Treatments
Nails, done properly.
Standard polish, gel manicures, BIAB, overlays, extensions. Whatever your nails need.
Natural nail nurturers.
We do the full range – standard polish manicures, gel manicures, BIAB, builder gel overlays, gel extensions, and quick file-and-polish appointments for when you just need a tidy. But the thing we care most about isn’t which service you pick. It’s the natural nail underneath.
Every gel coating, no matter the brand or technician, causes a small amount of damage to the natural nail. That’s just the nature of the product. Our job is to minimise that damage, support your natural nail growth, and make sure you leave with nails that are properly healthy – not nails that look great for two weeks and fall apart on week three.
That’s what nurturing natural nails actually means.
Which nail service is right for you?
Five options, all suited to different kinds of nails. Have a look – and if you’re still not sure, your Moo will point you to the right one when you arrive.
| Your nails | A little treat / Moocure Nurture | Quick Treat Gel Polish Colour | Gel manicure Natural | BIAB Stronger | Overlays Tougher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naturally strong | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Flaky, peeling, brittle or thin | ✓ | ✓* | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bitten | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recovering or post-acrylic | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓* |
| Upkeep | None | * Add a builder base for extra strength and retention. | Soak off & redo every 2–3 wks | Soak off & redo every 2–3 wks | Infills every 2–3 wks |
“Still not sure? Tell your Moo about your nails when you arrive – they’ll point you to the right one. There’s no wrong answer.”
The treatments
Quick
File and Polish
A quick file, shape, and a coat of standard polish. No full manicure pampering, just nails sorted in under half an hour. Great if you’re short on time or just want a fresh colour applied.
- Best for: A quick refresh, a colour change between gel sets, or when you’re short on time.
- Polish: Standard polish.
- Lasts: Around 3–5 days before chipping (normal for standard polish).
Nurture
Moocure
Full pampering for your nails, cuticles, and skin. A Little Treat goes polish-free; Moocure adds a standard polish finish.
- Best for: Nails recovering from acrylics or gel, weak natural nails, or anyone who fancies a bit of TLC without committing to gel.
- Polish: Standard polish optional (Moocure includes it, A Little Treat skips it).
- Upkeep: None needed — book whenever you fancy.
COLOUR
Quick Treat Gel Polish
Gel polish in your colour of choice, in and out in 30 minutes. For when you want fresh gel without the full manicure works.
- Best for: Lunch-break gel changes, holiday prep, or fresh colour when you’re short on time.
- Lasts for: Around 10-14 days.
- Upkeep: Removed and redone every 10-14 days.
- Available: Selected Mooeys salons only. Check with your favourite.
Natural
Gel manicure
Gel polish in your colour of choice over a standard base. Includes a manicure.
- Best for: Naturally strong, healthy nails that hold gel polish for a full 14 days, and bitten nails on the mend.
- Lasts: Generally 2–3 weeks.
- Upkeep: Soaked off and redone every 2–3 weeks.
Stronger
Gel manicure with builder base (BIAB)
Gel polish with a builder base for added strength. Still no length added – just support. Includes a manicure. (BIAB and builder gel are the same thing.)
- Best for: Slightly bendy nails that can’t hold standard gel polish for more than 7–10 days, flaky or peeling nails, or anyone whose gel keeps lifting.
- Upkeep: Soaked off and redone every 2–3 weeks.
Tougher
Gel overlay
A thicker layer of builder gel for serious strength. Think extensions without the tips. Can be applied with or without gel polish, depending on the look you want.
- Best for: Weak, fragile, brittle, or bitten nails. People who are hard on their hands. Anyone struggling to keep any gel on.
- Upkeep: Infills every 2–3 weeks.
- Important: We strongly insist on a full removal every 3 infills so we can properly check the health of your natural nail. More on that below.
What we do differently
The natural nail is the priority
Lots of salons treat the natural nail as something to cover up. We treat it as something to look after. The polish or gel is the means, not the end. Every treatment, every removal, every prep step is built around what’s best for the nail underneath.
Full removal every 3 infills
On overlays we do a full removal after every three infills so we can properly check the health of your natural nail. Not the cheapest approach for us. Not the easiest for you. But it’s the only way to spot problems early – splits, ridges, lifting, weakness – before they become bigger problems.
No “we can fix that with another coat”
If your nail is in trouble, we’ll tell you, and we might suggest dropping back to a Moocure for a few weeks. Not the salesperson’s instinct. But it’s the nurturer’s.
Pricing
Pricing varies slightly by salon. Have a look at the price list for your nearest Mooeys.
The questions we get asked.
Standard polish is the traditional kind — applied with a brush, air-dried, and starts to chip after a few days. Gel polish goes through a UV lamp to cure, lasts 2–3 weeks without chipping, and stays glossy throughout. Gel costs more upfront but lasts much longer. Standard polish is easier to change frequently and gentler on the nail if you’re between gel applications.
