Want to test make-up gels and find the perfect gel for your nail build-up? With the BNC Make-up Gels Trial Kit you can easily try out three popular make-up gels – each in 15 ml, ideal for testing, comparing and working with in the salon or at home.

What are make-up gels?

Make-up gels are tinted builder gels. They even out minor unevenness, conceal discolouration of the nail plate and give the nail a natural, smooth appearance. At the same time, they visually lengthen the nail bed – perfect for nude looks, French nails or as a base for the baby boomer look. Read how make-up and camouflage gels differ in our article Make-up gel vs. camouflage gel.

What's inside the trial kit

The trial kit contains three make-up gels of 15 ml each:

• BNC Cover Make-up Gel
• BNC Make-up Gel light rosa
• BNC Cover Make-up Gel milky

All three have a medium viscosity, go on smoothly without ridges and are suitable for full cover and build-up. The main differences at a glance:

Once you've found your favourite, you can reorder it individually in larger sizes – all make-up and cover gels are in our Make-up/Camouflage category.

How to work with make-up gels

1. Preparation: Prepare, buff and dust the natural nail (more on this in The perfect base for gel nails).
2. Base: Apply a base gel such as BNC Bonding Gel violet or BNC Masterline Base Bonding Gel clear, or a 1-phase gel, and cure it. Leave the sticky layer on.
3. Build-up: Sculpt the make-up gel onto the base and cure for 120 seconds in a UV or UV/LED lamp.
4. Design: Then add French or colour gel or nail art as desired.
5. Sealing: Finally, seal – for example with BNC Masterline Sealing Gel clear or a gel from our Finish gels category.

Why a trial kit?

Simple: you want to be sure that the make-up gel suits your style, your clients and the way you work. With the trial kit you can try different shades and levels of coverage without ordering large quantities straight away. For an overview of other builder gels, see our article Builder gels compared and the Builder gels category.

Ideal for:

• Nail salons that want to test new looks
• Nail designers looking for the right make-up shade for build-up
• Anyone who works professionally but wants to stay flexible

Looking for more opaque camouflage shades for a baby boomer gradient? Then take a look at our Camouflage Gels Trial Kit too.

FAQ: testing make-up gels

How many gels are in the make-up trial kit?

Three make-up gels of 15 ml each: Cover Make-up Gel, Make-up Gel light rosa and Cover Make-up Gel milky.

Can I apply make-up gel directly to the natural nail?

No, make-up gels are sculpted onto a base gel or a 1-phase gel. The sticky layer of the base is not removed.

How long do the make-up gels need to cure?

120 seconds each in a UV or UV/LED lamp.

Do I need to seal make-up gel?

Yes, after build-up and any design you finish with a top or sealing gel.

What exactly is the “sticky layer”?

It's the tacky layer left behind after many gels have cured. We explain this and other technical terms in our Nail design glossary A–Z.