Frequently asked questions
What is Aprés Gel Couleur?
The gel polish line from Aprés, the maker of Gel-X soft gel tips. It is a creamy, highly opaque, medium-viscosity gel that cures in 30 seconds under LED, sold in 0.5 oz (15 ml) bottles with the in-bottle Brush-X, a PBT-fiber brush with the firm feel of a Japanese art brush. Two thin coats give full coverage, and on a Gel-X tip it goes on with no base coat.
Is Aprés gel HEMA-free?
The Light & Shadow sheer Gel Couleur line is: HEMA-free, vegan, and cruelty-free, sold as the 40-color collection and as the seasonal sets of 10 (Spring 401 to 410, Summer 501 to 510, Fall 601 to 610, Winter 701 to 710). The standard opaque Gel Couleur singles and Sets of 50 are not labeled HEMA-free. For a sensitive client, pick from the Light & Shadow sets.
How do I apply Aprés gel on Gel-X tips versus natural nails?
On a natural nail: prep, Aprés Base Gel Coat cured, one thin coat of Gel Couleur cured 30 seconds LED, a second coat cured 30 seconds, then the Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat. On a Gel-X tip: the same without the base coat, because Gel Couleur bonds to the tip directly. For the sheer shades, wait a few seconds before curing so the gel self-levels, and add the second coat only if you want more opacity.
Which Aprés set should a salon buy first?
A Gel-X salon starts with one Set of 50 plus the Aprés base and non-wipe top, then adds the current seasonal set of 10 each quarter. The four Sets of 50 together cover the core library, and the 40-color Light & Shadow collection adds the sheer column. A small chart can start with the All The Nudes and All The Reds 5-bottle bundles plus Rick Black and Super White.
Is Aprés gel sold at wholesale?
Yes. Every Aprés gel color, set, base, and top at ND Nails Supply is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Sets of 50 and the 40-color collection put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Orders $100+ ship free, and in-stock bottles ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
Aprés Gel Couleur: the gel color built for Gel-X
Aprés Gel Couleur is the gel polish line from the company behind Gel-X soft gel tips, and it is designed around that system: a creamy, highly opaque, medium-viscosity gel that cures in 30 seconds under LED, self-levels, and goes straight onto a Gel-X tip with no base coat. What sets the bottle apart is the brush. Every Gel Couleur ships with the in-bottle Brush-X, made of PBT fibers with the compact, firm feel of a Japanese nail art brush, so the color goes on with the control of an art brush without a separate tool. ND Nails Supply stocks more than 250 Aprés gel listings at wholesale: the numbered Gel Couleur singles in 0.5 oz (15 ml), the four Sets of 50, the seasonal sets of 10, the Light & Shadow sheer collection, the nude and red bundles, and the Aprés base and non-wipe top.
What is on this page
| Line | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gel Couleur singles (numbered 2xx and 3xx, plus G, J, and N series) | 0.5 oz / 15 ml | Highly opaque, medium viscosity, 30-second LED cure, Brush-X in the bottle |
| Sets of 50 (#1 to #4) | 50 bottles | Four fixed 50-shade sets that together cover the core library |
| Seasonal sets of 10 (Spring 401 to 410, Summer 501 to 510, Fall 601 to 610, Winter 701 to 710) | 10 bottles | Light & Shadow sheer Gel Couleur, HEMA-free, vegan, cruelty-free |
| Light & Shadow Collection, 40 sheer colors | 40 bottles | The whole sheer library in one order |
| Nude and red bundles (All The Nudes, All The Reds) | 5 bottles | The two shade families every chart needs |
| Aprés Base Gel Coat and Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gel Coat | 0.5 oz, single or pair | The base and top the color is designed to work with |
Opaque Gel Couleur vs Light & Shadow sheer
The standard Gel Couleur is highly opaque: two thin coats give full coverage, and one coat is enough on many shades for nail art. Light & Shadow is the sheer line: softly pigmented, buildable, self-leveling, and formulated HEMA-free, vegan, and cruelty-free, so one coat gives a tint, a second gives more opacity, and the color reads like glass over a Gel-X tip or a natural nail. Each seasonal set of 10 is a Light & Shadow palette: spring pinks and peachy nudes, summer seafoam greens and cool blues, fall wines and browns, winter beiges and smoky grays. Note that the gold lettering on Light & Shadow bottles is not acetone resistant; wipe them with alcohol only.
How to apply Aprés Gel Couleur
- On a natural nail: prep, apply Aprés Base Gel Coat and cure, then one thin layer of Gel Couleur cured 30 seconds LED, a second layer cured 30 seconds, and finish with the Non-Wipe Top Gelcoat.
- On a Gel-X tip: the same, minus the base coat. Gel Couleur bonds to the tip directly.
