
Nail salons have been closed down in Washington State for a while now due to COVID 19 and even though I’m not one to get a mani at the salon done regularly, I was very frustrated with my at-home mani chipping within the hour. But the biggest thing that always prevents me from getting a professional gel manicure is the money. I tend to be very frugal most of the time.
When I started seeing ads for Revel Nail Dip Powders, I was intrigued. People were saying they were potentially saving hundreds of dollars by giving themselves acrylic and gel manicures that last up to 2 weeks from the comfort of home! It was truly a no brainer that I needed to try this.
Revel Nail has over 500 colors, although there’s a lot that aren’t currently available due to COVID 19. They’re also vegan & cruelty-free and made in the US. There’s also many dip powder brands but the reason why I chose Revel Nail was their outstanding reviews!
Starter Kits
If this is your first time trying dip powder nails, I recommend choosing one of their starter kits. There are one-color and four-color kits. Each kit comes with four liquids: Pro Base – step 1, Activator – step 2, Finish gel – step 3, then Gel Thinner – Prevents the liquids from getting thick and clumpy.

The kit that I chose was their 4 color kit, Pretty In Pink, because I really wanted some pink colors. I also really wanted a pretty sparkly silver color for an accent nail so I added a single dip powder, D167 Phoebe.
One of my favorite parts of the whole checking out process was you have access to AfterPay! Even though the price you pay is totally worth it, you have the option to break up your payments into 4 installments so it’s even more affordable.
How To Apply
Before I purchased this kit, I was pretty nervous and had to look up so many “how-to” video’s explaining the whole process. Even with seeing the process a bunch, when I finally got my package, I was still intimidated. It’s a lengthier process with more steps than your normal nail polish routine.
Note: practice makes perfect. After doing this and learning from the mistakes I made, I am way more confident in my dip powder application skills! It’s really not as intimidating as it seems once you get the feel of how all of the materials work.
1st step – Thin layer of pro base on your nails. (Do one hand at a time)
It’s important it’s not applied too thick or the powder (next step) will get very clumpy and you’ll have to file everything down.
2nd step – Dip your nails in the powder, tap off excess.
3rd step – Repeat step 1 & 2 one more time. You want two coats of the powder.
4th step – Apply a thin layer of Activator on all of your nails. Wait 2 minutes for it to dry.
5th step – File and shape your nails.
6th step – Apply another layer of activator. Wait another 2 minutes.
7th step – Apply a thin and quick layer of finish gel. You just want it to coat the majority of your nail but don’t focus on any details yet. Wait 2 minutes.
8th & final step – Apply a more generous and detailed coat of finish gel.
Ta-da!
Personal Results:
I absolutely love and recommend Revel Nail Dip Powder so much. After making the mistake of applying the pro base too thick and attempting to fix it, I realized how easy it’ll be next time around.

Now I really wanted to see how long they lasted and what they could withstand. They lasted me about a week and a half without lifting or chipping! Although, I do think they started lifting because of how thick I applied the liquids. So if you’re careful not to make that mistake, these would easily last two weeks! Did I mention no chipping occurred? Pure magic, I think.
Removal:
Once you got your nails on, they stay solid and removal is a whole process! But it’s totally worth it. I’ll get into what Revel Nail reccomends vs what I did and why I don’t want you to follow in my foot steps on this step. You live and you learn, right?
Recommended:
- File down the glossy top coat
- Take acetone soaked cotton balls and wrap them with tinfoil on your nails. Let them sit for 5 minutes.
- You should be able to wipe the gel away pretty easily.
- If needed, repeat those two steps.
Another tip: You should always give your nails a break of at least a week before doing your nails again.
What NOT to do:
Do not soak your nails in acetone then proceed to lift off the nails where it’s starting to lift at the bottom. They won’t just pop right off. Well, some did but don’t do it anyway. Two nails were injured while doing this. Sigh. I make mistakes so you can learn from them, friends.
Since this was my very first impression, I will be updating this post after I apply these nails a second time!
Want 10% off your first Revel Nail order? Click here!
Until next time!

Amanda Burnett is a 25-year-old content creator. Growing up with a disability, she wanted to prove to herself that she was capable of accomplishing her dream life. Today she is helping her audience realize their potential as well! Her goal is to motivate as many people as she can through her lifestyle, beauty, and self-improvement content.
I’ve had times where I considered dip nails. This just made me want to try them even more. The steps seem so easy! Thanks for the review!