Frequently Asked Questions

Gelous allows you to create DIY, salon quality gel manicures from the comfort of your own home.

Our Gel Nail Polish paints on like an ordinary nail polish, but after curing with our Gelous UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp it lasts two weeks or more without fading, peeling or chipping. You don’t have to worry about waiting for your nails to dry or smudging them afterwards - they are hard and perfectly dry once cured with the Gelous UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp.

To start, get your nails ready for the perfect gel manicure by first completing your essential nail prep. Gently push back your cuticles, file your nails to the perfect shape and give the surface a buff. Next, dehydrate your nails by wiping them with Nail Polish Remover, followed by the optional application of Nail Primer. 

Once your nails are prepped and ready, it’s time to apply the Gel Nail Polish. Start by applying a Base Coat, followed by optional Builder Gel, then 2-3 Colour Coats and finish with a Top Coat. Cure each coat for 60 seconds under the UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp. 

Watch as the once tacky surface dries to a beautifully hardened finish after your final cure, for a manicure that lasts longer, feels stronger, and shines like nobody's business. Gel nail perfection, made easy.

When Gelous Gel Nail Polish is exposed to the 365+405nm wavelengths emitted by the Gelous Gel Nail Lamp, it undergoes a curing process that transforms the liquid gel into a strong, long-lasting coating. The Gelous Gel Nail Lamp is equipped with 30 dual-wave LEDs, which are designed to last up to 50,000 hours, ensuring fast and efficient curing. These LEDs are not only safer but also work more quickly than traditional UV bulbs. Tailored to match the specific curing needs of Gelous Gel Polish, they provide a smooth, effective, and safe curing experience.

View our Application Guides, Removal Guides, Storage Guides and more here.

When it comes to curing Gel Nail Polish, wattage isn’t everything. The most important factor is the wavelength your Gel Nail Lamp emits—not how many watts it uses.

While high wattage may sound impressive, it doesn’t necessarily mean better results. In fact, many brands exaggerate their wattage for marketing purposes. Anything above 24W can produce excess heat that may cause discomfort or damage to the skin.

What truly matters is that your lamp emits the correct curing wavelengths. For Gel Nail Polish to cure safely and effectively, it needs to be exposed to very specific UV light. That’s why the Gelous Gel Nail Lamp uses dual-wavelength technology (365+405nm)—two precise peaks that ensure your Gel Nail Polish cures evenly, thoroughly, and without heat spikes or under-cured patches.

At Gelous, we’ve developed our Gel Nail Polish and UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp to work in complete harmony. Our Gel Polish is formulated to cure perfectly under 365+405nm, delivering professional-quality results while protecting the health of your nails and skin.

Gel Nail Polish itself will not harm your nails as long as you apply and remove it correctly. Take care to avoid picking at your Gel Nail Polish, as you will inevitably peel away part of your natural nail, leaving it thin and weak. Please make sure to follow the instructions in our Application & Removal Guide to avoid causing any damage.

Yes—to achieve a long-lasting, salon-quality gel manicure, it’s essential to use the complete Gelous system. This includes the Gelous Base Coat, Gelous Colour Coat, and Gelous Top Coat, each cured using the Gelous UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp.

Skipping key steps like the Base Coat or Top Coat, or trying to dry your nails without the Gel Nail Lamp, can result in poor performance and may even cause damage to your nails or skin.

Our Gel Nail Lamp uses 365+405nm dual-wavelength technology, meaning it emits two specific wavelengths of UV light to perfectly activate the photoinitiators in Gelous Gel Nail Polish. Each Gelous formula is carefully developed to cure at these exact wavelengths, ensuring safe, thorough, and even curing every time.

Although 365+405nm is a widely supported curing spec, we strongly advise against mixing brands—whether that's using other polishes with our lamp, or our polish with another lamp. Mismatched products may lead to incomplete curing, poor wear, or potential nail damage.

To get the best results and ensure safety, always use the full Gelous system—expertly formulated to work together.

Your Gel Nail Polish will last 18-24 months when stored correctly. Read our Storage Guide here.

