Frequently asked questions
What is non-sticky gel?
A thick, flexible gel that does not flow and does not cling to the tool, so it can be pinched, rolled, and pressed into 3D flowers, bows, and charms on the nail with a silicone tool and no slip solution, then cured in place. ND carries the LAVIS range: Builder Gel Jar Non Sticky in 15 g and 30 g in seven colors (clear, French white, milky white, pearl white, black, silver, gold) and a Set of 7, 3D Molding Gel in twelve colors, 3D Plaster Gel in white, and Satin Carving Gel in white and pearl white. LAVIS quotes up to 4 weeks of wear.
How do I sculpt a 3D flower with it?
Cure the base color, lift a small bead from the jar with a silicone tool, and press it into a teardrop on the nail for each petal; the gel does not slump, so all the petals can be placed before curing. Cure 60 seconds under LED, a second time from the side for thick pieces, then leave it matte or float a top coat over it for gloss. A white sculpt can be painted with gel color, or use the Molding Gel in the flower's color.
What is the difference between non-sticky gel and emboss gel?
Emboss gel is thick but tacky and is worked with a brush into raised lines and textures close to the nail, such as lace and a drawn raised French. Non-sticky gel is stiffer and releases from the tool, so it builds freestanding shapes with height that a brush gel cannot. Most art stations keep a white emboss gel for drawn texture and a non-sticky jar for sculpted pieces.
Which jar should a salon buy first?
A 15 g jar of white or milky white Builder Gel Non Sticky and one or two Molding Gel colors, since a white sculpt can be painted any color; the Set of 7 in 30 g suits a salon that sells 3D sets by name. A jar lasts a long time because a flower uses a fraction of a gram. Keep jars capped and away from the lamp, and use a silicone tool so the gel releases cleanly.
Is non-sticky gel sold at wholesale?
Yes. Every jar and set at ND Nails Supply is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Set of 7 put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Orders $100+ ship free, and in-stock jars ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
Non-sticky gel: the moldable gel for 3D flowers, bows, and sculpted charms
Non-sticky gel is a thick, flexible gel that does not flow and does not cling to the tool, so it can be pinched, rolled, and pressed into a petal, a bow, or a tiny critter on the nail with a silicone tool or a brush and no slip solution, then cured in place. ND Nails Supply carries the LAVIS non-sticky range at wholesale, around 30 listings: the LAVIS Builder Gel Jar Non Sticky in 15 g and 30 g jars and a Set of 7 colors, the LAVIS 3D Molding Gel 15 g in twelve numbered colors, the 3D Plaster Gel in white, and the Satin Carving Gel in white and pearl white. LAVIS quotes up to 4 weeks of wear once cured, with the sculpted piece holding its shape without sagging or chipping.
What is on this page
| Line | Sizes and colors | Use |
|---|---|---|
| LAVIS Builder Gel Jar Non Sticky | Seven colors in 15 g and 30 g jars (00 Clear, 01 French White, 02 Milky White, 03 Pearl White, 04 Black, 05 Silver, 06 Gold), plus the Set of 7 colors in 30 g | The main sculpting gel: flowers, critters, bows, raised French, and a thick overlay that doubles as a builder |
| LAVIS 3D Molding Gel | 15 g, colors 01 to 12 | Colored 3D pieces sculpted in place, so no painting over a white sculpt |
| LAVIS 3D Plaster Gel | 15 g, white | The matte, plaster-look white for lace, relief, and carved effects |
| LAVIS Satin Carving Gel | 0.5 oz white and 15 g pearl white | A satin-finish carving gel for petals and the 3D French |
How to sculpt with non-sticky gel
- Base. Cure the base color and wipe the tacky layer if the piece should sit crisp on the surface; leave it if the piece should blend in.
- Pick up a bead. Lift a small amount from the jar with a silicone tool or a spatula; the gel comes away clean and holds together.
- Shape on the nail. Press and pull the bead into the form with the silicone tool: a teardrop pressed flat for a petal, a strip folded for a bow, a dome for a bead. It does not slump while it waits, so there is time to place five petals before curing.
- Cure. 60 seconds under LED once the shape is right; thick pieces get a second cure from the side.
- Finish. Leave the surface as it is for a matte 3D look, or float a top coat over the piece for gloss. For a satin or plaster finish, skip the top on the sculpt and top only the flat nail around it.
Which gel for which piece
- Roses, tulips, and full 3D flowers: the Builder Gel Jar Non Sticky in white or milky white, petal by petal, then a colored gel painted over if wanted, or the 3D Molding Gel in the flower's color to skip the painting.
