DIY Picture Perfect Nails

I’ve never had the nicest fingernails. They’re soft, which causes them to break and then, because of all of this, they never grew very long. As a little girl, I would always admire my grandmother’s nails. To this day, I still do. My Nanny Thurby has the nicest natural nails of anyone I’ve ever met– bar none. And she always has them painted a beautiful color– coral, beige, bright pink– actually, now that I think about it, all of the colors that I love to paint my own.

About two years ago, I invested in a professional CND LED lamp and decided I didn’t need the nail salon– I could figure this out. It has always blown my mind how people would spend so much money every month on fake nails (I can’t stand to have fake nails) and fills every two weeks. If I had somewhere nice to go, I would just get a gel manicure, which I really liked. The best way I can describe gel is polish that is “baked” on your nail with a lamp, making it very difficult to chip. Regular nail polish never seems to last very long, so gel polish is a great alternative that doesn’t damage your nails when applied and removed properly. Since I’ve started using gel polish, I actually have really nice, healthy nails! They grow longer and people constantly ask me, “Are those your real nails?” Nanny Thurby is so proud. 🙂

Now, because I own my own LED lamp, I do gel polish on myself about every 1-2 weeks. It requires a base coat, gel polish, and top coat. Recently, I’ve also begun using a dehydrator before the base coat to take moisture (like oil) that causes the polish to not stay as long, out of the nail. Fortunately, you can use other brands of gel polish with the CND lamp, which expands the color selection. Some of my favorite brands are CND Shellac, gelcolor by OPI, and Gelaze. I have some Gelish polishes I really like, but am not a huge fan overall. It pulls from the edges of the nails and doesn’t seem to last as long. I do, however, prefer their glitter gel though. It’s the most concentrated and I apply it with a make-up sponge.

At first, doing my nails with gel was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. It’s thicker and not always that easy to control. After a few weeks, I got used to it and after a few months, I actually got pretty good at it– even doing my own right hand [gasp]! If you’re thinking about getting a gel lamp, I have to say it’s been a really good investment. It’s so nice to have a professional looking manicure and/or pedicure whenever you need one and not have to leave the house.

If you’re not sure how a gel manicure works, here are the basics. You can start with a dehydrator. I use CND Nail Fresh.

You can either let it sit on your nails for a few minutes to remove any moisture or put your nails under the light for 10 seconds to speed the process. Next, I paint on the CND base coat.

After applying the base coat, your nails go under the light for 10 seconds. Then, the color gel is applied. I usually apply two to three coats of color, depending upon the polish. Usually, two coats are fine. If it is a lighter color, it sometimes may require 3 coats. Between each coat, the nails must go under the light for 120 seconds. After my nails have reached the desired color, I apply the CND top coat.

After applying the top coat, nails go under the light for 120 seconds. Finally, I put rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and rub each nail. This takes away the tackiness. The best part of gel color is no waiting to dry!

Gel polish usually lasts around 2 weeks. After that time, it may begin to “pop off” or peel up. It is not good for your nails to pick it off. If I am ready to change colors, I apply acetone to 10 cotton balls and place a cotton ball on each fingernail, wrapping it in aluminum foil (regular kitchen aluminum foil will do the trick). I leave it on for about 10-15 minutes and then lightly scrape off any remaining polish. Most of it should be off when you remove the foil and cotton ball. If not, leave them on a little longer!

If you plan on adding any designs, do that after you apply your last color coat and have already placed it under the lamp. Any designs should be applied just prior to top coat and placed under the lamp before actually applying the top coat. I do this using dotting tools. I follow the same process when I use loose glitter.

Here are some of my favorite gel colors:

• CND: Pink Bikini, Future Fuchsia, Black Pool, Asphalt, Masquerade, Salmon Run, Blush Teddy, Rubble, Mint Convertible
• gelcolor by OPI: Cajun Shrimp, Got the Blues for Red, Do You Take Lei Away?, Aloha from OPI, Taupe-less Beach, Kiss Me I’m Brazilian, Live.Love.Carnival.
• Gelaze: Lubu Heels, Swing Baby, Innocence, Ruby Pumps
• Gelish: Am I Making You Gelish?, All That Glitters Is Gold

Here are some of my favorite products:

• OPI Smoother (for buffing)
• Birchwood/Orangewood sticks (for cleaning up around the nail)
• Up & Up (Target brand) make-up sponges for applying glitter
• Dotting Tools (super cheap at Amazon, but available for purchase at Sally’s)
• Loose nail glitter (available at Sally’s/Amazon)

One year ago, to the date, I received a professional nail table and desk lamp as a birthday gift and it has helped me keep everything so organized. I was starting to accumulate a lot of nail products and keeping them in cases and bags was starting to get a little out of control. Erin, of course, helped my aunt and uncle (who purchased the table for me) pick out the perfect professional salon table! I keep it in my home office, which now doubles as my little nail salon. 🙂

This table and my Taotronics light make doing my nails so much simpler. The storage for all of my products is absolutely ideal and the table is also great for when I’m doing my sister or best friends’ nails!

So, should you make the investment? Sure, it’s a little pricy upfront, (polishes and base/top coats cost anywhere from $15.00 – $25.00), but gel polishes last a loooong time, especially if you’re only doing your own nails. Overall, I’m really glad I did. I can change my nail color as frequently as I want and I never have to make an appointment. Also, I can be kind of picky (lol), so it gives me the flexibility to make everything, well, picture perfect.

TIPS:

• Invest in a good LED light. You get what you pay for in this case.
• Don’t paint too close to the cuticles or edges of the nails.
• Try to keep a straight, even cuticle line.
• Dip an Orangewood or Birchwood stick in acetone to clean up around the nail between coats.
• Use rubbing alcohol every few days to “freshen up” the appearance of the gel color.

Questions about gel polish? Visit the “Contact us” tab and submit your questions!

xo,
Ashley