All Gel Nail Lamps emit UV light regardless of whether they are a UV/LED, LED lamp or an UV lamp. This is how a Gel Polish cures! Older, “traditional” Gel Nail Lamps used UV bulbs, which needed changing regularly and took far too long to cure Gel Nail Polish. Most modern Gel Nail Lamps, including the Gelous UV/LED Gel Nail Lamps use LED bulbs operating on the UV spectrum. The LED bulbs used in our Gel Nail Lamps are much safer than UV bulbs, last up to 50,000 hours and only take 60 seconds to cure each coat of your Gelous Gel Nail Polish!

LED Gel Nail Lamps, LED UV Gel Nail Lamps, UV/LED Gel Nail Lamps and any other variations on the market all emit UV rays and use LED bulb technology.

Many brands like to remove the “UV” word from their Gel Nail Lamp name due to bad connotations. We market our lamps as UV/LED Gel Nail Lamps simply because we want our customers to fully understand what products they are purchasing off us and how they work.

You will get approximately 66 manicures with 1 coats per manicure, 33 manicures with 2 coats per manicure, and 22 manicures with three coats per manicure. On average, this is 40 manicures per 10ml bottle. 

Use both products for ultimate strength, or use the one that best suits your needs. Find out more here.

You should avoid gel manicures if you have extremely short nails or if your nails are in poor condition (thin, dry or split). You can try strengthening and growing your nails in the meantime by using treatments, such as cuticle oil and moisturiser.

You should discontinue use if sensitivity or irritation occurs. This may have occurred due to your nails being in poor condition, Gel Nail Polish getting on your skin, under-curing due to thick layers of Gel Nail Polish, under-curing due to not curing for the full 60 seconds or an allergy to the ingredients.

Yes they are. Sunburn or skin damage will only occur if you are exposed to your Gel Nail Lamp for over approximately 75 minutes at a time. When using for the recommended times of up to 5 x 60 seconds, your exposure is well below this! All Gel Nail Lamps predominantly emit Ultraviolet-A (UVA) regardless of whether they are a UV/LED, LED lamp or an UV lamp. The LED bulbs used in our Gel Nail Lamps are much safer than UV bulbs, last up to 50,000 hours and only take 60 seconds to cure each coat of your Gelous Gel Nail Polish.

Still don't like to take the chance? Neither do we! We recommend putting sunblock on 15-30 minutes before using to protect your skin - just as we recommend this before you go out for a walk!

Gelous is proud to offer superior-quality, 10-free gel nail polish, meticulously manufactured to meet European Commission Regulations. While most salon and at-home gel polishes contain Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA), which helps to create long-lasting, high-shine gel manicures, it is possible for a small number of individuals to develop an allergic reaction, resulting in symptoms such as redness, swelling, peeling or itching. However, when using gel polish as directed, the likelihood of such a reaction is very low.

Always follow instructions carefully, making sure to apply thin, even coats of gel polish and curing for the full 60 seconds, taking care to keep the thumbs flat to ensure a proper cure. To avoid under-curing due to incompatibility, it is essential to use all Gelous products together. Additionally, remove the blue film from the base plate of the lamp to reflect the lights more effectively, leave a gap between the gel nail polish and cuticle, and make sure to remove any polish from the skin before curing. In the rare event that you believe you have had an allergic reaction, discontinue the use of gel nail products and seek advice from your doctor.

We generally advise against this for the following reasons. Children’s nails tend to be thin and flimsy, which provides a poor foundation for Gel Nail Polish. This, plus the active lifestyles of children means you can expect the Gel Nail Polish to chip and lift prematurely. A child may naturally pick and tear at the loose edges of their Gel Nail Polish (rather than removing according to our Removal Instructions), meaning they could damage an already thin nail plate. Additionally, because younger skin is much more sensitive than older skin, extreme caution needs to be taken to avoid getting any Gel Nail Polish on the skin in case of allergic reactions.

While the ingredients in our Gel Nail Polish are safe for pregnant women, all polish can cause reactions if you get it on your skin. As skin is more sensitive during pregnancy, you may be more likely to develop a reaction if you get it on your skin. You should also make sure to use new or sterilised nail tools to avoid this.

