"Acrylics" is used for any fake nails, but there are two families: gel sets (tips, Gel-X, sculpted forms, polygel), cured under a lamp, and acrylic sets (powder + liquid), which harden in the air. At You Rêve Paris (7 rue d'Argenteuil, Paris 1st, three minutes from the Louvre), every new set is gel: tips €65, Gel-X €75, sculpted forms €85, express manicure and OPI gel polish included, lasting 3 to 4 weeks. We also do infills on acrylic nails done elsewhere (€60). Book online.
1. "Acrylic", "gel", "résine": words that don't mean the same thing
In the UK, the US and Australia, "acrylics" has become the everyday word for any set of fake nails — much as "Shellac" became the word for gel polish, and as younger clients now say Gel-X for everything. In France, the equivalent shortcut is « ongles en résine ». Strictly speaking, acrylic (résine) is one specific material: a polymer powder mixed with a liquid (the monomer) into a paste that is sculpted and hardens in the air, with no lamp. Gel, on the other hand, comes ready to use in a pot or a bottle, is worked with a brush and only hardens under a UV/LED lamp.
So two questions are enough to classify every technique: what the material is (gel or acrylic), and how the length is created (a pre-shaped tip that is bonded on, or an extension hand-sculpted on a form).
🔎 So if you are searching for "acrylic nails Paris": what you are most likely after is simply a set of nail extensions. With us it is done in gel — and if you already wear acrylics applied at home, we can do the infill.
2. Every fake nail technique, in one table
| Technique | What it is | At You Rêve |
|---|---|---|
| Tips (capsules) | A tip bonded to the end of the nail, covered with gel — cured under a lamp | ✅ €65 |
| Gel-X, soft gel tips | A soft gel tip covering the whole nail — cured under a lamp | ✅ €75 |
| Sculpted forms (chablons) | Builder gel hand-sculpted on a form — cured under a lamp | ✅ €85 |
| Polygel, acrygel | Hybrid gel (gel + acrylic powder), sculpted — cured under a lamp | Infill €60 |
| Acrylic (résine) | Powder + liquid, sculpted on the nail or a tip — hardens in the air | Infill €60 |
| Dip powder, SNS | Sticky base + powder, usually no length — hardens in the air | No — see BIAB overlay |
| Press-ons, stick-on nails | Ready-made whole nails, glued on at home | No — a home product |
| BIAB overlay | Builder gel on the natural nail, no length — cured under a lamp | ✅ from €60 |
The last row is not a fake nail, but people often ask for it instead: if your nails are already long enough and keep breaking, a gel overlay is enough.
3. The three techniques we apply at the salon
Every set includes an express manicure (or a Spa one, your choice) and OPI gel polish over the extension. The difference between the three is how the length is created.
Tips: the classic extension
A pre-shaped tip is bonded to the end of the natural nail, blended in with a file, then covered with gel to strengthen and shape it. It is the fastest way to gain length and the most affordable: ideal on very short nails or for a first set. Wear time: 3 to 4 weeks. Price: €65 (75 min).
Gel-X: the gentlest on the natural nail
Here the tip is made of soft gel and covers the whole nail, already in the right shape. It is bonded with a gel cured under the lamp, with no aggressive filing of the natural nail's surface. The result: a light, flexible, very natural extension, and an easier removal than with classic tips.
Like Shellac for gel polish, Gel-X started as a brand name: that of a system launched by the American brand Aprés, which became the everyday name of the technique — in France it is also called capsules américaines or soft gel. On our booking page it is listed as "Gel-X Extensions". For: weakened nails, a first "gentle" set, natural-looking length. Wear time: 3 to 4 weeks. Price: €75 (75 min), €70 at the softer rate. If you are torn between an extension and plain gel polish, our Shellac guide explains the difference.
Sculpted forms: gel built to measure
No pre-made nail: an adhesive form is slipped under the free edge, the extension is hand-sculpted in builder gel, then the form is removed. Shape, length and curve are set to the millimetre. It is the most customisable technique — and the gel answer to a sculpted acrylic set. For: serious length, precise shapes (long almond, stiletto, coffin). Wear time: 3 to 4 weeks. Price: €85 (90 min), €75 at the softer rate — listed as "Sculpted-form gel extensions".
| Criterion | Tips | Gel-X | Sculpted forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very short or bitten nails | Ideal | Ideal | Possible |
| Weakened nails | Good | Gentlest | Good |
| Serious length | Possible | Limited | Best suited |
| Natural look | Neat | Very natural | Most refined |
| Wear time | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Price (manicure + gel polish incl.) | €65 | €75 | €85 |
With a Spa manicure instead of the express one (scrub, hydrating mask, cuticle care), allow €75 for tips, €85 for Gel-X and €95 for sculpted forms. Every nail art option (French, chrome, baby boomer…) works on all three. The full detail is on our extensions & overlay page.
4. Acrylic, polygel, dip, press-ons: what we don't apply, and what we offer instead
Acrylic
The historic fake nail technique: a powder and a liquid mixed on the brush, sculpted on the nail or over a tip, which hardens in the air. The material is very rigid and very strong, with a noticeable smell while it is applied. We don't apply new acrylic sets: all our extensions are gel, more flexible and cured under the lamp. However, if you are wearing acrylics done elsewhere, we do the infill: €60 (60 min), express manicure and gel polish included.
Polygel (or acrygel)
A hybrid gel, halfway between gel and acrylic: a thick paste in a tube, shaped with a slip solution and cured under the lamp. It is a gel: if you wear it, the infill is booked like a regular infill (€60). For a new set, we will suggest sculpted forms, which give the same freedom of shape.
