We’ve tried out this beauty editor-loved professional nail polish brand’s new builder gel polish and are so pleased with the end result.
You’ll almost certainly have heard of “builder gel” manicures if you regularly get your nails done. Builder gel claims to have a stronger, longer-lasting finish than regular gel polish, which is a plus for those who want (and are struggling) to grow their own natural nails long, and is frequently also referred to as “BIAB” (incorrectly, BIAB is the name of the nail brand’s builder gel).
However, builder gel is never really appealing to me. My preferred length is for short nails, which can look chunky and weird because of the typically thicker finish than “normal” gel polish. I’ve always found that removing builder gel yourself, without access to an e-file, takes a lot more time and effort than it does removing it at home (this is how to make the process as quick and as easy as possible).
However, Bio Sculpture, a professional polish brand, has just released its first ever color builder gel due to customer demand. I went to the brand’s new treatment space in Selfridges to try them out for myself, which completely changed my opinion of builder manis because I’m already a huge fan of the brand (I’m actually trained in Bio Sculpture manicures).
Firstly, Bio Sculpture was the only company that could create a “builder” effect in the past. The brand has a wide range of base coats to suit all nail types, with some even launching Builder Gel Base earlier this year.
This is the first time color builder gels have been made, and they are HEMA-free, available in 10 flattering nude shades. They are designed to be applied directly to the base coat (Bio Sculpture suggests that your nail tech use the Flex base), significantly streamlining the procedure.
My technician uses a fine nail art brush to evenly distribute the product over the nail while applying these Color Builder Gels, which have a shorter brush than most (they’re also self-levelling), and they apply them as one coat rather than two. Another plus is that the cure time is only 30-seconds.
I chose Dream, a creamy, neutral pink, because all of the ten shades are very flattering and right up my alley (I always go for a nude). I could tell immediately how much stronger they felt compared to regular gel polish because it was smooth, glossy, and not bulky.
Ten days later, they still appear strong, durable, and with no indication of any signs of chip or lift, despite the fact that nail growth is beginning to appear at the base.
The ease with which these new builder gels appear is another factor that makes me so impressed. Although I’m not yet ready to remove mine, I’ve seen videos of the removal process on nail technicians’ Instagram accounts where the polish simply flakes off without hurting the nail itself (something I already adore about Bio Sculpture gel polishes).