The Nail Polish Remover used in the removal process of Gel Nail Polish can also affect a pregnant women’s nail strength more than someone who isn’t pregnant, as pregnancy makes your nails more brittle. You should use high quality Nail Polish Remover for as little time as possible. 10 minutes into the removal process, you should start checking if your Gel Nail Polish is ready to be easily removed.

What a pregnant women chooses to use during her pregnancy is such a personal decision, and totally up to the mama-to-be. If you do choose to use our products while pregnant, please make sure to always perform your gel manicure application and removal in a well ventilated area and use sunblock on the skin surrounding the nails.

• Avoid washing dishes or using cleaning products without gloves, as this can interfere with the polish. Dig out those rubber gloves!
• Use Cuticle Oil regularly to help your nails look fresher for longer and keep the area moisturised. 
• If you get a snag, file this down so it does not catch and cause further damage.
• Most importantly, avoid picking at your Gel Nail Polish as you will inevitably peel away part of your natural nail, leaving it thin and weak. Make sure to remove by following the instructions outlined in our Removal Guide here.

If you have a chip, but don't want to redo your whole manicure, this is fixable! Start by buffing off the shiny Top Coat completely then wiping the buffing dust with a Lint Free Wipe moistened with Nail Polish Remover. Apply a layer of your Base Coat (curing after), Colour Coat (curing after), then apply a layer of your Top Coat (curing after).

• Gel Nail Polish bottles should be stored in a cool, climate-controlled area away from exposure to natural sunlight. Don't leave them sitting out in front of a window or in a bright room that gets a lot of light. Ideally they should be stored somewhere dark like in a closet, box or drawer. Gel Nail Polish should not be stored in your bathroom, as it’s constantly heating up and cooling down because of your blow dryer and shower. Our bottles are black to stop sunlight from affecting them as much, however you should still store your bottles away from sunlight.
• Store your Gel Nail Polish right side up to prevent it from drying out. Don’t store it upside down, as this can cause clumps and drying at the neck of the bottle.
• After use keep the neck and rim of your Gel Nail Polishbottle clean by wiping it with a Lint Free Wipe. Wet the Lint Free Wipe with Nail Polish Remover if required. Keeping this area clean allows your bottle to close properly and prevent air from getting inside.
• Make sure your Gel Nail Polish lids are always screwed on tightly to keep them airtight. We recommend closing the lid tightly after each coat.
• Avoid using your Gel Nail Polish in very sunny areas, or too near to your UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp when it is turned on. This prevents your polish from undertaking any part of the curing process, as it cures in UV light.

If you are a new user of Gel Nail Polish, please don’t be disheartened if your first few manicures don’t last as long as expected. There are many tips and tricks to applying Gel Nail Polish that make the difference between a long-lasting application and an application that doesn’t last long enough (i.e. chips easily or peels). Often, new users of Gel Nail Polish make small mistakes during the application process that cause premature chipping or peeling. Once you've mastered your Gel Polish application, you'll enjoy flawless, long-lasting manicures time and time again. Practice really does make perfect!

Please be patient, read our Application Guide carefully, and take note of our tips and tricks.

