Top Ten Tips - Painting Your Nails
By Tip Diva | Apr 08, 2008
Categories: Beauty, Budget, Cheap, Cosmetics, Creativity, Home, Makeup, Savings, Tips, Women
Do you like painted nails, but the cost of a professional manicure is enough to leave them bare? You can re-create a professional manicure at home, and here’s how:
- Take Off Old Nail Polish - Use non-acetone remover if you can, but acetone remover usually works to get tougher colors off. Make sure to remove all traces, and get into the cuticle area with a Q-Tip.
- Soak Your Hands In Warm, Soapy Water - This will soften your hands and wash off any polish remover you got on your hands.
- Rub Cuticle Oil Or Cream Into Hands - This will help smooth your hands and cuticles.
- File Nails And Push Cuticles Back With Orange Stick - File nails in one direction, or you risk peeling or breaking nails later on. Put a cotton ball at the end of an orange stick and gently push your cuticles back. Make sure not to split or cut them, as you may get an infection.
- Paint On A Base Coat - Sometimes the base coat is built right into the polish, but you may not want to skip a clear base coat if you’re wearing a dark color. It will help prevent yellowing or staining of the nails from the color.
- Wait In Between Coats - Don’t immediately paint over the base coat. Wait at least 10 minutes for it to dry before continuing, or you may wind up with chipped or smudged nails.
- Paint On Your Color - Gently roll the bottle in between your hands to get rid of any air bubbles, then wipe the brush along the side as you pull it out to remove dripping, excess polish. Start with a stroke down the middle, then paint the sides. Good polish should only take you three or four strokes. If you have trouble painting it on smoothly, it may be time to toss the bottle. One or two coats should do the trick, depending on the color and type of polish.
- Paint On A Top Coat - A top coat will help set the polish and prevent chips. Sometimes, a top coat is built in to the color already, but a coat of clear polish doesn’t hurt.
- Make Sure Nails Dry Thoroughly - Patience is a virtue here, so don’t paint your nails if you’re going to be doing heavy work or going to bed soon after. You’ll want to wait at least 10 minutes between coats, and even then, it’s a good idea to run your hands under cold water or use a hardening spray.
- Touch Up With Top Coat Every Few Days - Every two or three days, paint on an additional coat of top coat to prevent chips.
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