They are saving hundreds (Picture: @gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
A gel manicure will typically set you back at least £25 to £30, and that’s not counting gel removal either.
But when one TikToker was getting tired of paying for her nails, her devoted boyfriend, named Dakota, decided to learn how to do her gel manicures at home, so she could save money.
Jayshree started the account (@gelxdaddy) a year ago to document her boyfriend learning how to give her the perfect nails — and he’s seriously good at it.
In fact, just three of the pairs videos alone have amassed over 64 million views and counting.
Dakota, 26, was on track to play college football as a teen — until he broke his neck in an accident. Up until recently, he’s struggled to find what he is passionate about, according to his girlfriend.
But it’s clear Dakota has no shortage of artistic skills, doing Christmas and Halloween inspired sets, as well as celestial designs and coloured tips.
Dakota with his favourite shade of OPI nail polish (Picture:@gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
These summer-themed jelly nails are just one of the great gel designs Dakota has done (Picture:@gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
The pair have been together for two years and met after Jayshree randomly walked into his work one day and then felt she ‘had to get to know him’.
She said: ‘He’s six foot nine with a nose piercing. I was low key in awe of him.
‘I was too shy to give him my number, so my friend found him through his work’s Instagram and I slid into his DMs. We’ve been together ever since.’
The aim of saving money on the manicures is to help them save up for their future wedding.
They generously released a step-by-step guide for any other boyfriends who would like to try and do their partner’s nails at home.
This is a Valentine’s Day set he painted in February 2023 (Picture:@gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
She said: ‘Step one is he goes in with the cuticle remover and gently pushes my cuticles back. This is a crucial step before applying the extensions.
‘Then he measures each extension to make sure it hits side wall to side wall and files any down that are a bit too big.
‘He buffs my natural nails and goes in with his dehydrator by Apres – we love it.
‘Then he primes my nails with this Gelish Pro Bond primer. I think it makes my nails stay on longer. I’ve never had any pop off.
‘He etches each of the extensions before going in with the Extend Gel by Apres – it’s an amazing nail glue.
‘He puts a thin layer on my natural nails and then I cure it for 60 seconds. He applies the nail glue to the extension, making sure it pools a little bit at the base before applying it and lightly pressing down on the nail.’
This Christmas Nails set was for last Christmas 2022 (Picture:@gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
These are the perfect Halloween nails for Spooky Szn (Picture:@gelxdaddy/Tiktok)
Dakota then cures her nails again for a further minute and 15 seconds before going in with the drill to make sure the nails are flush to her cuticles — so they grow out ‘super pretty’.
Filing the tips is next, followed by buffing the nails and then they’re ready for nail polish.
When asked if he would ever become a nail tech full-time, and even open up a salon with his girlfriend, Dakota said: ‘Maybe, but a lot of things would have to go right first.’
His favourite set he’s painted to date is a pastel set from March 2022 and he eventually hopes to work with OPI and Carhartt one day — now he’s ‘low-key TikTok famous’.
‘I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the support and for following along on this journey, it means a lot,’ he added.
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They even have a step-by-step tutorial.
