I wanted my first gel nail style to be easy to do, but be as sparkly as possible, so I got the idea with this rhinestone bling style. I’m using rhinestones that I bought on Amazon a while back, so I wanted to put them to use. Here’s how I achieved this look!
I prepared my nails by washing my hands, and removing the dead cuticle skin. I used this Sally Hansen product for that. Next, I filed my nails, both with an emery file and also with an electric file. I filed on top of my natural nails to remove the shine. This helps the gel products to stick on the nails better. I cleaned each nail with alcohol on a square swap (cotton-like material) and then I proceeded to attach the tips with nail glue. I decided to cut the tips fairly short since, I was traveling and going to the Essence Music Festival.
I use a couple of products to help my gel nails last a long time. First, I apply YN Pro Bond. I read great reviews on how well it works and so far, it’s been working well for me. I can keep my tips on for about three weeks (as long as the nail tips themselves do not crack). My nails usually do not lift. I also use Gellish Foundation on my nails. I cure my nails for about 30 seconds between each coat, using my UV/LED Light.  
Next, I add IBD builder Gel. It’s a hard gel, so you are going to need to file this stuff off when you are ready to change styles. I cure my nails again for about 30 seconds and add the soft gel, also by IBD. One by one, I placed the rhinestone on my nails on the still tacky soft gel. I tried using tweezers for that, but I realized quickly that it’s much better for me to use a wax applicator (purchased from Amazon).
The style will last at least two weeks. I still have these nails on, and I attended the festival that I created this look for about two weeks ago. I lost three nails because the actual nails split. So, I attribute my broken gel nails to having poor quality tips. If you are buying online, pay attention to the reviews. I paid attention, but I liked the idea of having short tips, so I took the chance to buy them anyway.