Collection: Ugly Duckling Builder Gel (Build-A-Base)

Ugly Duckling Builder Gel Shades and Uses

What Is Ugly Duckling Build-A-Base?

Ugly Duckling Build-A-Base is a 15ml, TPO free builder in a bottle (BIAB) that is thicker than Natural Base. It lets you extend, smooth and repair the natural nail with one product. Build-A-Base is the current name for the product Ugly Duckling previously sold as Builder Base. It cures in 60 seconds under a high quality LED lamp, and it sits under gel polish, colour gels, Ugly Duckling sculpting gel and acrygel. That makes it a flexible foundation for both natural nail overlays and short extensions. The brush bottle applies like a polish, which speeds up a full set.

How Do You Apply Builder in a Bottle?

You apply one thin coat of Build-A-Base over prepped, primed nails and cure it for 60 seconds. Ugly Duckling recommends Prep and then Primer before the first coat, and neither needs to be cured. Build extra coats or sculpt as needed, then file if required and wipe away dust before colour. Top the finished overlay with gel polish or colour gel. Working in thin coats keeps the product level and gives you more control over the apex of the nail. Cure each layer fully before you add the next, and keep product off the skin and cuticle to prevent lifting.

Which Ugly Duckling Builder Gel Shade Should You Choose?

Ugly Duckling Builder Gel comes in Clear and over 10 shades, so you can match the base to the service. The range includes Milky White, Milky Pink and Milky Nude, a Fufu family of Light Fufu, Fufu, Warm Fufu and Peachy Fufu, and pinks such as Pink, Dark Pink and Rose. Light Peach and Mauvish round out the colour options. Sheer milky shades give a soft natural look, while the deeper pinks add more colour on their own. Proper prep matters as much as shade, and our guide explains how dehydration helps gel nails last up to four weeks.