Tip: Glue On Nails

I used to love getting acrylic nails. I always would wait for special occasions like Prom because its so expensive. Not to mention that acrylics completely destroy your real nails. However, now that I am out of college those occasions don’t come up and I have other things to spend money on besides getting acrylics… So I started using glue ons! If you get a good brand they can look very nice and natural. So here are some tips for making them look the best and last the longest.

TIPS

1.  Pick a nail brand that looks like it will mimic your nail bed shape. Really concentrate on the space of your nail (excluding the white tip) and compare it to the clear part of the fake nails. My nails beds are pretty long so I usually like elegantTouch or Kiss everlasting French.

Good Brand for Glue On nails



Brand I used for this post

 

2.  Size all 10 nails and lay them down a steady surface in the order of your nails.

3.  Cut all your nails as short as you can. This way you wont be able to see your real nail on the other side of the fake nail.

4.  Use a wooden cuticle stick to push down your cuticles as much as you can. Most glue on nail kits come with a cuticle stick, but if not you can get them at Target/Walgreens/etc.

5.  The most important thing to do to make fake nails stay on the longest is to use LOTS of glue. The below picture is how much I usually apply, a very thick line of glue, straight down the middle. In the pic on the right, you can see that applying glue this thick usually causes it to bubble out. So quickly swipe a paper towel straight down so the access glue goes on your finger and not the nail (it’s easy to peel of the skin and doesn’t come off the nail)

6.  After quickly swiping away access glue, hold down firmly in the center of the nail for 10 seconds. This avoids any bubbles forming under the nail in the glue.

7. After all the nails have been on for at least a minute, you can file them to get the shape and length you want. I have an iPhone that makes it impossible to text on with long nails so I usually use a clippers to cut down the thumb nails a little.

So there you go! Simple, cute, and usually lasts for about 2 weeks. Try not to pry them off to much before they're time if you can because that can tend to ruin your nail with all that glue you used!



Tip: The French Tip

For my first “Tip” post I thought it would be fitting to write about everyone’s favorite nail tip- the French of course!

My secret is the Sally Hansen French Manicure pen. SIDENOTE: I feel like I have been writing a lot about SH, but they really do have so many great nail accessories ;). This pen can be great if you know how to use it!

The first tip for these perfect tips: make sure the pen is very saturated. This is important because you don’t want to have to do a second coat- that can get super messy and ruin your first coat (cue enormous frustration). To make sure the pen is saturated, press the pen down firmly on a paper towel for about 2-3 seconds. If it looks too saturated (polish is dripping off the tip) then just lightly dab (don’t wipe) the pen tip on a paper towel.

Second French tip tip: start at the corners of the nail and work towards the middle. When I do this I don’t worry about getting some polish on my skin. It comes off pretty easily and it is only on the top. My main concern is always getting a straight line that looks the closest to what my real nail underneath looks like. I usually don’t like filling in more white polish than the white of the nail. However, if I have one stubborn nail that is a little shorter, I tend to go a little lower with the polish so it looks even with the others.

Third tip: Use a nail care stick to fix your mistakes. First, the pointed end can be used for straightening your French lines like in the pic to the left. I usually do this step immediately after each nail. If you wait to long, the polish dries and then smudges or drags the polish when you try to fix your mistake. Secondly, the beveled/angled end of the stick is perfect for getting smudges on your skin, like the pic below. I usually do this after I complete one hand. If the polish is dry you can always use a Q-tip dipped in polish remover.

Finally I usually finish my French tip with a light pink. Only with one coat though because I don’t what the color to interfere with the bright white French tip. Here I used Step Right Up! by OPI. This pink actually looks less pink and more like natural nail.

Yay for less frustrating French Tips!!!