What Are BIAB Nails? And Are They Better Than Shellac, Gel And SNS?
Going to the nail salon near me conjures up feelings of both immense joy and deep confusion.
I love getting my nails done – the little hand massage, the cuticle care, the tiny hot towels – it’s a self-care kick I can get around. But the confusion crops up when I try to figure out what type of nails I want.
Do I want acrylics? Is shellac bad for my fingers? Is baking my hands in UV fucking me up? Do I want square, round or almond? Is SNS dangerous? Do I need little flower stickers welded onto my nails? Immediate decision fatigue.
So to get to the bottom of my nail beds, I’m going on a journey to properly test out the different nail options and reporting back all my findings – including interrogating if they are actually worth the price tag.
This week I’m going hard on BIAB. The self-titled ‘build in a bottle’ gel promises better care for your nails while still giving you that glossy look – which sounds sort of impossible as I’m sure it still uses a UV lamp to bake chemicals onto your nails. Hmm. Only one way to know if this is legit…
My sausage fingers are ready.
What is BIAB?
First up, what is the stuff I’m actually about to weld to my nails?
BIAB stands for ‘build in a bottle’ and it’s a gel-like goopy consistency. The idea is that this gel gets cooked onto your fingers with UV and this becomes the base that you pop a shellac colour on top. I know what you’re thinking: So you have to do BIAB and shellac? And the answer is… yes. But the shellac doesn’t actually have any contact with your own nail, so it can’t do any damage there.
What is BIAB nail gel like?
The BIAB gel is super thick. Like a transparent PVA glue. It gets painted on with a little brush and gets sort of smooshed around your finger. It does look like an oversized bubble when it’s first popped on – but don’t panic, because it gets shaved down later on.
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…Actually, I should just walk you through what actually happens during a BIAB manicure so you know exactly what to expect. One min pls.
What does a BIAB manicure involve?
Alrighty, step by step, this is what goes down at the nail salon:
1. You arrive looking adorable as always.
2. You pick out your colour topper of choice from the shellac basket. You can also do cute additions like a chrome swipe or stickers. Go bloody bananas.
3. If needed, you have any other nail polish/shellac/SNS removed.
4. Let the shaping begin! Much like any normal manicure, your nails will be cut, filed and buffed to the shape of your liking. I love me a rounded nail edge, but you could go square, almond, or get extensions for a long pointy moment. Whatever tickles your pickle.
5. Now a base coat of something thin and clear goes on and you whack yourself under the UV cooker.
6. Next up is the BIAB gel, which is glooped on finger by finger, and between each glooping session, you pop the nail under the UV lamp. WARNING: The cooking stage of this can get quite hot. If you feel like your finger is hurting/burning, just take it out from under the lamp and compose yourself for a second. The technicians are a-okay with this, I promise.
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7. Once all your fingers have been BIABed, the shaving begins. An electric filer is rolled across your nail so that the BIAB thins right down from a bubble to a sleek little layer.
8. You could honestly leave it at that if you wanted to, but the next step is where the cute colours come in, so why stop now?!
9. Two to three rounds of shellac polish are painted on top of your BIAB nails and baked under the UV. You can also chuck on a chrome finish or your sticker toppers here too.
10. Finally, a top coat is whacked on to lock in all the loveliness and give them that high-gloss finish.
11. And you’re done! Your fingers are ready to hit the town!
How much does BIAB cost?
I really wish I had a better answer for you, but this shit is expensive. The average price around most Sydney nail salons is between $75 to $120 a pop.
Obviously, you can add extras on top of that – with chrome, glitter and stickers coming in at an additional cost. You may also have to factor in the removal cost of whatever you have on your nails when you waltz into the salon.
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You can do BIAB nails from home too but with bottles of the BIAB gel costing about $50 and an at-home UV lamp setting you back $100 – not to mention having to chuck on buying shellac bottles in the colours you like too. So, it’s an expensive venture whether you go to a salon or DIY.
How much does BIAB infill cost?
Probably the major point of difference between BIAB compared to shellac and SNS is that you can top it up. Yep, just like your Opal card, you can just top up and fill in the gap caused by your nails growing.
The process involved is just removing the shellac colour (so you can change up the colour too!), adding the BIAB gel to the gap, cooking it up and then painting on a new colour or pattern.
BIAB infills also, unfortunately, aren’t super cheap. They’re usually about $60 for the top-up and colour redo.
How long do BIAB nails last?
Most nail technicians say that BIAB nails will last over 4 weeks, but that’s only until you likely need an infill. These puppies aren’t getting chipped, smudged or broken in that period because they are INDESTRUCTABLE.
Easily the strongest nails I’ve ever had.
The BIAB in action. Image credit: Supplied
Are BIAB nails worth it?
Look, they are pricey, but I’m going to put this in the ‘investment’ category. Because they do genuinely protect your nails and you can top them up when they’re growing out – so I think your fingers would be in a better state and if you’re only paying for infills rather than a whole new set every time, then it works out slightly cheaper than shellac and SNS.
Is there BIAB near me?
The downside to BIAB is that it’s not that common at nail salons. I live in Sydney and none of the suburban salons near me offer it, but there are some goodies in and around the CBD. I tested mine out at Sleek Nails Salon in Newtown and it took about an hour to do.
The BIAB nail verdict:
I am totally converted. My nails feel strong and healthy and actually look like my nails – or at least a less chewed, glossier cousin of my nails. I shall be doing the infills and definitely going to dabble in chrome toppers.
Just try and stop me.
Image credit: @gelsbyfliss @_by_shelley