A quick standard polish service — file, shape, and a coat of polish. No full manicure pampering, just nails sorted. Great if you're short on time or just want a fresh colour applied. Lasts about 3–5 days before chipping (which is normal for standard polish).Â
Yes — that’s A Little Treat. Full pampering of nails, cuticles, and skin, but no polish. Great if you want your hands looking and feeling looked-after without committing to a colour, or if your nails are recovering from gel or acrylic.
A standard gel manicure should look great for around 14 days on healthy nails. If you're struggling to keep it on for that long, you might do better with a builder base (BIAB) for extra grip — that's exactly what it's designed for.Â
Some damage is inevitable with any gel coating — that's the nature of the product. What matters is how that damage is managed. Done well, gel can actually support healthy nail growth. Done badly, it weakens nails over time. We're very particular about prep and removal technique, which is the bit that matters most.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Builder In A Bottle — the same thing as builder gel. It's a tougher, less flexible gel coating that goes on either under a colour or on its own. It generally comes in lovely nude or natural tones for the clean-girl vibe, but you can finish it however you like.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Builder base (BIAB) is a thinner layer under gel polish — more support than standard gel, no length added. Overlays use a thicker layer of builder gel for serious strength, with or without polish. Think of overlays as "extensions without the tips." If your nails are weak or you're hard on your hands, overlays last longer; if they're just slightly bendy, BIAB is usually enough.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Absolutely. Lots of clients start with overlays to grow their natural nails out, then switch to a gel manicure with builder base once they're stronger. Others go the other way — start light, build up. Your Moo is there to guide you — they'll always tell you which service is best for your nails right now. Not everyone needs the weight of overlays, but some people like how tough they are. We'll find what works for you.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Pop in or give us a ring. We'll fix it for you — usually a quick infill or repair, sometimes a full re-do. Better to sort it properly than leave it, because that's when the nasty greenies can creep in. Lifting is the most common cause of greenies, and we'll always do what we can to prevent them.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Yes — gel nails are safe during pregnancy. The products we use don't release toxic fumes, and your Moo can talk you through anything specific to your trimester. Plenty of our regular gel clients carry on right through pregnancy without any issues.Â
The worst thing you can do is pick the gel off, or hack it off during a removal. Think about all those layers of natural nail underneath — that's where the biggest damage happens.Â
Gel is softer, more flexible, and gentler on the natural nail. Acrylic is harder, more rigid, and tends to be more damaging long-term. We don't offer acrylic — we focus on gel because it's better for nail health.Â
If you're coming off acrylics, we'll need to assess the health of your natural nails before applying anything new. The default we usually recommend is starting with a Moocure or A Little Treat to let your nails recover before moving onto gel. In some cases — depending on how the nail looks and feels — an overlay can go straight on after acrylic removal, but only where we're confident the nail can take it. Your Moo will be honest with you about what's possible and when.Â
One thing worth knowing: when salons apply acrylic, they normally file the natural nail down so it's super thin — acrylic lasts longer that way. For gel to last well, we want the opposite: natural nail thickness, properly prepared. So coming back from acrylic isn't always overnight, but we'll get you there.Â
It's the only way to properly check the health of your natural nail. Without periodic removal, problems can develop hidden underneath the gel — splits, lifting, weakness, onycholysis, greenies. We'd rather catch and sort something at the 3-month mark than discover it a year later.Â
Allergies are the other reason. They can develop slowly and quietly, and the only way to spot them early is to have the gel off completely so we can see what's really going on with the nail underneath.Â
Shellac is one specific brand of gel polish (made by CND), and it was one of the first brands to bring gel polish to market. It's not as widely used these days, but plenty of people still ask for "a Shellac" thinking that's just what gel polish is called.Â
All Shellac is gel; not all gel is Shellac. We use the brands we trust for results and ingredient quality.
Your first appointment usually runs a touch longer because we'll go through your nail history and what you're hoping for. The treatment itself is straightforward — file, shape, cuticle care, base coat, colour, top coat, all cured under a lamp. You leave with nails ready to go straight away. No drying time, no smudging.Â
Yes — chrome, French, simple line work, and other designs are all on the menu. Have a chat with your Moo when you book and we'll talk through what's involved.Â
One useful heads-up if you've been gathering inspiration online: a lot of the elaborate nail art you see on Instagram or TikTok is either AI-generated, or it's been done by a nail tech showcasing their skills with two hours to play with. Our nail art is freehand and works within your booked appointment time.Â
We've got some seriously talented Moos when it comes to nail art, and we charge for the time it takes. The more intricate the design, the more it'll cost — so we'll generally only accept designs that are realistically achievable within the time you've booked.Â
