How to Paint Your Nails
Paint Your Nails
Paint
Nails
Nobody wants to have boring nails. What could be a better way to express your personality than with a fun nail polish color? You can go for any effect you like with your nails, such as classic red, happy yellow, creative green or you can go plain and paint your nails black!. You can even make your polish match your outfit! With all this excitement, it's easy to skip over the fact that painting your nails yourself is sometimes quite difficult and time consuming. Though it is time consuming, it can add flair to any outfit! Read on if you'd like to learn some useful tips on painting your nails that you can use now or in the future!
Steps
-Choose a nail polish in the color of your choice. Bring it to your manicure area/table. If you would like, you can choose a sticker(nail art) to put on your nails also. There are hundreds to choose from.
-Gather some cotton balls, then use a orange wood stick. nail polish remover, towel, newspaper, and clear nail polish. Paint your nails in a well-ventilated room. The fumes can be extremely dangerous to your health.
-Take off any old polish if you have any, especially if it's chipped. If you don't have any nail polish on already, then swipe some nail polish remover over your nails before you begin painting to get rid on any natural oils on your nails. This will keep the color smooth and help the color last longer.
-Roll the bottle between your hands to warm the nail polish for about 25-30 seconds. Open it, and scrape some of the excess nail polish off on the side of the bottle. Don't shake it. Rolling the bottle keeps bubbles out of the polish and keep your nails smooth.
-Apply one coat of clear nail polish (base polish works best!). Allow it to fully dry to the touch before proceeding. It's okay if some of the color gets on your skin. Nobody will be able to tell since there's no color!
-Paint one stripe of color in the middle of your thumb or pinky nail. Then, paint a stripe on the left, continuing to the right. This subtly focuses the color in the middle of the nail. Remember to keep your hand steady. Don't worry if it looks too thin -- it's supposed to. Re-dip your brush into the bottle before starting the nail so the color is evenly distributed throughout your nails. Let it dry completely before adding your last coat. You may have to wait 10-20 minutes, so you may want to turn on your television or some music.
-Add another coat of color if desired, depending on the shade of color you want. Bear in mind that if you want a color very similar to the bottle you should paint two coats, but if you want a lighter shade then skip to the next step. Let this dry. Remember that the top coat is the one everyone will see, and the one that you'll feel. Keep that coat smooth!
-Paint a last coat of clear polish to keep the color lasting for at least one more week! This seals and protects the color.
-Wait for your nails to dry completely before doing anything else. You can watch TV while you wait. Try not to wave your arms or shake your wrists frantically in an attempt to dry your nails. This can tone down the shine in your nails. Enjoy your freshly done nails!
-Place a sticker on your nails gently. It's recommended that if you are going to do them on your thumbs to put it on the side of your thumb nail that you can see when you put your hand down flat.
-Get fabulous! If you want textured and fashionable nails to suit the glamours style for 2012, then put on a base coat and sprinkle some sugar on, this makes them look like you have had a REALLY expensive job done on them because the sugar turns into little crystals all over the nail and leaves a shimmering finish. And it comes off just like normal nail polish!
Tips
Painting with your opposite hand can be very tricky. Take your time painting that hand. If you get too fed up, then ask a close friend or family member to paint that hand for you.
To fix those annoying lines of polish next to your cuticles, take a cotton tip and dip the end in nail polish remover. Fix up that messy nail.
If your nail polish clumps up on your nail, remove it with the nail polish remover. If the nail polish is old, roll it between your hands to warm it up. Then, if clumping continues, put in a few drops of NAIL POLISH THINNER, which can be found at your local beauty store.
If your nails keep breaking and the nail polish makes them look gross, buy some nail hardening fluid (this can be found in the makeup section of drugstores, department store and chemist shops) which you apply before the nail polish. It will make your nails nice and strong so they look long and pretty when painted.
If you can find someone who will let you, practice painting someone else's nails until you feel comfortable enough to try it on yourself.
Nail polish remover will ultimately ruin a bottle of nail polish if used as thinner. Its compounds were formulated to break down nail polish for easy removal, so it should never be used as a nail polish thinner when nail polish begins to thicken in the bottle.
If you hate the nail polish smell, try going outside so you don't have that smell in your home.
You can use tape to keep you from getting nail polish on your fingers.
Do not be afraid to get a bit creative! With a little ingenuity you can create unique designs that will be the envy of your friends!
Always keep nail polish and other chemicals out of reach of young children.
Don't use cheap dark-colored nail polish without a base coat. It can dye your nails a gross yellow color. If you do though, one way to get the yellow away is to stick your (unpainted) nails into a lemon half. Make sure you don't have any fingernail cuts, though. It will STING!
Be careful with potential toxicity of nail polisher: read the safety instructions carefully and abide by them.
Some people from certain cultures or conservative or religious beliefs may find nail polishing unsavory.
Do not breathe fumes from nail polish or nail polish remover
Remember to always close your polishes so they don't dry out and your room doesn't start to smell and won't impact on your body/health