Frequently asked questions
What is cat eye gel polish?
A soak-off gel polish with magnetic particles in the pigment. Applied and cured like any gel, it looks like a flat color until a magnet is held 1 to 2 millimeters over the wet second coat. The particles line up into a light stripe or a multi-line 9D pattern, and curing locks it in. LAVIS and LDS cat eye gels on this page cure in 60 seconds under LED and wear 2 to 3 weeks with a top coat.
Which cat eye colors should I stock first?
Start with one LAVIS 9D CE 12-color set: CE7 Villain Era (jelly cat eye) or CE9 Ver2 Cabin Fever (nudes) cover the most requests. Add a themed set for the season, such as CE3 Tropical Candy for summer or C13 Hallowed Solstice and C16 Honey Eclipse for fall, and an LDS set like Pastel Fairy for bridal and spring. A LAVIS C-series 24-color set fills a whole cat eye shade board in one order.
Do I need a special magnet, base, or top coat?
Yes to all three for a sharp result. Any cat eye magnet works, but the pattern depends on the head: a stick or cat paw magnet gives one stripe, a multi-head magnet gives the 3D or 9D lines, a double-direction magnet gives two axes. Use a black or dark base such as Super Black Base, which roughly doubles stripe visibility, and finish with Diamond Top or another top gel, because an unsealed pattern blurs within a week.
Why does my cat eye stripe come out faint?
Four common causes: the magnet was held too far away (bring it to 1 to 2 millimeters for 5 to 10 seconds), the second coat was cured before the magnet step, the coat was too thick for the particles to move, or the base underneath was light instead of dark. Keep both color coats thin and only cure after the stripe sits where you want it.
Is the cat eye collection sold at wholesale?
Yes. All 600-plus LAVIS and LDS cat eye listings at ND Nails Supply are wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The LAVIS 12-color CE sets cost less per bottle than the singles, and the 24-color C collections put a full board on the wall in one order. Orders $100+ ship free, and in-stock sets ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
What cat eye gel is and why it books at a higher tier
Cat eye gel is a soak-off gel polish loaded with magnetic particles. Applied like any gel and cured under LED or UV, it reads as a flat color until a magnet is held over the wet second coat: the particles line up into a light stripe, a 3D ripple, or a 9D multi-line pattern, and the cure locks that pattern in place. Because the magnet step and the black base add technique and time, salons book cat eye above a standard gel manicure. ND Nails Supply stocks more than 600 cat eye gel listings from LAVIS and LDS at wholesale pricing, as 0.5 oz singles, 12-color sets, and 24-color sets.
The cat eye lines on this page
LAVIS 9D Cat Eyes (CE series)
The LAVIS CE line runs from CE1 Cozy Cashmere through CE18 Galaxtic Halo, each a 12-color set with matching singles. Every set has a theme: CE2 Under The Sea, CE3 Tropical Candy, CE4 Fairy Tale, CE7 Villain Era (jelly cat eye), CE8 Hidden Treasures, CE11 Enchanted Spell, CE13 Luminous Sky and its Ver2 Moonlit Mirage, CE16 Double Vision, CE17 Stellar Shift. Several sets exist in a Ver2 release (CE5 A Breath Of Spring, CE6 Prism Pop, CE9 Cabin Fever, CE10 Beauty Bureau, CE14 Cosmic Voltage) with a refreshed palette under the same code. The 9D formula pulls multiple fine parallel lines in one magnet pass.
LAVIS Cat Eyes C series (24-color collections)
The C series is the larger palette: 24 colors per collection. C09 Morning Dewdrop, C10 Light of Dawn, C11 Mystic Veil, C12 Candy Quartz, C13 Hallowed Solstice, C14 Secret Garden, C15 Gilded Aura, and C16 Honey Eclipse each ship as a full set or as singles. These are the sets a salon buys to fill a full cat eye shade board in one order.
LDS cat eye collections
LDS, ND's sibling house brand, runs its own 12-color cat eye sets: Pastel Fairy (soft pastels with a glitter infusion), Pearl Veil, Vintage Vogue, Fine Gauze, Fruit, Dozen Rose, and Universal Cat Eye. LDS and LAVIS cat eye gels use the same magnets and the same base and top workflow, so a salon can mix the two libraries on one chart.
How to pick a cat eye set
- First cat eye service: one LAVIS CE 12-color set plus a cat paw handle magnet, Super Black Base, and Diamond Top. CE7 Villain Era or CE9 Ver2 Cabin Fever are the usual starters because the jelly and nude tones suit most clients.
- Full cat eye shade board: a LAVIS C-series 24-color set. One collection covers warm, cool, and neutral requests.
