Gel Nail procedure
Gel nails look glossier than Acrylic nails and the procedure is similar to acrylic nails even simple. Also you can make other effects on gel nails. Before you make your own gel nails, you will need the following items:
• Light-cured gel: It is a must.
• Brush: Apply gel on the nails.
• Curing light: A box that has an ultraviolet or halogen bulb to cure or harden the gel nail.
Light-cured gel procedure
1. Remove polish and clean nails, and wait them dry.
2. Push back cuticles. Use a cotton-tipped orangewood stick to gently push back cuticles.
3. Apply nail antiseptic and primer and allow primer to dry to a chalky white.
4. Apply gel. Brush gel onto entire nail. Cover with a thin, even layers as you would nail polish. Do not brush on cuticle because gel will lift.
5. Cure gel. Place nails under Curing light and set timer for 3 minutes.
6. Apply second coat of gel to the first hand. Apply gel in a thin and even coat that looks a glossy top coat. Do not leave any imperfections in application because the finished nail will not be smooth. Then Cure gel.
7. Clean nails. Wipe nails with alcohol or cleanser to remove residue and tackiness on cured acrylic nails. Cured nails have a shiny gloss that needs no buffing if applied smoothly.
8. Apply cuticle oil. Rub cuticle oil into surrounding skin and nail surface.
Now, here we are! You can have your own glossy gel nails.
Add a comment December 18, 2008
Acrylic Nail crack repair
We talked about how to make Acrylic nails last week. We will mention acrylic repair today, acrylic nails are not easy to be damaged, but they still need to rebuild after few weeks. Acrylic crack repair is the addition of extra acrylic to fill the crack in an acrylic nail and reinforce the rest of the nail. The procedure is similar to make an acrylic nail.
Use the following steps for crack repairs.
- Remove old polish.
- File cracked acrylic. File a V shape into the crack of file flush to remove crack.
- Clean nails.
- Apply nail antiseptic. Apply nail antiseptic to nails using cotton-tipped orangewood stick, cotton, or spray.
- Apply primer: Apply a dot primer to the cracked area.
- Apply nail form: If the crack is large, apply a nail form for added support.
- Prepare acrylic liquid and powder: Pour acrylic liquid and powder into separate small jars.
- Place balls of acrylic: Pick up one or more small balls of acrylic and apply them to the cracked area with a paint brush.
- Shape balls of acrylic: Dab and press the acrylic to fill crack. Be careful not to let acrylic seep under form or under existing nail.
- Remove form and reshape nail.
- Buff nail until smooth and clean nail.
- Apply cuticle oil and polish or topcoat.
Add a comment December 15, 2008
Acrylic nail procedure
Acrylic nails are the most famous and popular style of nail art. However, the process of making acrylic nail is a little complicated, let’s see how to make it by your own? There are main steps to achieve this style; also you need some materials that we will mention them during the procedure.
1. Prepare
a) Remove all nail polish and clean your nails before you start it.
b) Buff nail to remove shine: Buff lightly over nail plate with a buff to remove the natural oil. This step is important, it will help nail attach well the acrylic powder later.
c) Apply primer: The primer prepares the nail surface for bonding with the acrylic material. Apply a dot of primer on nail very sparingly. And wait it to dry.
d) Prepare acrylic liquid and powder: Pour acrylic liquid and powder into separate small jar.
2. Procedure
a) Position nail form: Position disposable forms on each nail. Check to see that the form is snug under the free edge and level with the natural nail.
b) Place ball of acrylic: Dip brush fully into the liquid and wipe on the edge of the jar to remove the excess. Then dip the tip of the same brush into the white acrylic powder and rotate slightly. Pick up and place this first acrylic ball on the nail form at the point where the free edge joins the nail form.
c) Shape free edge: Use the middle part of your brush to tab and press the ball to shape an extension. Keep sidewall lines parallel and shape acrylic along free edge line. If needed, apply the second white ball to modify the free edge.
d) Apply acrylic beads: Pick up a pink or transparency acrylic ball on your brush and place at cuticle area. Use the moisture in the brush to smooth these beads over entire nail plate.
