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Killercat
02-12-2008, 9:59 PM
Hey girls - you want salon finish nails but don't want to pay £15 for the privilege. You can have beautiful nails at home just follow these tips;


File your nails to a neat shape making sure there is no overhang or untidy skin at the skin.
Make sure they are off equal length, and dont worry if they are short - that can look good too
File dead skin off around the side of the nails (if applicable)
Apply a thin layer of moisture around the nail and cuticle area
Apply a base coat to all nails (Beauty Secret range from Sally is good)
When you apply use a decent quality nail varnish as this makes all the difference it wont be as lumpy as cheaper (teenage type) brands
Make sure the application brush doesn't have too much paint on it, use the inside of the bottle to remove excess
Once your finished the last hand with base coat, apply the first coat of colour you've chosen.
Take care to apply carefully working from the middle of the nail out to the sides. Don't worry about the polish being up to the end - stay away from the edge if you make more mess this way.
Also don't worry if you have over painted at the sides - DO NOT try and remove whilst your painting -- just continue to paint the nail and move on to the next one.
Again once you've finished both hands, apply the 2nd coat of colour
Once finished the colour, apply a top coat straight away.
Don't wait on the nails being dry before you apply the additional layers.
Once you've finished the top coat sit back and leave to dry.
DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING AND LEAVE TO DRY FOR 30 MINS!

Check your nails are dry by lightly touching them with the tip of your thumb.
Once nails are dry gently use a set of tweasers to remove any over painted areas. Take care not to jag yourself with them.
Because you've put the moisturiser on this will help to lift any paint around the skin.
Once perfected it will take approx 15 mins to paint nails and 30 mins to dry properly for salon looking nails that should last approx 5-7 days before they start to chipI hope some of you have found this useful!
Have a great festive season....

KC*

Skint_Catt
02-12-2008, 10:18 PM
Thanks KC, very useful - just wish I could get all my nails the same length (even if it is short!) :grin: Will try for Xmas though!

C xx

Killercat
03-12-2008, 11:13 PM
Glad it's been of some use ;)
Short dark nails look fab, so don't worry about the length!

It can also help you grow them because they're strengthened with the varnish.

KC*

SparkyG
04-12-2008, 7:21 PM
Apply a thin layer of moisture around the nail and cuticle area


I've always avoided doing that as I assumed the nail varnish would not 'take' unless the nails were completely grease free. Am I totally wrong?:D I've got very dry cuticles, and my nails always look pretty messy when I try to do them myself because of the dry cuticles.

Thanks very much for the tips. Very useful:T

handmaiden
04-12-2008, 7:33 PM
I've always avoided doing that as I assumed the nail varnish would not 'take' unless the nails were completely grease free. Am I totally wrong?:D I've got very dry cuticles, and my nails always look pretty messy when I try to do them myself because of the dry cuticles.

Thanks very much for the tips. Very useful:T
your nail enamel will not last if there is moisture (grease/dirt/whatever) on your nails.
nails need to be completely free of anything like this for enamel to last. also avoid touching your nails with your fingers after you have prepped them if you can as oils transfer this way. scrubfresh is a perfect way to prep nails before polishing. obviously this is a pro item only so at home I would suggest cleansing the nail completely with enamel remover then proceeding to applying your chosen colours THINLY, ;)

Killercat
04-12-2008, 10:21 PM
I've always avoided doing that as I assumed the nail varnish would not 'take' unless the nails were completely grease free. Am I totally wrong?:D I've got very dry cuticles, and my nails always look pretty messy when I try to do them myself because of the dry cuticles.

Thanks very much for the tips. Very useful:T

If you're good at applying the varnish and have moist cuticles then there's no real "need" to apply the moisture and the previous post is right, it is better nails are as clean as possible before you apply varnish. However, we are only talking a thin layer of moisture that will improve the hydration to the nail and the cuticle area, and help you get a salon finish.
I paint my nails this way once a week and i find it works for me. Why not try one time with and one time without the moisture and see what one works best for you and the base of your nail and cuticle area?
If your cuticles are particularly dry then regular moisture is crucial so continue to apply cream each day, even when nails are painted. I've found some cuticle oils can dull the varnish so I tend to use a intensive cream each day instead.

Does this help answer your question ;)

McKneff
04-12-2008, 10:56 PM
slather some vaseline on your nails overnight, works like magic on cuticles.

MissMotivation
04-12-2008, 11:07 PM
Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream is really good if you have dry cuticles......i know that its not cheap BUT i've had a tube for over a year now and it has loads of uses, I use it on

Cuticles
Lips
Areas of dry skin
Eyebrows (if you have unruly eyebrows like me, use a small amount to tame them)
Elbows
Feet
I even once used it on my lip when i had burnt it when i was eating something hot and the burn healed really fast (although Im not sure whether its recommended for burns)

A small amount goes a long way and its one of the best things i have ever bought.

MinniMe
05-12-2008, 12:06 PM
OP just wanted to say thanks - tried this last night and it was great, previously i always let each layer dry for 5/10minutes before applying the next but this has worked great!

Killercat
08-12-2008, 10:37 PM
Hey MinniMe - glad to have helped ;)

3179593
13-03-2009, 1:05 PM
hi.. just wanted to ask you if you know a goo way to apply either gel or acrylic a t home.. if it can be easy and cheap..