- Seasonal promotion: pick the themed CE drop that matches the calendar (Tropical Candy for summer, Hallowed Solstice or Honey Eclipse for fall, Fairy Tale and Pastel Fairy for spring and bridal).
- Pattern variety: pair a 9D set with a multi-head 3D and 9D magnet, a double-direction magnet for two-axis effects, and a ring magnet for hands-free positioning. All are in the cat eye magnet collection.
Cat eye application workflow
- Prep and base. Push back cuticles, lightly buff, dehydrate, then apply base gel and cure. For the sharpest stripe use Super Black Base or another dark base coat; a dark foundation roughly doubles the visibility of the magnetic line.
- Color coat 1. A thin coat of cat eye gel, cured 30 to 60 seconds under LED.
- Color coat 2, do not cure. Apply a second thin coat and leave it wet.
- Magnet. Hold the magnet at about 45 degrees, 1 to 2 millimeters above the nail, for 5 to 10 seconds while the stripe forms. Move the magnet and the line moves with it; stop when the pattern is where you want it.
- Cure. 60 seconds under LED (up to 90 seconds under UV, and dark shades can take extra time) to lock the pattern.
- Top. Seal with Diamond Top or a no-wipe top gel and cap the free edge. Without a top coat the pattern blurs within a week; with it the set wears 2 to 3 weeks.
Pro tip: keep both color coats thin. A thick layer stops the particles from aligning and the stripe comes out faint no matter how close the magnet is.
Common cat eye problems and fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe is faint or blurry | Magnet too far from the nail, or a light base underneath | Bring the magnet to 1 to 2 mm; use a black or dark base |
| Stripe never forms | Second coat was cured before the magnet step | Apply coat 2, magnet, then cure |
| Stripe does not move with the magnet | Coat too thick | Wipe back and reapply a thinner coat |
| Pattern blurs after a week | Top coat skipped or free edge not capped | Always finish with a top gel and cap the tip |
| Early lifting | Nail plate not buffed and dehydrated | Buff lightly and prep before the base |
Care, removal, and storage
- Cat eye gel wears like any soak-off gel: 2 to 3 weeks with cuticle oil daily and gloves for cleaning.
- Remove with a 100 percent acetone foil wrap for about 10 minutes, then push the softened gel away. Do not peel.
- Shake or roll the bottle before use; magnetic pigment settles faster than solid color. Store upright, out of sunlight.
Which magnet gives which pattern
| Magnet | Pattern it pulls | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bar or stick magnet | One straight band across or along the nail; angled for a diagonal | The everyday cat eye and the first magnet every station buys |
| Heart tool | A heart-shaped flash in the center of the nail | Valentine's sets and the cute-nail request |
| Double-end and dual-band magnets | Two bands in two directions on the same nail | The layered, more complex flash for the accent nail |
| Multi-head magnets (3-in-1, 4-in-1, 5-in-1, 6-in-1) | Several bands pulled at once, or a choice of head shapes on one tool | The 9D and galaxy sets, where several fine parallel lines are the point |
| Cat paw handle and finger-rest tools | The same bands with a steadier hold and the client's finger braced | Techs who do cat eye all day and want the same angle on all ten nails |
The magnet page carries every one of these. The effect depends more on the magnet shape and the angle than on the bottle, so a salon that buys two magnets (a bar and a multi-head) can pull most of the patterns clients bring in on their phones from a single 12-color set.
Pricing and timing a cat eye service
Cat eye books above a plain gel manicure on most menus, and the extra cost to the salon is one bottle per set plus a few seconds of magnet time per nail, which is why it is the upgrade with the best margin on the color menu. The appointment runs the same length as a gel manicure: the second coat stays uncured for the magnet pass, the pattern is set in the lamp, and the top goes on with the rest of the hand. The material that makes the difference in the result is the base under it: the dark 9D sets over a Super Black base show a band about twice as bright as the same bottle over nude, so the black is part of the service cost, and the pastel C collections and the LDS Pastel Fairy set are the ones sold to the client who wants a soft flash over a nude or on its own. Because the pattern is drawn by hand, no two nails match exactly, and salons present that as the point of the service rather than a flaw; a client who wants ten identical bands is offered the multi-head magnet held at the same angle on each nail.
What to sell with the bottle
- A magnet with every set, without exception; a client who takes a cat eye home without one has bought a shimmer gel.
- Diamond Top, which keeps the band sharp for the life of the manicure; under an ordinary top it softens within about a week.
- Super Black gel for the dark sets, and an emboss or liner gel for the salon that draws over the band.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every cat eye gel on this page is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The LAVIS 12-color CE sets cost less per bottle than the same shades bought as singles; the 24-color C collections put a full board on the wall in one order. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock sets ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.