• Always use Gelous Base Coat, Colour Coat, Top Coat, and Gel Nail Lamp together. Our Gel Nail Polish and UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp are specially formulated to be fully compatible, with the lamp emitting at 365+405nm to ensure a safe and effective cure. While this dual-wavelength setup is common, we strongly advise against mixing brands—such as using other polishes with our lamp or vice versa—as they may not be properly compatible. Incompatibility can result in under-curing, which may lead to poor wear or even cause damage to your nails or skin.
• Ensure your nails are strong enough for a gel manicure. If your nails are too weak, they can bend and cause the Gel Nail Polish to pull away from the nail. Nourish your nails with products such as Cuticle Oil, Moisturiser and Nail Defense to improve their strength, and consider adding a Builder Gel into your manicure routine.
• Nail prep is very important and will directly influence the longevity of your mani or pedi. Before applying your Gel Nail Polish, gently buff the entire surface of each nail. Make sure to buff in one direction and remember, you are trying to rough up your nails not make them smooth, so the whole nail should appear dull from the buffing (not shiny). You need to be very thorough with the buffing, paying particular attention to the sides of the nails and around the cuticle, as this is where lifting may occur if not buffed correctly.
• Make sure to clean your nails thoroughly after buffing, as any residual buffing dust, oil or other contaminants will reduce adhesion of the gel and affect the longevity. To clean, simply apply Nail Polish Remover to a Lint Free Wipe and thoroughly clean the surface of your nails, including the area under your nails and around the cuticles.
• Use Nail Primer before your Base Coat to prime and dehydrate the nails.
• Don’t apply your coats of Gel Nail Polish too thick and make sure they are an even thickness. Pay attention to the cuticles and the sides, as this is where Gel Polish can get thicker if you have too much Gel Nail Polish on the brush. To achieve a thin application, remove excess Gel Nail Polish from the brush by circling it around the inside of the bottle neck, pressing it off.
• Cap every coat of Gel Nail Polish by running the brush horizontally over the free edge of your nail. View capping diagram here. If you have shorter nails, start each coat by using a Nail Art Brush or the tip of your bottle brush to cap the free edge.
• When applying, start in the middle of the nail then ‘push’ the Gel Nail Polish gently towards the cuticle without it touching. It is important to leave a thin gap between the edge of the Gel Nail Polish and your cuticle when applying. If the Gel Nail Polish is applied to the cuticle, it can separate and lift as your nail plate grows. Aim to avoid getting any Gel Nail Polish on your skin or cuticle, however if you do, remove it with an Orangewood Cuticle Stick, Nail Art Brush or Lint Free Wipe before curing. 
• In terms of aftercare, avoid washing dishes or using cleaning products without gloves, use Cuticle Oil regularly to help your nails looking fresh for longer, and if you get a snag, file this down so it does not catch and cause further damage.

Colours may appear differently on your screen than in person. While we strive to present colours as accurately as possible, exact replication on different digital displays is not possible. Variations occur due to differences in screen settings, lighting conditions, backgrounds, and skin tones.

Your Base Coat and Colour Coat should remain a little sticky after curing, so that when you apply the following layer it sticks to the layer below. As long as you are applying your polish in thin, even layers and curing for 60 seconds, your Base Coat and Colour Coat will be cured. Unlike the Base Coat and Colour Coat, your Top Coat layer should be hard, dried and perfectly cured once you have placed your nails under the UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp for 60 seconds.

It is perfectly normal for some warmth to be felt during the curing process, as this in indicative of the Gel Nail Polish turning from liquid form to solid form. Our Gel Nail Lamp has a low heat mode, specifically for sensitive hands. To use the low heat mode on our Gel Nail Lamp, press the 99S low heat mode button to cure at 12W for 50 seconds, then 24W for 49 seconds.

Please make sure the Gel Nail Polish is applied in thin coats and is not on your skin, you are only using Gelous brand products, the nail plate is not damaged (from buffing too much, using chemicals without gloves, removing Gel Nail Polish incorrectly, not having a break between manicures, etc), your nails are in good condition. 

This usually occurs when your Gel Nail Polish is stored incorrectly, the rim/neck is not wiped after use, it is used in the sunlight, or it is used too close to your UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp when it was turned on.

To fix this, give the brush a gentle clean with rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Make sure to thoroughly rinse the brush with warm water, then dry with a Lint Free Wipe before putting it back in the bottle. Do not use anything acetone based to clean the brush, because this can melt the brush. To avoid this in future, please make sure to follow the storage instructions outlined on the product page.

Gel Nail Polish is naturally a little thicker than regular polish, particularly Glitter Gel Nail Polish, Builder Gel and Rubber Base Coat.

To make your polish easier to manage, you can try turning the closed bottle upside down and rolling it between your hands, rather than shaking. The heat from your hands will help to warm and thin out the polish. When applying your Gel Nail Polish, you can also try wiping the brush against the neck of the bottle to remove excess polish. If this doesn't help, you can try running your closed gel polish bottle under hot water to heat up the polish. After a minute or two under the hot water, roll the bottle between your hands. Be careful because the bottle can get very hot. Repeat this process until your polish is a good consistency.

