The Evolution of Gellifique Brush-On Builders: SMART BASE vs. APEX BUILD.

With all the new product launches many of you have reached out about the distinctions between our SMART BASE and APEX BUILD. Why, for instance, did we incorporate Vitamin E into the former and not the latter? Dive into Gellifique's journey of brush-on builders to discover the answers.

The Dawn of Brush-On Builders

Back in early 2017, we released Apex Extend and Apex Strengthen. These products were designed primarily to fortify natural nails.

With a sharp rise in dermal allergy cases before, during and post-pandemic, we took intentional steps to ensure these products were hard to misuse:

  • Apex Extend: Crafted primarily for extensions and nail plate adjustments. It was intentionally semi-sheer for thorough curing and thick enough to aid the extension process.

  • Apex Strengthen: A finer texture designed for ease of application. Its opacity was higher, and it had strict application guidelines : it was unsuitable for sculpting and strictly for brushing on.

The Rise and Concerns

As the popularity of UV/LED brush-on builders surged, so did our concerns.

The troubling allergy patterns emerging in online communities were alarming. While DIY home gel kits played a role, many brands' misleading promotions and an evident gap in product chemistry understanding raised major alarms for us.

Witnessing brands overlaying long nails with clear hard gel, buffed to resemble natural nails and overlaying these with large amounts of soak off builder , meanwhile portraying these as the illusion of healthy nail growth was distressing.

This "must-have" product trend, coupled with misconceptions propagated on social media, became a potential hazard.

Our participation in events like Olympia Beauty in London and Scottish Hair and Beauty deepened our insights into the pervasive allergy issues in the nail care industry.

We realised the need to overhaul the BIAB concept entirely.

The New Era of BIAB

We took the bull by the horns, investing significantly in research and development and testing several products on the market. Initially, we considered sharing our groundbreaking techniques, but industry affiliations made genuine progress challenging. Our focus pivoted to first off and foremost serving you - our customers! After analyzing several UK and US brand products, we crafted our unique solution.

Introducing Smart Base

Smart Base is medium-hard with a balanced PH level (despite criticisms we absolutely can measure PH in our products). This product line is potentially ideal for those with past reactions or thin, frail nails needing a softer formula. Our recent inclusion of Vitamin E enhances its restorative effects, providing nail technicians ample time to heal damaged nails. Due to the formulation it has a slightly longer than the average cure time of 90-seconds. It's highly self-leveling, necessitating minimal refining. Soak-off? Just 10 minutes.

All About Apex Build

Apex Build stands apart, offering superior strength even within the soak-off gel category. It strengthens and shields natural nails, boasts enhanced adhesion than Smart Base, and is richer in pigment. It cures in a standard 60 seconds, levels itself out, and is super east to apply due to its buttery, smooth texture. The soak-off time remains a swift 10 minutes.


Each product's distinct formulation serves a unique purpose, making it beneficial to have both in your kit. Explore our numerous offers if you're keen to try both. Opting for our sets can save you up to 30% compared to individual product prices.

Browse All Soak Off Builders Here

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