Nails at home

Am I the only one who hates going to the nail salon?? I mean don’t get me wrong….ya girl loves lookin fly (is that even an “in” thing to say anymore??), but something about going to the salon is incredibly annoying to me. I feel like it takes forever, smells bad, I always end up getting cut, and frankly I am usually on a time crunch. Plus it adds up pretty quickly, so I decided to take the plunge and invest in some quality supplies and polishes to give it a go myself.

The outcome??? Honestly not too shabby AT ALL and if I can do it, literally anyone else can too. I even tried to do some with nail art and they turned out nicely too! I am actually pretty excited about all of the cool and money saving ways I am able to do my nails from home now. Say hello to dead skin removers, dip, gel, acrylic, various nail shapes, accent nails and even cute designs all at NO extra cost. Suh-weeeet that means more money for my Starbucks funds. Can we say winning?

WHAT in the heck do you need?

Welllllllll I have scoured the internet and by internet I actually mean I have checked Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target to find the best bang for my buck on quality purchases. Here are the items I have purchased and loved.

UV lamp for Gel polish that is large enough for feet and hands, while still being compact for storage $24.64.

Various brands of Gel nail polish. There are a lot of different really fabulous quality brands you can choose from. No wipe Matte gel polish WITH base and top coat $6.99 20 pack of multiple colored gel polish $23 ish. Fun shades of pink or even Dip powder nail kit with 6 colors $15

TAKE MY ADVICE, do yourself a favor and skip the multiple functions foot graters. This one is THE BEST one I have ever purchased and it was only $6.97.

Electronic drill set that is powerful with different bands for finishing your nails $24.99

Foot soaker this one is totally optional, but why I enjoy a little soak so why not $10 for the plain bucket and $35 for the nicer one with rollers, bubbles, and heat (this is the one I opted for). If you want to really treat yourself get a back massager too. I wanted the “spa feel” so I went a little fancy and ordered a heated back massager that doubles as a foot massager $49.99 and the heated foot soaker. No regrets here.

ten piece nail kit that includes a cute compact case $11.98.

Stick on nail art (comes with 12 sheets)$6.99

Fake nails – coffin $6.96 assorted pack that includes ballerina, stiletto, square, rounded and almond $9.99

acrylic powder kit that includes pink and white for those beautiful french tips $17.97.

Who even knew they had these nifty little strips to ensure you love the polish color BEFORE you jack up your meticulously manicured nails?!

Tips I’ve learned along the way

let me remind you that I am NOT A PROFESSIONAL , but I have learned some trial and error along the way..

Vaseline is your friend. Apply it on your skin around your nail. That way if you get the polish on your skin you can easily wipe it away. This is especially useful if you are using gel polish because if you cure it on your skin, more than likely after a day or two it will begin to lift or snag. Which means you will end up with a naked nail that needs redone.

Buff your nail BEFORE painting. Just like normal paint on a wall, nail polish sticks MUCH better to a non slick surface.

The way you paint your polish is everything. I have learned if you do not paint all the way down to the skin and leave just a tiny little gap it makes it look cleaner.

As mentioned above, I am not a professional. Just like you I am still learning. If you have products you LOVE or tips you live by, please drop a comment so I can try out YOUR method and continue to spread useful tips and tricks.