Additionally, please ensure you are following our storage instructions outlined on the product page.

Yes. You can place an order as a guest with no obligation to create an account. We do recommend that you create an account, as this allows you to check your order history, save your payment details, save your address details, save your wishlist and save your shopping basket. 

It’s quick and easy to create an account. Just click here and follow the instructions on-screen.

Scroll to the bottom of the checkout page and click ‘Check out as guest’. You’ll still be able to use your Gelous account, but you’ll have the option to choose a different payment method such as Afterpay, PayPal, Zip, POLi, and more.

This is automatically sent to your email address when you place an order. If you haven’t received your order confirmation within 24 hours, please check your mailbox’s spam or junk folder. If you cannot find it, please get in touch with us at info@gelous.co with your order number. If you don't have your order number, please provide your shipping address, phone number and full name.

If you're in Auckland or Brisbane, you can! If you would like to order for pick-up, please select this in the 'information' step of the checkout process. We will send you an email when your order is ready. If you need your order earlier, please contact us.

Pick-up orders will be processed first thing the following business day and will be ready and waiting for you when you arrive. Please have your order number handy when you come to collect your order. This will start with #GLS followed by a number. 

Once ready, you can pick-up from:

• New Zealand: Gelous, 3A Whetu Place, Rosedale, Auckland, New Zealand.
• Australia: Gelous, Unit 7/1-3 Business Drive, Narangba, Queensland.

Yes, you can buy all our products in our Auckland and Brisbane stores where you can see full displays of all our colours and products.

Our Auckland, New Zealand store is located at Gelous, 3A Whetu Place, Rosedale, Auckland, New Zealand with Afterpay, EFTPOS and cash facilities. We are open:

• Mon-Wed: 9:00am-5:00pm
• Thu: 9:00am-9:00pm
• Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm
• Sat-Sun: 9:00am-3:00pm

Our Brisbane, Australia store is located at Gelous, Unit 7/1-3 Business Drive, Narangba, Queensland with with Debit Card and Credit Card facilities (no cash). We are open:

• Mon-Fri:9:00am-4:30pm.

Spend over a certain amount for free shipping. To qualify for free shipping, your cart total must over the specified amount after any discount codes have been applied and before any shipping fees are applied. 

• New Zealand:Spend over $100NZD
• Australia:Spend over $100AUD
• United States:Spend over $125USD
• Canada: Spend over $165CAD
• United Kingdom: Spend over £100
• Europe: Spend over €115
• Asia: Spend over $125USD
• Oceania: Spend over $200NZD

You can view shipping information including processing times, shipping times and pricing here.

You can view returns information here.

Orders can be altered prior to processing. Please note that once your order has been assigned a tracking number or shipped, we're unable to make any changes. For alterations to be processed, our customer service team must first receive and confirm your request. If your order ships before we can review your email, we won’t be able to make any changes. To ensure faster assistance, please call us during our office hours. Products can be returned for store credit if they meet the guidelines in our Returns Policy. 

Adding or Swapping Products

Additional costs can be paid via any of our standard payment methods. Orders will not be shipped until any additional payments are received.

Removing Products

If you request to remove products from your order within one hour of it being placed, we are able to offer a full refund. A refund takes 5-10 business days to be processed.

How to Add, Remove or Swap Products

You can email us at info@gelous.co to request to add, remove or swap products in your order. 

Orders can be cancelled prior to shipment. For the quickest response and to avoid disappointment, please contact our customer service team by phone during office hours. Alternatively, you can email us at info@gelous.co with your order number. If you don’t have the order number, please include your shipping address, phone number, and full name. Please be aware there may be a delay in response via email, and we are unable to make any changes once your order has been shipped.

Within 1 hour

If you cancel within one hour of placing your order, you’ll receive a full refund. Refunds typically take 5-10 business days to process.

After 1 hour, before shipment

If you cancel before your order has been assigned a tracking number, we can offer store credit or a refund. Store credit takes 1-3 business days to process and is valid for 3 years. Refunds are processed within 3-7 business days.

