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What is Dip powder?
Dip Powder is a manicure style that involves you painting on a glue base and dipping it into a powder then applying an activating liquid that will harden the powder. It gives you a more resistant manicure comparable to an Acrylic manicure but simpler to do! Skip the nail salon and save money on your manicures with this innovative and easy technique.
Why Dip Powder?
There is something so satisfying about having a fresh new manicure… We love to sit in the seat at the nail salon and have someone do all the work while we relax and leave with a fresh new set. However, this beauty ritual can take a toll on your wallet. Depending on your type of manicure, it can range between $40 to $80 each time. Usually, you need a fill at least every two to three weeks.
This can certainly add up. You may even spend upwards of $1,000 per year by keeping up with your manicures (at least I used to).
However, there is a way to have beautifully embellished nails without sacrificing your budget. The secret to this is dip powder!
Of course, all my love and respect to all nail techs out there, you are true artists and what you do cannot easily be replaced. Dip powder is a great option to have beautiful, resistant nails but it takes time to develop the skill to make them look professional. Once mastered, however, you can certainly rock a primed and polished look achieved from the comfort of your home.
Maybe you are someone that has vaguely heard about dip powder, or maybe you are already considering giving it a shot but want more information to get started. My goal is to give you all the tools to make the right decision before jumping in. My recommendation is for you to go to a nail salon and get a dip powder manicure before fully committing (that’s what I did and it certainly helped.) But if you just want to jump right in, read on for more info on all things Dip Powder.
Benefits and Downsides to dip powder
Pros:
- Dip powder has a wide variety of colors to choose from for every taste.
- Its application is a very straightforward process that can be easy to learn.
- Your nails will be resistant and your mani can last from 2 to 4 weeks.
- It is cost-effective as a starter kit usually ranges from $50 to $80 USD with most of the materials you need and each dip powder pot can last you over 15 manis.
- The removal process is actually quite simple and is not as long as say, removing acrylic nails.
Cons:
- There is a potential for developing a dipping addiction and you may want to buy all the colors you can (which may defeat the purpose of starting dipping in the first place, lol – whoops!).
- Some people have been known to develop “dip flu” which is a type of allergic reaction to dip powder.
- The whole dipping process from prepping your nail to end can last anywhere from 40 minutes to two hours.
All in all, I absolutely love dip powder! I have been dipping for almost a year and never going back to anything else because for me it is a very relaxing thing to do. It’s my me time and I love having beautiful nails and getting compliments on them wherever I go!
There are so many brands out there! These are the brands I have personally tried and love to use:
- Revel Nails – This is a great brand to start out with as they have very complete and easy-to-use starter kits as well as affordable pricing.
- Sol Dips – This brand is best for most experienced dippers but the quality of both the powders and dip liquids is incredible.
- Beetles Dip Kit – This is a truly affordable dip powder brand that you can find on Amazon and is very beginner friendly. I was blown away by the quality despite the low price. Give it a try!
Getting Started
Here is a comprehensive list of all the tools you need to have to start dipping. You may even have some of these at home.
Essential items:
- Dip powders and dip liquids of course!
- Consider a starter kit for the best results. I recommend the Revel Nails Starter Kit, which includes the dip liquids: Dip base, Activator, and Top Coat as well as a Dip Powder Pot. It also includes other items that you need, so if you don’t have them and need to buy them, you don’t need to buy them separately.
Non-Essential Items (but boy, do they help)
- Chemical cuticle remover.
- Cuticle Cleanup tool: I got this super cute one from Sol Dips: https://soldips.com/products/copy-of-cuticle-tool but a toothpick will also do the trick! (Or here is another option from Amazon: Cuticle Cleanup Tool.
- Silicon Mat to avoid a powdery mess on your table.
- Cupcake liners to hold your dip powders while you are dipping.
- Nail dehydrator to eliminate moisture from your nail bed before application.
Step by step guide on dip powder application
This is a very basic tutorial on using dip powder with a solid color.
It is very important that you don’t wash your hands within one hour of starting your mani. Keep your nails dry and start by wiping your nails first with 100% acetone and then alcohol using a lint-free nail wipe or paper towel. This will help get rid of oils and debris left on your nail.
Prep your nail by shaping your nails and pushing your cuticles back. You can use an orange stick, a glass cuticle pusher, or a stainless steel cuticle pusher, anything that you feel comfortable using. I feel the glass one works best as it is very gentle on the skin. If your cuticles don’t push back easily, you may consider using a chemical cuticle remover.
Gently file your nails using a 150 or 180-grit nail file. Don’t file your nails too much, just scuff gently.
This is an optional step but I find that it is very helpful to get better adhesion; You may use a nail dehydrator and allow to dry for about 2 minutes.
It’s time to pop open your dip powder! Give it a good mix using an orange stick or toothpick to blend all the colors together and to get some air in the pot for a better dip.
Apply dip base to your nail. This acts as glue to get the dip powder to stick to your nail. You may want to apply dip base to 3/4 of your nail on your first coat.
Dip your finger in the powder! (This is the most satisfying part). You will want to do one nail at a time and apply about 2-3 coats to each nail. I recommend doing 3 coats for a more opaque color.
Between dips, you want to make sure that you don’t flood your cuticle which means that you get dip powder on your cuticle. I like to clean up using a cuticle clean up tool or toothpick.
Between dips, you also want to make sure that you are brushing off excess dip powder before applying another coat of dip base. This step is very important to not get powder clusters.
Once you have finished all of your dip coats, apply Activator. This is the liquid that actually hardens the powder. Allow 2 minutes to dry before buffing and shaping.
Now it is time to buff and file your nails. I like using a combination of a 180-grit nail file to file the edges of my nails and a nail buffer to get a smooth surface. You may also use an e-file if you are well versed but I find it simpler to just use the buffing block.
After buffing, you are going to want to apply another coat of activator, wait 2 minutes, clean it up with alcohol, and then apply your Top Coat. Wait two minutes, then apply a second coat of top coat.
Once your Top Coat is fully dry (about 2-5 minutes after your second coat of Top Coat), rub on some cuticle oil. Your cuticles will be parched at this point from all the filing and buffing so adding some hydration is very welcome.
Your manicure is now complete! You are ready to hit the town, go to the office or just stand in front of the mirror and admire your work of art.
