“BIAB… let’s talk about it.”

The term “BIAB”… That we’re not really allowed to say it. That it’s wrong. That it’s a brand name. And that we should instead say: “a structured manicure with builder gel.”

It all sounds very correct. Yet it feels a bit like a discussion beside the point. Because yes, technically it’s true. BIAB stands for Builder In A Bottle and is linked to a brand. But we’re a few years further now.

And today’s reality is simple:

The market uses “BIAB” as a general term. Just like we used to call everything “shellac.” Or how clients still refer to “gel nails,” regardless of what is actually used. And that’s not where the issue lies for me.

Where it does become a problem… is when we act as if the issue is the word itself. As if changing the terminology will suddenly make us better at our job. But that’s not how it works. What I’ve seen in practice for years? The problem is rarely terminology. The problem is knowledge. Because “builder in a bottle” is not a uniform category. It’s not a fixed system. It’s not a guarantee.

One is flexible. Another is hard. One can build structure. Another absolutely cannot. And yet… they’re often used in exactly the same way. So no, the real problem is not that someone says “BIAB.”

The real problem is that there’s too little understanding of what’s actually inside that bottle.

You can call it a “structured manicure with builder gel”… and still work technically wrong.
And you can say “BIAB”… and know exactly what you’re doing.

That’s the core for me.

Not in what we say. But in what we understand.

As a sector, maybe it’s time we take an honest look at that. Less discussion about words. More investment in knowledge. Because at the end of the day, the client doesn’t care what you call it. They only feel one thing: does it last… or not?

XoXo,
Sofie Devlieger