So I have only in the last 6 months started my nail polish adventure, so today I am gonna tell you all the random stuff I have learned either through online research or trial and error. Here we go:
1: Staying Clean!
So as a nail painting newb I was pretty bad about slopping polish pretty much all over the place. My cuticles, my nail folds, my desk, sometimes even my arms. The best thing I can tell people about how I learned to not be so messy is "I would practice small even strokes." Which means I would Do my level best to paint with a light amount of polish on my brush and make sure to apply it somewhat slowly. I used to go fast and heavy and that was a disaster. While it can take longer to paint with thinner coats (if the polish is lightly pigmented and needs a few coats to have full opacity) I really think it has helped me to not make as much of a mess of myself.
Additionally I have discovered that applying chap-stick to one's cuticle and nail folds makes the polish stick to you less. I use Lip Smackers cuz it is cheap and I don't care if I use it all up on my fingers. You still need to be careful about not getting the polish everywhere because I am fairly sure that picking up the chap-stick on the brush and putting it in the polish bottle is not good for the polish. This is more of a help for little slip ups not big ones.
When water marbling you can use the above technique only apply the chap-stick to more of your finger or you can use masking tape or scotch tape to cover the finger more fully because water marbling IS. MESSY. No matter how hard I have tried I can never get a good water marble without totally coating my nails in a thin layer of polish which can be a pain in the keester to remove.
When you've tried everything and there is still polish on your cuticles and skin then it's time to break out the paint brush and acetone. I actually don't use a paint brush I use a make up brush. Specifically I use the E.L.F. Professional Concealer Brush. It has firm short bristles that work great for me to dip in acetone or polish remover and paint off the stray polish. Getting the right brush for you will be a sort of trial and error, I initially bought a bundle of paint brushes from Walmart for 4 dollars and it had brushes that were nice but not what I was wanting. My mother got me the E.L.F. brush and it's been my favorite ever since. I have two in a drawer for when this one gets old.
2: Patience is Important!
Another thing I did as a nail painting newb was I didn't wait for each of my polish coats to be completely dry before applying the next layer. BIG. MISTAKE. This is the number one reason I would always smoosh up my nails when I thought they were dry, but they actually weren't.
Each new coat of polish softens the coat under it, if you don't let the previous coat dry completely you will wind up with one think coat of nail polish goo that takes FOR-EV-ER to dry. If the previous coat is completely dry it softens less so the whole thing will dry more evenly and be less likely to do the "candy coating over gooey center" thing a lot of people complain about.
This is also where thin coats comes in handy as well, they dry faster, even if the actual application takes longer.
3: Slap it on Quick!
I'm referring to Crackle polishes. Not regular polish. Because crackle dries so fast you really need to slap it on as fast as possible to get an even coat, however this isn't always important because it IS crackle after all it isn't made to be a full coverage polish.
If you apply it to slowly and take time you run the risk of pulling off partially dry crackle and stretching or smearing the base color coat. So fast is good even if you aren't going for an even coat.
A few pointers on crackle that I have figured out:
1. Shake the bottle before every application. (Most of the time with
regular polish you shouldn't do this to avoid bubbles in the polish when
you apply it.)
2. Base color coat MUST BE DRY or it may get pulled
by the crackle as it shrinks which is not pretty... I usually wait
10-20 minutes before applying the crackle coat.
3. Almost all crackles will be a matte to
semi-matte finish, if you want super blinding shine go for a really good
acrylic top coat!
And on the subject of top coats....
4: Cover your Bottoms and Tops!
Some people don't use base coats. I do, especially after having my nails stained both yellow and blue. Sometimes I even use two layers of a base coat when I know the polish I am using has the tendency to stain. Some base coats are also really good at making your color polish stick to your nails for a few days longer than if you hadn't used a base.
There are also "ridge filler" base coats that help if your nails are damaged or just grow with ridges and you want an even look to your nail.
Top coats can do three things, add super glossy shine, lock in the color coats underneath and add strength to the nail to help prevent chipping.
And lastly:
5: Have Fun and Be Creative!
Painting your nails should never be a chore it should be super awesome fun ME time. Never let it get you down if you mess up or need to redo a nail or two, it just extends the personal pampering party!
I may do another post like this later in the year if my knowledge expends to cover more topics or improve on the ones mentioned here.
In closing:
HAPPY PAINTING!
No comments:
Post a Comment