- Bows and ribbons: the Molding Gel in pink or red, folded and pressed.
- Lace, carved relief, and the "plaster" look: the 3D Plaster Gel, which cures matte and reads like carved stone.
- A soft satin French or petal: the Satin Carving Gel, which gives a low-sheen finish without top coat.
- Setting a charm: a bead of the non-sticky jar gel as the bed, charm pressed in, cured.
Non-sticky gel or emboss gel?
Emboss gel is thick but still tacky and is worked with a brush into raised lines and textures that sit close to the nail; it is the tool for lace patterns and a raised French drawn rather than sculpted. Non-sticky gel is stiffer and releases from the tool, so it can be built into freestanding shapes with height, which a brush gel cannot do. Most art stations keep one white emboss gel for drawn texture and one non-sticky jar for sculpted pieces, plus the Molding Gel colors the menu calls for.
Stocking non-sticky gel for a salon
A 15 g jar of white or milky white Builder Gel Non Sticky and one or two Molding Gel colors cover most 3D requests, because a white sculpt can be painted any color with gel; the Set of 7 colors in 30 g (clear, the three whites, black, silver, and gold) is the order for a salon that sells 3D sets by name and wants the color inside the piece; 00 Clear doubles as a crystal-look overlay for encapsulated pieces, 04 Black draws raised outlines, and 05 Silver and 06 Gold sculpt metallic charms. A jar lasts a long time because a flower uses a fraction of a gram. Keep jars capped and away from the lamp, and use a silicone tool rather than a metal one so the gel releases cleanly.
Why a sculpted piece cracks or pops off, and the fix
- The piece pops off whole: it was placed on a fully cured, glossy surface. Buff the spot or leave the tacky layer where the piece will sit, and press the base of the piece down before curing.
- The piece cracked: it was cured once from above only. Thick pieces need a second cure from the side or underneath, and a top coat floated over them for flex.
- Petals slumped: the gel warmed in the hand or under the lamp before curing. Work from a cool jar and cure each flower as it is finished rather than the whole hand at once.
- The tool drags the gel: a metal tool was used. Switch to a silicone tool, which the non-sticky gel releases from cleanly.
The seven non-sticky jars and what each one is for
| Jar | Use on the nail |
|---|---|
| 00 Clear | The transparent bed under a 3D piece and the crystal-look overlay over an encapsulated charm or flake; also the clear base a tech lays before a Pat Pat ombre so the gradient sits on a smooth, even layer |
| 01 French White | Raised 3D French tips and white petals with a sharp edge |
| 02 Milky White | Soft white flowers that read as porcelain rather than paper, and a milky bed under a pastel piece |
| 03 Pearl White | Pearl-finish petals and charms for bridal sets |
| 04 Black | Raised black outlines, dark flowers, and the gothic charm looks that sell in October |
| 05 Silver | Sculpted metallic charms and studs without a foil or chrome step |
| 06 Gold | Gold charms, bows, and the raised gold vein on a marble design |
The 15 g jar is the size for a station that does 3D a few times a week; the 30 g jar is for the salon that sells a 3D set by name every day, and the Set of 7 in 30 g is that salon's full palette in one order.
Sculpting by hand versus using a silicone mold
A silicone charm mold gives a repeatable shape, and it is the right tool for a stud, a heart, or a bow that has to match across ten nails. A hand-sculpted petal is softer: because the non-sticky gel releases from a fingertip or a silicone tool without slip solution, a tech pulls the edge of a petal thin and curls it the way a real one curls, then sets it in place and cures, and no two petals are identical, which is what makes a sculpted rose look like a rose rather than a stamp. Most 3D stations use both: the mold for the pieces that repeat, the jar and a silicone tool for the flowers and the freehand work. Neither needs a brush cleaner between colors, since the gel does not cling to the tool; a wipe on a lint-free pad is enough before the next color.
Non-sticky gel as a base layer, not only a sculpting gel
Two uses of the 00 Clear jar are easy to miss. First, a thin cured layer of clear non-sticky gel under a 3D piece gives the piece a transparent, glass-like bed, so a flower appears to float on the nail rather than sit in a blob of glue gel; salons that sell 3D floral sets put the clear bed on every nail that carries a piece. Second, the same clear layer works as a smooth, even bed under a Pat Pat ombre or a painted design on a ridged or repaired nail, because it levels the surface without the flow of a bottle builder. In both cases the layer is kept thin, cured fully, and wiped before the next step, so the piece or the gradient above it bonds to a clean surface.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every jar and set is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Set of 7 put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock jars ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.