If an address is input incorrectly or without appropriate detail, we take no responsibility or liability for the customer not receiving their product. If you contact us before your order is processed we will do our best to update this prior to shipment. 

Changes Before Shipment

For address changes prior to shipment email info@gelous.co.

Changes After Shipment

For address changes after shipment, check your tracking to find out which company your order has been shipped with and contact them directly for the fastest result.

You can apply your discount code after clicking 'checkout' from your cart.

You cannot use a discount code: 

• More than once (excluding kit, bundle and sale discount codes). 
• In conjunction with another discount code (excluding kit or bundle discount codes).
• On gift cards (you can use a gift card in conjunction with a discount code when purchasing).

Percentage Off Discount Codes

• If you haven't added your Percentage Off Discount Code at checkout, you can email us at info@gelous.co to receive the value of the discount as store credit.
• We are unable to offer you store credit after the discount code has expired.

Buy One Get One Free Discount Codes

• If you haven't added your Buy One Get One Free Discount Code at checkout, you can email us at info@gelous.co to add this.
• Please include the free item you would like if applicable.
• We are unable to add Buy One Get One Free Discount Codes after the discount code has expired.
• If your order has been shipped and you would still like to receive your free item, you will be charged for the shipping.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and subscribe to our mailing list at the bottom of this page to be notified when we are running special sales! 

Our current discounts include:

• Up to 15% off Starter Kits with our Basic, Essentials, Starter, Super Starter, and Ultimate Starter Kit customisable and pre-curated bundles.
• Up to 20% off Gel Nail Polish Bundles with our customisable and pre-curated bundles.
• Up to 20% off Chrome Powder Bundles with our customisable and pre-curated bundles.
• Up to 20% off Nail Decal Bundles with our customisable bundle.
• Up to 20% off Drill Bit Bundles with our customisable bundle.
• Up to 15% off Cuticle Oil Bundles with our customisable bundle.
• 10% off your first order by signing up to our mailing list in the footer of our website, or through the chatbot on the left bottom side of our website. 
• Points that are redeemable for $10, $15, $20, and $30 vouchers through our loyalty programme, The Gelous It List.

Yes, Gift Cards are a form of payment. Simply enter the Gift Card code in the Gift card or discount code box and press Apply. Then enter the discount code and press Apply.

Each country has different recycling rules. See your local government website for more information:

Helpful links:

• New Zealand
• Australia
• United States
• British Columbia, Canada
• Toronto, Canada
• Quebec, Canada
• United Kingdom

Product Packaging

We’re making the switch to cardboard packaging for all of our products. A far more sustainable option than traditional packaging, this change helps to reduce our environmental footprint and contributes to a cleaner, greener future for all. ⁠

The most notable difference will be for our colour polishes, which will now feature ‘Colour Coat’ on the box, a circular window on top to showcase the colour and the polish name on the bottle. This greatly reduces our environmental impact during our production process by reducing the number of moulds required for each unique package and has a significant impact on waste. ⁠

Order Packaging

All orders are protected with eco-friendly Geami WrapPak and FillPak and shipped in cardboard cartons or recycled courier bags. 

Our courier bags are made from 100% recycled post consumer and post industrial plastic waste. Even the removable adhesive backing and the inner bag is made from recycled plastic! After use, these can be recycled where soft plastics are accepted.

Products

Gelous supports the progression of the beauty industry by offering products that are vegan, cruelty free and non-toxic. Our Gel Nail Polish is 10-free which means it is free from common toxic nail polish ingredients including Toluene, DBP, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Xylene, Parabens, Fragrances, Phthalates, animal testing & animal-derived ingredients.

We are certified vegan and cruelty-free by New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS).

Professional

As a token of appreciation for our valued professionals, we offer an exclusive discount code that entitles you to 20% off on orders exceeding $300. If you're interested in taking advantage of this professional discount, complete the form here.

Wholesale

We offer wholesale rates dependant on purchase quantity and monthly spend. If you're interested in stocking Gelous Gel Nail Polish products in your retail store, online store or salon, complete the form here.