I Tried Orly’s New Gel Nail Extensions — & This Is What They Look Like
You might have heard about the magical powers of dips and tips, but there’s a brand-new extension option that’s providing some healthy competition. Enter: Orly’s GelFX Builder In A Bottle. It's an in-salon, hard-gel extension system that looks and feels so much like natural nails, you’d think you won the genetic lottery of nail strength. The way it works is pretty crazy.
The extender polish gets brushed on and soaked off, but stays on for 2 to 3 weeks like dip or acrylics would. But how does it make nails longer?
The manicure with Orly nail artist Brittany Boyce started like any other, with shaping, filing, buffing, and cuticle care. Once my nails were prepped, she slid a cone-shaped piece of paper just under my natural nail. Then...
Boyce brushed a thick layer of the formula from my cuticles to the end of my nail and over the paper until she reached my desired length. A few seconds under a UV lamp and voilà, long, strong nails.
I opted for red French tips, but the options are endless, from jelly nails to solid color to simply leaving them clear (which is damn cool if you ask me).
However, after a few days, I acclimated to my new nails nicely. (By "acclimated" I mean I got used to typos in every single text message I sent — whatever, my friends get it.)
While my nails were definitely weaker after getting them removed, I’d go back for seconds in a heartbeat. And a few weeks later, I knew the extensions had passed my test when I started to miss the confidence the longer length gave me.
Nail pro Queenie Nguyen tells me that because this gel is thinner than most, no one will know if they're mixed in with soft gels. So, the Builder in a Bottle can easily be applied to just a few nails to disguise broken tips or uneven lengths until they grow out.
Short answer: Yes. It varies between different salons, but a full set is about $85. That's undeniably a lot of coin to drop on a manicure, but if you can splurge, every "Whoa, are those your real nails?” will make extended nails feel like a worthy investment.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!