Why Your Gel Mani Isn't Lasting

If you’re ready to get the kind of flawless, salon‑quality wear from your kit that we always talk about, you’ll want to read this. Over the years we've seen a handful of small slip‑ups trip people up and the good news is: when you know them, they’re easy to fix.

Here are the five most common gel polish mistakes we see DIYers make, and exactly how we'd suggest you fix them to get real wear from your kit.

1. Skipping prep (or doing it half‑heartedly)

Mistake: You apply straight into colour, your nails look clean, so you think you’re good … but there’s still natural oil, invisible cuticle film or moisture on the nail plate. That affects adhesion and leads to lifting or peeling early.

Fix: Push back cuticles, lightly buff to remove the shine (not over‑buff), and ensure the nail is totally oil‑free before applying. Wipe with acetone or use our Perfect Prep Primer to dehydrate the nail plate and encourage adhesion. The prep is the foundation of a long‑lasting gel.

2. Applying thick layers of colour

Mistake: You think “one thick layer will save time” - but what happens instead is a gummy finish, incomplete cure, and a manicure that doesn’t last.

Fix: Go thin. Two to three very thin coats of colour are better than one heavy one. After each colour layer you should cure for 60 seconds under the LED lamp.  This lets the gel bond properly. Thick layers = risk of wrinkling, bubbling or peeling.

3. Forgetting to seal the free edge

Mistake: You paint the nail surface, cure your layers … and skip the tip of the nail. You might not see a problem immediately - but it’s the edge where water, wear and tear get in and lifting often starts there.

Fix: After each coat (base, colour, top) lightly brush the tip of the nail (the free edge) with the product, then cure. This “capping” seals the edge and helps prevent early peeling or chipping.

4. Touching skin or cuticle with gel

Mistake: Even a tiny amount of product on the skin or flooding the cuticle means poor adhesion - the gel bonds to skin instead of nail, resulting in gap or lift.

Fix: When you apply each coat, leave a tiny gap between product and cuticle edge. If you accidentally touch skin, clean it off before curing. After curing you can use a fine brush and a little acetone to clean up the edges, but doing it before curing prevents major lifting.

Final thoughts

Getting that “14‑day (or more!) manicure” look at home absolutely is possible. Even if you’ve had a few disappointing attempts, don’t worry - just use these fixes above, take your time, and you’ll see the difference.

If you’d like extra help, we have application guides and video tutorials on our site, and as always, you can reach our support team - we're always happy to help.

Suzanne
Founder
14 Day Mani