Dip powder (SNS)
The nail is coated with a sticky base, dipped into coloured powder and set with an activator, with no lamp. It mainly strengthens the natural nail without adding length. We don't offer it: the salon equivalent is the BIAB overlay, with the colour built into the gel (€60) or under OPI gel polish (€70). Our BIAB vs builder gel comparison covers the technique.
Press-ons, or stick-on nails
Whole nails, already shaped and polished, sold as a kit and glued on at home with nail glue or adhesive tabs. Handy for one evening, they last from a few days to one or two weeks. It is not a salon treatment: if you like the look, tips (€65) or Gel-X (€75) give the same result for three to four weeks. And if a stick-on nail has broken your natural one, we can repair it (€10).
5. The same nails in every language
Our clients come from all over the world, and every country has its own words — sometimes a brand name, sometimes a term that means something else elsewhere. The glossary we hear at the salon:
| What you say | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic nails, acrylics | UK, Ireland, US, Australia | ⚠️ Often generic; strictly speaking, powder + liquid acrylic |
| Nail extensions, fake nails, false nails | English (generic) | Any extension — with us, always gel |
| Gel-X, soft gel tips | Everywhere | Full-cover soft gel tips — our "Gel-X Extensions" |
| Tips, sculpted gel | English | Tips / sculpted forms |
| Faux ongles, ongles en résine | France, Belgium, French-speaking Switzerland | Generic: any extension, usually gel |
| Capsules américaines, chablons | France | Gel-X / sculpted forms |
| Nagelmodellage, Gelnägel, Acrylnägel | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Gel or acrylic sculpting |
| Ricostruzione unghie | Italy | Extensions, gel or acrylic |
| Uñas acrílicas, uñas esculpidas, uñas de gel | Spain, Latin America | Acrylic / sculpted / gel — often used interchangeably |
| Наращивание ногтей | Russia, Ukraine, Baltic states | "Nail building", gel or acrylic |
| 延长甲, 光疗甲, 水晶甲, 穿戴甲 | China, Taiwan, Singapore | Extension / gel / acrylic / press-on |
| スカルプ, ジェルネイル | Japan | Sculpted nail (acrylic or gel) / gel |
The whole You Rêve team speaks French, English and 中文: whatever word you use, show us a photo of what you want and we will tell you which technique gets you there.
6. Aftercare, infills and removal
- Infill (€60, 60 min): every three to four weeks, as soon as regrowth shows at the base. It fills the regrowth and redoes the colour — don't wait for the extension to lift on its own.
- Removal (€20): always at the salon, with gentle filing and a controlled soak. Never pull off a fake nail: it is the pulling, not the gel, that strips layers from the natural nail.
- Day to day: gloves for washing up and cleaning, a drop of cuticle oil, and your nails are not tools. A break? A single nail repair costs €10.
- A break now and then: a full removal and a fresh set every two to three months keep the natural nail healthy.
7. Visiting Paris? What to know
- Where: 7 rue d'Argenteuil, Paris 1st — three minutes from the Louvre and the Tuileries, metro Tuileries (line 1) or Pyramides (lines 7 and 14).
- When: open 7 days a week, 10am to 8pm, Sundays included.
- How:online booking in English, French or Chinese, instant confirmation. An extension set takes 75 min to 105 min, so booking is the easiest way. Walk-ins are welcome, subject to same-day availability — calling ahead is the safest.
- Language: the whole team speaks French, English and 中文. Say "acrylics", "Gel-X", "résine" or "延长甲": we will understand.
Book your nail extensions
Tips €65 · Gel-X €75 · sculpted forms €85, manicure and OPI gel polish included, lasting 3 to 4 weeks. Paris 1st, three minutes from the Louvre, 7 days a week.
Book onlineFrequently asked questions
All our new sets are gel: tips (€65), Gel-X (€75) and sculpted-form gel extensions (€85), each with an express manicure and OPI gel polish included. We don't apply new acrylic sets (powder and liquid), but we do infills on acrylic nails done elsewhere: €60, express manicure and gel polish included.
Pre-shaped soft gel tips that cover the whole nail and are bonded with a gel cured under the lamp, with no aggressive filing of the surface. Gel-X started as the name of a system by the American brand Aprés and became the everyday name of the technique; in France it is also called « capsules américaines » or soft gel. At You Rêve Paris the treatment is listed as « Gel-X Extensions »: €75 (75 min), express manicure and OPI gel polish included.
They are two different materials. Acrylic is a powder mixed with a liquid that hardens in the air: very rigid and very strong, with a noticeable smell while it is applied. Gel-X is a soft gel tip bonded under the lamp: lighter, more flexible and gentler on the natural nail, and simpler to remove. At You Rêve we work only with gel for new sets; if you want serious length or a very precise shape, sculpted-form gel extensions are the gel equivalent of a sculpted acrylic set.
With an express manicure and OPI gel polish: tips €65, Gel-X €75, sculpted forms €85. With a Spa manicure: €75, €85 and €95. An infill is €60 and an extension removal €20. A softer rate applies automatically on quieter weekday slots: Gel-X €70, sculpted forms €75, infill €55.
Three to four weeks for tips, Gel-X and sculpted forms alike. An infill (€60) is recommended around the third week, when the regrowth starts to show. Press-on nails bought as a kit last from a few days to one or two weeks, depending on the glue.
No, as long as they are applied and removed by a professional. What damages the nail is pulling extensions off: never remove them yourself. At the salon, removal (€20) is done with gentle filing and a controlled soak; a full removal and a fresh set every two to three months keep the natural nail healthy.
Yes. An infill (€60, 60 min) can be done on nails applied elsewhere, whether they are gel, polygel or acrylic. For gel extensions, removal costs €20 and can be followed by a new set on the same day: it then drops to €10 when the new set is in the same booking.