I am very much a DIY girl, even when it comes to my beauty routines. One thing I make sure to take the time to do myself is my nails.
Are they as perfect as a full set from the salon? Probably not, but doing them myself saves money and a headache of having to schedule nail appointments at a salon every other week. Keep reading if you want to learn my technique, tips, and the products I use.
Products Needed...
- Full Cover Artificial Nails
- Nail Glue
- Buffer Block
- Coarse Nail File
- Cuticle Pusher
- Cuticle Clipper
- Nail Clipper
- Cotton Balls (not pictured)
- Rubbing Alcohol (not pictured)
- Nail Polish
- Top Coat
Links for the products I use or a comparable product linked below.
Step One: Prep Nails
First you are going to want to prep your nails. Push back your cuticles and clip them and then you will clip and file the free edge fairly short. Roughing up the bed of your nail using the nail file is a key step to helping the nails last and helping the glue adhere. Lastly, apply a little rubbing alcohol to your nails using a cotton ball to really dry them out. Again, this will help the nails last longer.
Your nails should look like this when you are done prepping them...
Step Two: Application
Next you are going to apply the artificial nails. The nails come in individual bags organized by their size. Match them to your nails before you apply them with glue and line them up so that you don't get them mixed up. To apply the nails you are going to put a drop or two of glue on your prepped nail, take the artificial nail and firmly press it down. The goal is to get them on straight with no air bubbles. This takes practice! Don't get discouraged if you don't get them just right on your first try!
Once all of the artificial nails are applied they should look like this...
Step Three: Trim, File, Shape, and Buff
Here is where you can get creative. There are many shapes and lengths you can do so trim them and file them to your liking. Square, Oval, Almond, Coffin, Stiletto...I've done them all but a mid length square set is my go to. I also like to buff the sheen off the nails. This is purely a preference of mine.
Step Four: Polish and Top Coat
I'm sure you all know how to polish your nails haha but I do two coats of polish and one generous layer of top coat.
Your nails always look so nice
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