Brushes for gel and acrylic - which one to choose?

Every professional Stylist knows the importance of choosing the right brush. For a gel and acrylic manicure, a good brush is everything for achieving the desired effect in a quick and easy way.  It should have good quality bristles - cut in a precise way, thick and compact. The brush, if taken care of properly, should serve you for many years. Today we will show you a number of brushes and discuss their features and differences and how they work at different methods. This should make picking the right brush an easier task.

Brushes for acrylic method

A good brush for acrylic is everything with this method. It demands patience, immersion, precision and many hours of practice. That's why it is important to choose the best quality tool, which will make our work fast and efficient. Brushes for acrylic manicures have a precise, sharp end which helps with spreading the product near cuticles and on the entire nail. Quality is the key here, bristles should be compact, it can't be "bushy" and splitting. The most popular are natural bristles.

Indigo Nails sells a number of different brushes for an acrylic method. The most popular among our stylists, are Acrylic Oval Brush #8 and Vlada Bulle Pro Acrylic Brush #9. Both are made with the highest quality natural Kolinsky 100% bristles. Both are compact and springy with a sharp, pointy end that doesn't split. Brushes come in a high-quality metal case in a stylish purple with a cap, that makes it easy to carry and protect your brush.

Acrylic Oval Brush #8 is a durable, 8mm brush. It doesn't absorb too much monomer and saves liquid. It's ideal for creating short, salon nails - a great choice for beginners.

On the other hand, the bristles on Vlada Bulle Acrylic Brush #9  are a little bigger and the brush has more of a "round belly". It absorbs more monomer, which allows taking a larger ball of product and faster work. This brush was designed by one of our most experienced instructors - Vlada Bulle, who is running our training centre in Paris. She designed the brush for a long-lasting, comfortable work.

Brushes for gel manicure

Brushes for gel a gel manicure have more of a flat - tongue shape. It helps even and precise spreading of the gel, regardless if it has a very thick or thin consistency. These brushes can be made from different kinds of bristles (synthetic or natural) and come in a number of sizes (most popular are between 4 and 8 mm wide). Bristles can be cut: on an angle, in oval, or with a pointy end. Every stylist can find a perfect brush according to their preference.

The most popular Indigo brush for a gel method with stylists is a Diamond Brush. It's an elegant double sided  brush that comes in two popular sizes - No.4 (4mm) and No. 6 (6mm). This variety allows you to choose the right brush according to the width of your client's nail. On one side the bristles are cut in a square shape - perfect for building the nail or the C-curve, on the other, the bristles are slightly rounded, which helps in working near the cuticle area and creating the smile line. Diamond Brush is one of the most beautiful brushes on the market - it is made from a high-quality material with sparkling crystals embedded in the handle. It is both great to look at and to work with.

Another Indigo brush for a gel method is a Giada Sassu Brush in size 6mm. It was designed by one of the most accomplished Italian stylists and our main Indigo instructor in Italy. This brush has synthetic bristles that are easy to maintain, cut in a shape of a slightly pointed cat tongue. Its main trick is a precise spreading of colour gel near the cuticles without leaving smudges. It has an ergonomic handle and a good price.

Indigo instructors work on our brushes both in everyday work and at championships. 37 medals at the European Championships and 17 at the Polish Championships (in 2016) are a testimony to Indigo's strive for the highest quality in every aspect.

If you want to know how to clean and take care of your brushes to make them last, see our post.