So, I recently stopped paying strangers to do my nails and started buying the supplies needed to do my own. Surprisingly, I have gotten all the things I need for about the price of one or two trips to the nail salon.
The Basics: Although I am linking to Amazon, most of my stuff was purchased at Walgreens!
- Nail clipper – I like the kind with the fold out file thingy to get stuff out from under my nail.
- Nail Files
- Nail Buffer
- Cuticle pusher – Lots of options, but I like the one with one flatter pushing edge and one smaller hooked digging edge
- Cuticle clipper – Again, lots of kinds, but I like the kind that look like little scissors.
The décor
- Nail Polish – Any kind you want, but I like the cheap stuff in TONS of colors.
- Brushes – These are my favorites!
- Extra stuff?? You can get all sorts of stickers, jewels, stencils… but I usually mess those up.
My process:
- I always start by clipping and filing my nails to the length and shape I want. Recently I started going square shape to just past the tip of my finger pad. The most important part of this step is to make sure after you file that you dig out anything from under your nail. I always get filed off nail under there, and it messes things up later.
- After that, I wash my hands and then soak my cuticles for a minute in warm water. I do one hand at a time of pushing the cuticle back and then trimming it. Careful to get close but not cutting back too far!
- Next I prep my nails by buffing them out and then washing my hands again.
- Time to paint! This is the creative part that really gets me. Here are a few of my favorites:
Princess French
One coat of a sparkly pink base, then the top third gets chunky glitter, and finally a tip using one of my small brushes of silver glitter. I used the Kiss kit to get the glitter in this one, but any silver glitter with your small brushes should work.
Winter Wonderland
Simple red polish with some silver snowflakes. Painting your big toe is harder than it looks. You can’t get a good angle on it, but with a little work, you can do it!
Pink and blue patterns
One of my earlier works, I tried to do some décor with only a dotting tool. I highly suggest brushes, but the dotting tool can work.
101 Dalmations
Clear base coat, and white and black dots. Simple, but cute!
80s Pink Geometry
Pink base, white skinny lines over it. Love!
Rainbows!
The hardest part is finding colors that look good together- and then narrowing down to only 5.
And finally, ADVENTURE TIME! Nails
These took quite some time and a little help. I painted the base colors on each finger and then my WONDERFUL husband helped me to paint the faces and other fine details.
Now it’s your turn! What will you think up?