- Sheer shades: wait a few seconds before curing so the gel self-levels, keep the layer thin, and add the optional second coat only if you want more opacity.
Pro tip: the Brush-X is firm enough to draw with. For a French tip or a color-block design, load the brush lightly and use the edge; there is no need to switch to a separate art brush.
How to stock Aprés gel
- Gel-X salon: start with one Set of 50 for the everyday chart and the Aprés base and non-wipe top, then add the current seasonal set of 10 each quarter.
- Building a full wall: the four Sets of 50 together cover the core library; add the 40-color Light & Shadow collection for the sheer column.
- Small chart: the two 5-bottle bundles (All The Nudes, All The Reds) plus a black and a white (Rick Black, Super White) cover most requests.
- Sensitive clients: the Light & Shadow sheer sets are the HEMA-free Aprés option.
- Seasonal refresh: filter by the spring, summer, fall, or winter tag in the sidebar.
What do the number series mean?
The core Gel Couleur library runs on three-digit numbers in the 200s and 300s, sold as singles and split across the four Sets of 50. The letter series group the specialty finishes: the G codes are the sparkle shades (G07 Champagne Dreams, G08 Golden Anniversary, G09 New Year Wishes), the J codes are the jelly tints (J07 Winter Lake, J08 It's Cerulean, J09 Tropic Light), and the N codes are the soft nudes (N04 Vintage Carnation, N05 Spring Sigh, N06 Fairy Wings). The seasonal Light & Shadow sets use the 400, 500, 600, and 700 ranges for spring, summer, fall, and winter, ten shades each. A salon reading a client's swatch stick can tell from the code alone whether the bottle is an opaque creme, a sparkle, a jelly, a nude, or a seasonal sheer.
Wear, care, and removal
- Aprés gel wears like a standard soak-off gel, 2 to 3 weeks with daily cuticle oil and gloves for cleaning, and follows the life of the Gel-X tip when applied over one.
- Remove with a 100 percent acetone foil wrap and push the softened gel away; do not peel. Over Gel-X, remove the tip and color together per the Gel-X removal routine.
- Store bottles upright at room temperature, out of sunlight. Clean Light & Shadow bottles with alcohol, not acetone.
Building an Aprés color wall by set
| Set | What is in it | Who buys it |
|---|---|---|
| Set of 50 Gel Colors, #1 to #4 | Four fixed 50-shade blocks that together run the numbered Gel Couleur chart | The salon opening a full Aprés wall; two blocks cover the everyday chart, all four the whole line |
| Seasonal Sets of 10 (Spring 401 to 410, Summer 501 to 510, Fall 601 to 610, Winter 701 to 710) | Ten HEMA-free shades per season, numbered by the hundreds | A quarterly refresh for a wall that already has the core |
| Light & Shadow, 40 pieces | The HEMA-free sheer collection | The glazed, milky, and sheer French requests over Gel-X |
| All The Nudes and All The Reds bundles, Set of 5 | Five nudes or five reds picked from the chart | A first Aprés order, or the color station at a Gel-X tip salon that wants only the staples |
| Singles, 15 mL | Numbered shades (203 Kung Fu Tortoise, 240 Billy Blue, 331 Seal Of Approval) plus Super White and Rick Black | Refills and one-off additions |
The hundreds digit tells the season on the newer numbers, so a tech reading a client's card knows 507 is a summer shade and 703 a winter one. Super White and Rick Black are the two utility bottles: the French tip and the base under a chrome or cat eye accent.
Why Aprés gel on Aprés tips
Gel Couleur was formulated to sit on a Gel-X tip, and that shows in two ways. It is highly opaque, so a tip that has been filed thin at the cuticle still reads as one solid color in two coats, and it cures in 30 seconds under LED, which matters when a full Gel-X set already has ten tips to cure and a base and top on each. The in-bottle Brush-X is cut to lay a thin, even coat along a long tip without flooding the sidewall. On a natural nail the gel behaves like any soak-off gel and the same base and non-wipe top apply. Salons that run Gel-X keep the Aprés Base Gel and Non-Wipe Glossy Top under and over the color so the whole set is one system; a salon that runs Aprés color over another brand's tips keeps the Aprés base and top for the color layers and tests one nail first.
Where the sheer Light & Shadow set fits
Most Gel-X clients ask for one of two finishes: a solid Gel Couleur shade, or a sheer glazed nail that shows the tip through a tint. Light & Shadow is the second one. It is applied in one to three thin coats depending on how much the tip should show, it layers over a Super White smile line for a glass French, and it is the set a salon adds once the solid chart is in place. Because the tint reveals the tip, the tip is filed and buffed smooth before the base goes on; a scratch that a solid would hide shows under a sheer.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every Aprés gel color, set, base, and top ships at wholesale pricing for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Sets of 50 and the 40-color collection put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock bottles ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.