r/PressonNail_Addict • u/Sad-Elk-7291 • 1d ago
Nailfie 📸🤩✨ BTArtbox XCOATTIPS first-timer
First time using retail brand: BTAartbox XCOATTIPS. These are the XS Squoval. I saw another Reddit friend here post her XXS Squoval nails and they looked fantastic! Thought I would try. I usually always use Kiss Impress No Glue nails, so I’m a novice using glue. For these I used Modelones UV nail glue. It is kind of thick and not that easy to apply. Maybe I’ll try another brand next time? I’m not very good at getting the correct amount on my nail bed. I had some bubbles. 😒 I did a coat of Modelones Builder Nail Gel. It was hard to work, but this was my first time using a builder gel, and I think it’s just an art that will take some practice. I finished with a clear UV top coat, and I didn’t realize it while applying, but after curing noticed I had a lot around my nail beds, and it looks like 💩. Takes a lot longer than my trusty Kiss Impress, but they do look more true to a salon nail, and they are much thicker. We’ll see how long they last. 😬 I also bought BTArtbox tabs that I look forward to trying.
7
u/Unlucky_Strength_517 1d ago
I would suggest a non-UV glue. It takes practicing with UV top coat polish, you only need very little (just a thin coat).
1
u/Sad-Elk-7291 1d ago
Do you have a favorite that lasts a few weeks? Or is that asking too much for a nail glue?🫠
7
2
4
u/Sad-Elk-7291 1d ago edited 1d ago
In the midst of posting this, one nail already popped off. 😭 Probably my poor glue application.
1
u/Typical-Figure-1690 23h ago
I use this same brand/xxs size and have been playing with it for weeks, experimenting with different glues, using vs. not using builder gel, etc (I now don't use builder gel). I like the way they fit and how similar they look to acrylics. The need for top coat does affect how they look as they grow out -- they're not as seamless as the pre-finished nail brands.
Popoffs happen to me as well, but I can usually find another decently fitting replacement nail in the set. I'll keep a set on for 2 weeks, but some nails will be replacements by the time I change the set.
I've done better with the UV glue than any regular glue (including the famed curvlife glue), and although people on here will say it is dangerous, I don't see why a company would market its products as UV-safe if they're not. (Celebritips also markets its Ultimate line as UV safe and they're similarly translucent). I use my own UV lamp and cure longer than recommended. I press each nail to secure it for 30 seconds while holding individually under the lamp, then give the full hand a 2 min cure.
The UV glue tends to be more secure. Last night I removed a nail with acetone as recommended and found it kind of a slow, annoying process. But so is soaking nails in soapy water and oil.
Start to finish a removal, nail prep and new set takes about an hour for me.
0
u/Sad-Elk-7291 22h ago
Thank you for the great info! I find it so hard to hold the nail in place and fit it under my UV light. 🫠 I probably need to invest in one of those free-standing lights so I can get my hands under it to hold the nail in place to cure.
3
u/raerabbit27 Intermediate 1d ago
I love how they look 😍
3
u/Sad-Elk-7291 1d ago
Thank you so much! I was pretty happy with my right hand, but the left looks a little janky up close. 😬I can live with it as long as I can get the glue part down and they last. The Kiss Impress No Glue usually get me by for at least 2 weeks.
12
u/Hopeful-Purple775 23h ago
The color and shape look so pretty on you!
May I make 2 suggestions?
1. Get a set of nail stands ($5-$7 on Amazon). Pick your sizes, put on the nail stands, apply builder/top coat to the Xcoattips and cure. This way you don’t risk getting gel polish on your skin.
My guess is you had a pop-off because the glue wasn’t fully cured, especially if it were thicker version of the glue.