I start with my thumbnail and work my way to my pinky nail. For each nail,
I do one stroke down the center, starting from the base of the nail, and then I pull the color toward the edges and gently wrap around the free edge.
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If I apply nail polish, it is often to my toenails, which can be less forgiving. If I apply polish to my fingernails, I use a clear or very light polish. I start with the thumb and work my way to the pinky, applying polish in the middle of the nail, fanning out the brush and carrying that polish to the edges of the nail working from the base of the nail to the top, adding additional polish as needed. I use 2 coats to ensure opaque coverage.
I start in the centrr and then do one stroke left and one right. And then I clean up the mess I made on my cuticles.
This is the one thing I never have been able to master. I get my nails done professionally every other week.
Meant to ask this in the how do you do your eyeshadow post *face palm… leaves to make coffee*. – Laurissa
I start from my pinky and work inward, leaving the two thumbs for the very end. I started doing this technique a few years ago when I read about someone using their thumb as a clean-up tool midway through the painting process. It works very well for me.
Same! Thumbs are always last.
Same here as well.
My tip for anyone who can’t stay ‘in the lines’ is to let it dry, overnight if you do them in the evening, put on some lotion before bed and the polish will lift off the skin in a snap when you shower in the morning. Same with toes. It’s an easy cheat for any misses!
With each layer of polish, including base coat, I paint the very tips of my nails first, with barely any product on the brush, then paint the nail as normal. A thin base coat, thin 2 coats of color and thin top coat. It’s painting the tips with each layer that seals them where the chipping starts and it keeps my polish looking nice for 5-7 days. I clean up any mess on the skin around my nails with polish remover on a q-tip.
I apply a base coat, two coats of a sheer or light polish, and a top coat, letting each coat of polish dry before applying the next. I work from pinky to thumb, one stroke in the middle and a stroke on either side. I use an orange wood stick with some cotton dipped in remover to remove mess.
I start with my forefinger and do my thumb last. I have larger hands and nail beds, (hate that since I’m only 5’2″ and weigh 105 lb) so the one stroke down the center followed by a stroke dowm either side doesn’t cover my entire fingernail. I start at the base of my nail anp pull the color up, but I do the underneath portion of my nail tip on the second coat only. For some reason, I have less chipping on the tips doing it that way. Since I have to take more strokes to cover my nail, I have to be extremely careful how I load my brush, as sometimes my nail polish can have a streaky appearance.
After removing the old polish, I file or trim my nails, push back/ trim cuticles, and use a medium grit file to gently rough up the surface of my nails, as that really helps prevent major chipping or wear! Then I apply a coat of European Secrets Rock Hard nail strengthener, wait awhile to let it cure, then a coat of Nail-Aid 3 Minute Artificials. As for the color polish? Same as Christine mentions above. Usually 2 coats, plus a top coat of 3 Minute Artificials. Done!
I have a salon polish my nails – I make a huge mess whenever I try to do it.
Yep, that’s me too.
It can depend on the formula itself but when using Essie Gel (all I’ve been wearing for the past few months). I wipe one side of the brush off and tap the other side as I’m removing the brush from the bottle neck. Starting with my left pinky I set the brush about 2/3rds of the way down the center of my nail then push it so the polish lines up perfectly with my cuticle with out getting any on the cuticle. Then I draw the brush back up the center. Both sides are done the same way then I swipe the brush around the top edge of the nail. Usually I will do one hand completely and let it dry for 10 minutes or so before doing the other, if I don’t I am guaranteed to smudge the polish on the hand holding the brush. I almost always do two coats plus top coat and it will last 10days to two weeks.
If I don’t wear nail polish my nails will inevitably split or break, so I tend to wear nail polish a lot.
For my toes I go to a salon, it doesn’t cost much and the calf exfoliation and massage just feels wonderful! (Not to mention the vibrating massage chairs…)
I start with a thinner coat, applying from the bottom of the nail to the top. I paint the center, then the two sides. I make sure the edges are painted. I go from pinky to index finger, then my thumb. Then I do the same to my second hand. After that, I repeat with a second, thicker coat in the same manner.
Usually I have a manicurist paint my nails, TBH. The last six months I’ve been getting NexGen nails, which have the color in the gel product itself, so I haven’t even had to do that.
Left to right. Start with left pinky, and paint over to my right pinky, Top coat – let dry; Three strokes for each nail: center and then each side. First coat a swipe goes across the underside of the tips. Let dry 3-5 minutes. Second coat goes on the same except for the nail-tip swipe immediately followed by a coat of Seche Vite. Most manis take about 30 minutes and I’m done.
Not very well – my right hand is good, but my left hand is not……I always seem to smudge it.
I usually do it the way that Christine does. I use the Clinique base and top coat and that is a good product. But after a day or so, my nail polish begins to chip no matter how many coats I apply.