Build your kit
Your professional gel kit, built step by step
Everything you need to work safely, cleanly and to a professional standard; chosen and ordered by the people who make it. No guesswork. No gaps.
SHORT ON TIME? START HERE.
BUILD IT YOURSELF, IN SIX STEPS.
Six steps, in the order you'd actually do them. Work through the lot for a full professional set-up, or jump to the step you need.
STEP 1 • PREPARE YOUR SPACE
Standards start before the first client.
Hygiene, sanitation and set-up. This is the part clients notice, and the part that's easiest to get wrong when you're starting out.
STEP 2 • PERFECT YOUR PREP
Retention is decided here.
Everything that happens after prep depends on prep. The right tools reduce lifting, improve adhesion and make every service faster and cleaner.
STEP 3 • BUILD YOUR BASE
Base and lamp are one system.
Your base coats and the lamp that cures them are engineered together. Getting one right and the other wrong is the most common reason a service fails.
STEP 4 • CHOOSE YOUR BIAB™
Strength, structure, confidence.
BIAB™ reinforces the natural nail while delivering a flawless finish. Start with a small edit of neutrals and a clear, they'll cover most of your clients in the first few months.
STEP 5 • CHOOSE YOUR SHADES
Build a colour wardrobe, not a collection.
Over 500 shades across a range of formulas. Starting out, you don't need range; you need coverage: a red, a true nude, a soft pink, a black, and two or three that feel like you. Looking for more? Try out a Set List, 10 curated shades, made for your kit.
STEP 6 • FINISH AND PROTECT
The end of an appointment clients remember.
Top coats, brushes and cuticle care. The finish is what your client photographs, and what they judge the whole service on.
OPTIONAL • UPGRADE YOUR SERVICE
Charge more for the same appointment.
Adding TGB SPA™ to a manicure or BIAB™ service turns a treatment into an experience — exfoliation, mask, massage, finish. Most salons add £5–£15 for a deluxe upgrade.
What should a first kit cost?
A full professional set-up is an investment, and how you pay for it is up to you. Our prices are created for every day value. Klarna is available at checkout if you'd rather spread the cost. And our starter setups and set lists are priced below buying the same products separately.
Kit is half of it. The other half is training: TGB Academy runs ABT and Guild-accredited courses in BIAB™ application, overlays, infills and troubleshooting, online and in person.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what services you're planning to offer and our team will tell you what to buy. No hard sell, we'd rather you bought the right thing once.
FAQ
A professional nail technician’s starter kit should include core tools to work safely, efficiently and to a high standard. Begin with prep essentials (files, buffers, cuticle tools, lint free wipes, acetone, sanitisation products), a professional gel lamp, base coats, BIAB™, a curated edit of gel colours, and top coats. Add finishing tools like brushes and cuticle care, plus TGB SPA™ essentials if you want to offer premium add on services.
Choose Rubber Base if you’re working on natural nails that need flexible support — it self levels beautifully and helps reinforce weaker nail types.
Use Creator Base when you want structure but want to be able to peel off the product after use. Created for nail technicians to create social content that’s easily changeable with the option to offer clients a temporary painted nail perfect for a special event without having to file off.
Start with TGB Academy courses covering BIAB™ basics, overlays, infills and troubleshooting. Otherwise begin with a solid understanding of nail prep, then follow the official TGB BIAB™ application steps to ensure long lasting results. Use TGB Light The Way Lamp or the Illuminate Lamp for correct curing and begin with a small selection of popular BIAB™ shades.
The TGB Light The Way Lamp and Illuminate Lamp are engineered specifically to cure TGB formulas with consistent, even output. Using the correct lamp minimises heat spikes, prevents under curing and ensures BIAB™, gel colour and top coats perform exactly as intended. For the best results, avoid mixing brands.
Restock your disposables and consumables every 2–4 weeks, depending on service volume. Files and buffers should be replaced once worn or after each client if you’re operating single use hygiene protocols. Keep backups of remover, acetone, wipes and prep products so you never run low during peak times.
Incorporate TGB SPA™ products — such as Clean Care™, Therapy Mask™, H2O Cream™ and Better Balm™ — into your manicure or BIAB™ appointments to elevate the experience. A deluxe upgrade can include a hand exfoliation, mask, massage and nourishing finish. Most salons add £5–£15 depending on treatment length and local pricing. Package it as a premium, relaxing add on to increase revenue and client satisfaction.