Tips and tricks from my own trial and error
By Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor
Having great-looking nails can be costly if youâre the kind of person who likes to go to the spa. But if youâre a short-on-cash student, spending $35 per week on flawless fingers just isnât realistic. Getting that professional look on an amateur budget takes a bit of work and practice, but it isnât impossible. Great nails can make you look put togetherâand for the men reading, having clean, trimmed nails can place you a few steps above the rest.
Step one to great nails is preparation. Take off your old polish and assemble your supplies: cuticle oil, a cuticle pusher, nail polish remover, and a nail file. Getting your nails prepped is probably the most time-consuming part of the process, but once you do it the first time, you only have to do it every week or so. I change my polish about every three days, and I only file every second or third time. I also never cut my nails: filing is all you need, unless youâre dealing with a broken nail emergency or excessive growth.
Once you have your polish off, file your nails. A cheap emery board from the drug store is bestâmetal files can damage your nails, and the gimmicky crystal glass ones, while bringing some benefits to the table, are expensive and prone to breaking. File in one direction, then file under the nail a bit to get rid of the excess nail dust. The common nail shapes are square, squoval, round, oval, or almond. I recommend square or squoval for beginners; rounds and ovals can easily look messy and uneven.
Before you apply your polish, do another swipe over all your nails with nail polish remover. This removes any oil that may have transferred from your skin, making a clean surface for the polish. Then you can start applying colour.
Always start with a base coat to protect your nails from staining over the long-term. Once youâve got that on, make with the colour! Some notes on colour: if youâre learning how to do your nails perfectly, start with a bold colour like a matte red. This will show off any imperfections, allowing you to see areas where you need to improve. Also, contrary to popular belief, you donât need to let your polish dry between coats. Just keep piling it on.
Brush technique is important. Dip the brush in the polish, and when you pull it out, wipe the excess from one side on the edge of the bottle, leaving one side with the perfect amount of polish for one coat. Paint it evenly onto your nails, leaving a gap between your cuticle and the polish. The gap will be imperceptible, but it will make a clean line of colour on your nails, and it basically guarantees you wonât splash colour on your cuticles. Always do at least two coatsâalways. If youâre not going to do minimum two coats, then donât bother doing your nails at all.
The second to last step is top coat. Picking a good top coat is important, but donât worry, Iâve made it easy for you! Seche Viteâs Dry Fast Top Coat is the best product I have ever bought for my nails. Itâs pricier than others (around $11 at London Drugs, but half that price at a beauty supply store), but it shines brilliantly, dries super fast, and will prevent chipping for a few days. I canât recommend this product enough!
The final step is drying, and really, the only thing that helps with this step is a Zen-like attitude. Iâve tried a few different ways to shorten this processâspraying baking spray (like PAM) on your nails is supposed to protect them while they dry, and there are also fast-dry drops you can buyâbut a quick-dry top coat plus a much needed television break will usually do the trick!
Taking some time to pamper yourself is importantâin our busy lives, we often forget to take care of ourselves. Having impeccable, attention-grabbing polish, perfectly applied in bold and trendy colours, has definitely contributed to my overall self-image. If you havenât already converted to nail mania, you should start today.
