Community Discussions
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Name one nail hack/tip/trick that changed everything for you
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I’m not a professional, but I’ve really been trying to up my nail game. I’ve been practicing with gel nails and after a few months of practice, feel like I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. I have shaky hands so avoiding my cuticles/skin was a struggle until I tried turning my nails toward me and painting with my hand in a fist, resting the hand doing the painting against the palm of the hand being painted. For me, doing it that way was a total game changer.
What tips/tricks/hacks changed your nail game or set off a lightbulb in your head like “gee, why wasn’t I always doing this?”
Also interested in hearing how these hacks would apply to acrylic nails, builder gel, filing a nice shape, etc.
Top Comment: If I'm reshaping all my nails, I do it with a solid color manicure on. My smile lines are uneven and sometimes transparent, so they throw off the look so much. This applies to natural nails more than fake unless they're pre sculpted
Share your unpopular opinion about nail art, nail trends and other nail related things.
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What are some of the things you don't love about nail art / nails / nail salons and other things? Or maybe you like something that others usually don't?
Do not attack other people for their opinion! Be nice! And most importantly don't take it personally!
Top Comment: No idea how people afford $100+ sets with nail art or have the patience and time to sit for 3 hours! Then repeat every month.
What are your top nail art tips?
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I am compiling a sticky post of top nail art tips for the users of this sub, and would like you all to get involved!
Please comment with your top tips for nail art below!
Top Comment: ●Base coat and top coat are a must! There's lots of different ones that do different things so do a lil research on it and find the best ones for you. ●Take care of your cuticles. If you want you mani to last u have to tidy up your cuticles first. ●I find that using matt polish for nail art makes it easier sometimes cuz they smudge less after applying top coat (at least they do for me). ●Apply top coat before using nail vinyls, you have to trust me. ●Always keep a bottle of acetone and a brush close to clean up your mistakes (polish bleeding into cuticles etc). ●Always clean your brush as you go, even dotting tools, clean it after each use so your design stays sharp and clean. ●Sponges are great for gradients and getting more glitter out of your nail polish. ●Try to sketch out your idea or at least keep reference photos in front of you so you don't get lost. ●Be patient if you're working with regular nail polish, take your time and wait enough time between the coats to let them dry. It's better to wait than to do it all over again cuz u smudged it. ●If you're shaky try stabilizing your hand with your pinky finger (keep the pinky of the hand you're painting *with* on the hand you're painting *on* - if you're doing nail art eith your fingers pointing towards you, I hope this makes sense lmao) or try placing your hand on the table/knee (I do nail art in a lot of different poses so yeah). ●Work in thin coats rather than thick ones. You'll save time if you work in thin coats, thick coats dry slowly and sometimes they don't dry at all. ●I also suggest investing in gel polishes if you wanna do some extreme nail art cuz gel rly makes everything easier, it's super nice and easy to work with, just don't let it touch your skin too much. ●You can also use acrylic paint to do nail art. ●There's a bunch od tutorials on different platforms so look stuff up and take notes. ●Most important - be kind and patient with yourself. Sometimes your nail art will work out perfectly and sometimes it won't, just remember practice makes perfect so keep practicing and eventually you'll get where u want to be! And ofc always remember to have fun with your tiny masterpieces, you can do this, good luck!!
Where to start with DIY nail art?
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I’m so tired of paying salons... and mine only does basic colors, nothing fun design wise. I do have regular and gel stuff at home, but I’m curious, where did you guys start with your nail art? Tips and tricks? Prefer regular or gel or other? Talk to me!
Top Comment: My start was nail decals (stickers) with regular nail polish. It was great to practice precise placement with tweezers, the end products looked solid, and I didn't have to physically draw anything. It helped me learn the things to watch out for when it comes to the curvature of my nails, how thin the decals and stickers should be, how tacky topcoat should be when I place stickers, how many coats of topcoat make certain things look good, etc. Here are a few examples: Example 1 , Example 2 Then I moved on to freehand work, like colorful French tips ( Example 1 , Example 2 ), negative space nails , and other stuff . I am pretty minimalist in my everyday life an in how I prefer my nails to look, so I generally don't like when my nails look too busy. My attempts at nail art match this preference. I found decals/stickers on Amazon and also found nail charms on Cirque Colors but you can find many types of nail stickers, charms, and other decorations (dried flowers, glitters, charms) on Etsy too. This is all with regular nail polish. The only topcoat I use is Essie Gel Couture Top Coat and I swear by it.
Doing nail art with regular polish?
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I recently tried doing nail art with regular polish instead of gels and it was hard lol
Especially since the polishes would dry and be difficult to clean up. Does anyone have tips for freehand nail art with regular polish?
Top Comment: I have done freehand nail art for the last 2 years with just regular polish. I always thin out my polish because using it straight gets goopy. I put my color onto my mixing dish and add a drop of thinner so it's more fluid. That way I can build up the color slowly and smoothly. I'm not racing against it drying too quickly. It also helps to do your art in layers so you're not going back and forth and making a huge mound of polish. This is just a matter of planning ahead. I start with my base shapes, then work on details, then finish with accents. I let each layer dry a bit so I don't accidentally smear it with fresh polish.