oh god why do i suck so much at applying nail polish

[Rayna]

seriously.. i'm horrible at it. any tips?

[Sharon]

Practice makes perfect. :)

[Natalie x]

I'm in the Rayna camp - help, anyone!!

[JoAnnDallas]

You should had seen mine when I started painting my nails. Another girl gave me a tip, use a cotten cuetip to take the exccess off. Works great for me. Also place the had that is to be painted on a flat surface, so you can steady your brush with you other hand, by resting the back of your palm on the surface. then practice, practice, practice.

[Rayna]

You should had seen mine when I started painting my nails. Another girl gave me a tip, use a cotten cuetip to take the exccess off. Works great for me. Also place the had that is to be painted on a flat surface, so you can steady your brush with you other hand, by resting the back of your palm on the surface. then practice, practice, practice.

to make matters worse... i'm trying to do my toes!

[MistyCD]

There is a secret when applying nail polish to your toes and finger nails. I learned this by going to a salon for a pedicure years ago. First of all, make sure you have some nail polish remover to take off what you put on, or mess up. . Some people use toe separators to keep the toes from hitting each other during the process. I don't use them.

Here are the steps to follow

1. shake the bottle for about 30 seconds, the person who did mine put the bottle in her hand and used a stirring motion versus a shake, but both should work.

2. Next, gently remove some of the polish that is in the brush by twisting it inside the neck of the bottle, a complete turn should do it. That seems to give you just the right amount of polish needed.

3. Apply directly to your big toe first, using simple up and down brush strokes
to put some polish on. Don't try to put too much on at one time. You are better off with 2 or 3 thin coats versus one heavy coat.

4. Stick the brush back into the bottle and then twist it in the neck again.
Do the next toe, etc etc.

5. Here is one step different. If you are going to remove the polish quickly before your spouse,family gets home) Wait for the polish to dry complety before you apply the colored polish.

If you do not have to remove the polish quickly, then do not wait until it dries. Wait until it gets a little tacky and they apply your first coat of colored polish.

6. Follow the steps above. Apply a 2nd coat if necessary and then a top coat of clear polish. Note, sometimes you can get away with one colored coat if you use Maybeline wet shine or other types that advertise themselves as 'one coat polish'

7. Use nail polish remover to take off any residue. Make sure your nails are completely dry before you put stockings/hoisery on!

8. You can follow the same instructions for finger nails as well. But remember, practice makes perfect.

Luv Misty :)

[Natalie x]

Ah, this looks good. Do I understand, then, that a clear base coat and clear top coat are standard procedure? (told you I'm blonde) :o

[MistyCD]

Yes, if you want them to look really good. Try the Maybeline wet shine types as once you get more experience, you can skip the 2nd color coating. But definitely put on a clear bottom coat.


Misty

[KewTnCurvy GG]

seriously.. i'm horrible at it. any tips?
Trust me as someone who does her own fake nails even...................
practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice
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[Sharon]

Trust me as someone who does her own fake nails even...................
practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice
practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice practice, practice, practice

hmmm..., sounds familiar :)

[Wendy me]

and if that dosen't work practice........

[KewTnCurvy GG]

Yea, I was gonna quote yours and then say, "what she said", but then I thought that'd be sooooo out of character for me to do. :D

[Tristen Cox]

I think the word is Practice? :D Takes a while, but that's the only way even seeing techniques is something you still have to practice at on your own. Been doing it myself for years and just now got the hang of it ;)

[DanaJ]

I just wanted to add my two cents also - be careful in shaking your nail polish, that will introduce tiny air bubbles that will appear in your polish. My nail tech (and most I have seen) will roll the bottle between her hands. This will mix the polish and also warm it a little, which will make it go on smoother....

DanaJ

P.S. Then there is that whole practice thing :D

[Natalie x]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the feeling this one's run its course?

[Tristen Cox]

I just wanted to add my two cents also - be careful in shaking your nail polish, that will introduce tiny air bubbles that will appear in your polish. My nail tech (and most I have seen) will roll the bottle between her hands. This will mix the polish and also warm it a little, which will make it go on smoother....

DanaJ

P.S. Then there is that whole practice thing :D
OH MY GAWD STOP SAYING THAT :lol:

[DonnaT]

Write out the steps you take in applying it Rayna. Be precise in what you write, then we'll look at it and see if you are doing anything particularly wrong. If you are doing it right then the "practise" advie is practical.

If you are doing it wrong, then all the practise will make doing it wrong wronger.

Heck, go to a mail salon and let them show you.

[Shanna GG]

One thing about nail polish...DON'T SHAKE THEM!
Shaking actually will cause it to break down sooner...ROLL IT! Just roll the bottles like you would a piece of clay, it mixes it and it's less damaging so your colors last longer.

The big secert I learned after years and years...once you have built up a steady hand...don't take so much "excess" color off the brush. Don't start in the center of the nail start towards one side and work your way across the nail, if done right you won't need to apply a second coat. It will be smooth and even.
If your not very good with taking off the little bits of polish that get on your skin with a paper towel or cotton ball there is a product for you. It's a pen, you soak the tips (shaped like the top of a calligraphy marker) in polish remover so you have an easier way to get those little bits. I think they are made by Revlon and can be found in most convience stores or beauty departments at your local supermarket. At least that is were I found them.

Rayna, your toes are pretty stubborn so always use the seperaters and make sure you KEEP YOUR FEET FLAT...at least until the polish sets up some. You have a tendency to use watery polishes and if you don't keep them flat it will all ooze back towards one side or the base of the nail and look like crud.
And don't worry, the more you do it the better you will get. It took me 3 years before I could paint my own right hand and have it look decent and I am ambidextrous!

[DanaJ]

Heck, go to a mail salon and let them show you.No offense Donna, but mall nail salons are not the best places to go (they are like assembly lines and often the techs are not licensed) - for the best nail techs, try to find a dedicated nail tech that works in a general salon. I will be writing a big "How to choose a good nail salon" thread in the Beauty Club forum this weekend.....

DanaJ

[JoAnnDallas]

When I started polishing my nails, I was real sloppy, but as they say practise, practise, practise. Here is my lastest results.