Everyone loves the look of a polished, well-groomed nail, but salons are expensive and achieving the look at home can be tricky! Here I've broken down the method I use to keep my nails nice, along with any tips I could think of!
A word on natural nails: they are so hot!! The most chic nail look right now, IMO, is a short, rounded nail in a deep vampy color. Talons are not hot. Neither is not being able to open jars, get your keys out of your purse, or remove your contacts without help. For those who feel their nails are brittle, break easily, or are slow to grow, Sally Hansen makes a variety of strenthening and enhancing products. The line is carried everywhere from CVS to Stop and Shop Pharmacy.
I've tried a variety of nail lenths and shapes... experiment to find what you like, what suits your nails, and what is "trendy" at the moment.
[IMG]
[/IMG]Long square nails
[IMG]
[/IMG]Long oval nails
Ok, let's do your nails!!
Here's some of the tools you might want to invest in:
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Dual ended metal tool, buffer, cuticle nipper, corrector, hand lotion, cuticle oil, nail brush.
You will also need a polish remover and wipes or cotton balls, and I reccomend QTips!
[IMG]
[/IMG]Some of my nps!
I use mostly OPI, but there are tons of good brands. I also like Essie, Creative Nail, China Glaze, Sally Hansen, and Revlon. Lately I'm attracted to Mac's funky colors. Top coat and basecoat (or a 2 in 1) are a must.
Remove any old polish carefully. Be sure to get around your cuticles well. A messy cuticle is a dead give-away that you did your nails at home!
If your nails are stained, dirty, or you just want to pamper yourself, soak them in a dish of warm soapy water. A nail brush will help cleanse them. If you are badly stained from a love affair with dark, vampy colors (ahem- no one I know!), there is a product available from Sally's Beauty Supply Store that is like AlkaSeltzer. You put the tablets in a cup of water, let them fizz up, and soak your nails. It whitens them right up.
Dry your hands, apply hand lotion (I looooove OPI's AvoJuice and all their lotions. A drop of cuticle oil on each nail bed will soften the area and prepare it for cuticle grooming.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Push back your cuticle. I reccomend the rubbery, flat-ended cuticle tools because they are gentler on your nail bed. If all you have is a metal one handy, wrap it in cotton or a facial towlette to protect your cuticle.
VERY GENTLY push back your cuticle. Don't force anything or break your cuticle. You WILL bleed and it WILL sting.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
If your cuticles are a little overgrown and out of shape, then you will have a lot to push back. If you pushed back so much that you now have a raised ridge or overgrown cuticle around each nailbed, you may want to trim them. Use ONLY a cutcle nipper and do not try to cut your cuticle right down to the flesh. Again, you will bleed and this is a way to open yourself up to infection. If you continue to use cuticle oil and push them back every week, before long you will have neatly groomed cuticles and will rarely have to worry about them again. I cannot remember the last time I've had anything to really push back or nip.
File your nails to the shape you want. Do not use an emory board or one of those d/s disposable boards. The best thing is a crystal or glass file. They will not split your nails and you will see a huge difference in the the strength of your tips.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Start by filing the sides of the nails first to find the shape. I file them from the direction of the nail bed to the direction of the tip, pulling the file towards the tip in short, even strokes. Go in one direction, not back in forth. Back and forth will split the nail and premote breakage.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
File the top. Go from the center of the nail towards one side of the nail, in one direction, for several strokes. Then go from the center to the other side. No back and forth! If you're going to round your nails out, follow the natural shape of your fingertips. If you're squaring them off, it's easier, but round your corners out slightly. Glass files will make a corner on a nail very sharp and you will scratch everyone like a cougar.
Buff your nail up a little with a soft buffer and then swipe each nail with np remover again. This is going to help your polish stick to your nails and last longer.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Use a base coat. Pictured are a Sally Hansen base designed to enhance growth, and an OPI 2-in-1 base and top coat. I also like Creative Nail Super Sticky base.
Let it dry and choose a polish.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
When applying your color, don't start right at the cuticle. Place the tip of the brush just inside the cuticle and "push" the color towards it. It keeps it neater and smoother. Paint a stripe down the center first and then fill in each side. Go only in one direction, from the cuticle to the tip, in one smooth stroke. Make your first coat very thin.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Even with a great polish, I prefer at least 2 thin coats. Some sheer polishes will need more, but two coats of color will help polish last longer, provided you are making them thin and letting them dry in between. One thick, wet, goopy coat is an invitation to chips and peeling.
When the color is dry, apply a top coat. OPI, Seche Rapid Dry, and Poshe are
cult favorites. Revlon Colorstay is also great.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Went out of the lines? That's ok, that's what corrector pens are for! Again I love OPI and Sally Hansen makes a good one. Qtips soaked in polish remover work just as well!
[IMG]
[/IMG]
TaDa!
Don't try to touch your polish, do your hair, roll a home-grown cigarette, or anything else crazy until your completely dry. In fact, if anyone comes near you, throw your hands in the air and make them back slowly away from you. Why ruin that beautiful manicure?
[IMG]
[/IMG]
French in Goldie "Cheap"
[IMG]
[/IMG]
OPI's "I'm Not Really A Waitress"
[IMG]
[/IMG]
OPI's "Kinky in Helsinki" layered over "Lincoln Park After Dark"
Home
About Us
Contact Us
MAC's Origin
Tutorial Contest Winners
