Perfect Nail Painting
Top Tips on how to perfect your nail painting at home...
It is a difficult time for one and all at the moment. All of our usual rituals have gone out of the window and for those of us wo are used to being well maintained on the hair and beauty front there are a few things we could do ourselves at home to make us feel more like ourselves again. Nail painting for yourself…. It is very difficult to achieve that salon finish for your self but here are the answers to some FAQ’s to help you get the best nail painting result. Read on for some Nail painting hacks
1. Why does my nail polish chip after 2 days?
There are a few reasons why your polish is chipping so quickly. It could be down to grease on the surface of the nails before carrying out your nail painting. Nail polish adheres best to a dehydrated surface so if you have recently applied hand cream or cuticle oil to your nails then you need to degrease the nail surface before you paint.
The other things to consider is that nail polish forms a rigid shell on the surface of the nail once dry so if you constantly flex and bend your nails eventually it will chips. This is most likely to happen when your natural nails are soft i.e. after having your hands in water so try and wear gloves.
2. How do you paint your nails perfectly?
Preparation is key when Nail painting. Start by soaking the fingers in warm water to soften the skin around the nail. When soft, use a hoof stick or the back edge of a set of tweezers to push back the cuticle and gently remove any dead skin form the surface of the nail. Prime the nails by ‘squeaking’ them. By this I mean put some Nail Polish remover on some lint free pads or kitchen roll and wipe the nail surface to remove any trace of moisture or natural oils.
If you have a base coat or ridgefiller then apply this first. Once dry usually about 5 minutes later you can apply your chosen colour. To get a smooth finish when nail painting you need to work swiftly, keep the polish on the underside of the brush so it doesn’t flood colour all over your fingers. Start in the centre of the nail and push the colour up to the cuticle and stroke downwards. Then repeat on the left and right taking care not to get it on the skin.
Usually apply 2 coats of colour and then if you have it, a Top Coat allowing at least 5 minutes drying time between each coat of polish.
3. How often should you paint your nails?
If prepare your nails properly and let the polish dry well in between layers it should last between 1-2 weeks. It obviously depends on your lifestyle to some extent and will definitely last better if you protect them with gloves when washing up.
4. How long does it take to paint your nails?
If you are not used to doing it I would allow and hour for nail painting , preparing and drying time. There is nothing more stressful than trying to do a tricky job like that quickly and then smudging them immediately because you haven’t let them set.
5. How many coats of polish is too much?
You can apply too much polish. It really depends on the quality and density of the polish you are using. A qood quality product will have plenty of pigment so 2 coats of colour should be plenty. Some people like to use a base coat and top coat so 4 layers in total. Less is more when nail painting in my opinion. If you apply too much to your nails it will never set hard. Also the more drying time you can leave between layers the better.
Good luck with your Nail Painting attempts. Counting down until we can all go back to having professional treatments…..