3. Aftercare
a) Remove the nail forms and shape nails: Use a file to shape free edge and to remove imperfections. Make nails thinner toward cuticles, free edge, and sidewalls.
b) Buff nails and apply cuticle oil: Buff nails with block buffer until entire surface is smooth. Use a cotton-tipped orangewood stick to apply cuticle oil to cuticles, surrounding skin, and nails.
c) Clean nails and apply top coat: Use nail brush to clean nails and apply two coats of top coat.
Then, they are done! Now, you have a natural-looking acrylic French nail!
Add a comment December 11, 2008
Intermediate application: water stain
Water Stain is a new technique, which applies in actual nail design operation. It can make some amazing and colorful effects, such as rainbow and butterfly wing. Here, we show you two styles of water stain on nail design: basic water stain and advanced water stain. How create this design on nails? You can follow the steps below to practice this kind of design.
Basic water stain
The effects of basic water stain in the picture, they look like a rainbow or a color ring. This is different way with using a paint brush to draw the line one by one.
1) Apply base coat and two coats of light color polish and prepare a small jar with water. Drop a dot of yellow color polish into the water and the polish will float on the surface of water, then wait it extends to the edge. Use the same way to drop other color polishes into the water.
2) You can see how the polishes look like in the picture 5, and now put your nail through the water to attach color polish. Make sure your nail surface faces to the water and be careful starting from the nail fingertip. After whole nail attaching the polish, take your nail away from water quickly and be avoid touching any polishes. Then use an orange stick with polish remover to clean up the cuticle.
3) Wait the polish completely dry and apply two coats of top coat to keep your nail perfect.
Advanced water stain
Advanced water stain is a variety of the basic water stain but they look totally different and stunning.
Application of advanced water stain is similar to basic one. Drop color polishes into the water, the final composition you can see in the picture. Before putting your nail into the water, use a small needle to cross the surface of the water. The color wave will be distorted in this way, but be careful not to mix the color together. This is the key point of the whole process. Then put your nail surface into the water to stick color, and clean up the cuticle. Finally, apply the top coat.
It is not easy to make this design, maybe you will not get a nice result at the first time; however, the more practice you try, the more good effects you get.
Add a comment December 3, 2008
Application: Simple Flower Design
Today, we will talk about some simple paint design. You can achieve equally stunning effects with acrylic paints in an easy way that just uses a line paint brush or pen to paint the simple line or flower. Here you can see the final effect on the below picture and just follow the several steps, then you will get the simple design on your nails.
There are some materials you should have, like pink, yellow and orange color polish or whatever color you like, and some pink and silver rhinestones. Ok, let’s start it!
1. Apply two coats of pink polish, before that don’t forget the base coat. Wait the polish complete dry, and then apply white polish like this way.
2. Use a line paint pen with orange polish to form each of the petals. Place the petals like a star.
3. Repeat the step 2 to make other color flowers. Apply gold polish or put gold stones on the centre of the flower as a flower bud.
4. Use the top coat to stick pink and silver rhinestones one by one on the white edge. You don’t need to keep the exactly same design for each nail, so you can make some different on other nails but make sure they are a series.
Finally, apply the top coat to keep they look more shinny. Now, you already can DIY for your nail.
Add a comment November 27, 2008
Nail Art
- The largest grown area of the beauty business.
What is Nail Art?
Nail Art, the application of painting decorative designs on fingernails and toenails, is a great way to create all manner of different look on nails.
What does Nail Art include?
Nail Art includes three parts:
· Nail care
- Nail care refers to a whole care process that maintains healthy nails. It includes manicures and pedicures.
· Nail health
- Nail health is very important to keep your nails looking their best and free from infections or disease. With the correct treatment most nail diseases can be treated and a new healthy nail will re-grow.
· Nail design
- There are lots of designs for nails, for example, artificial nail design and freehand design. They both can bring out perfect effects on your nails and give them an amazing look.
Equipment and materials
The equipment of Nail Art involves nail care and nail design equipment.
- Nail care equipment mainly consists of pusher and buffer, nippers and file, cuticle conditioner and hand creams.
- The basic materials for design include enamel, enamel-remover, paintbrush, and some nail accessories like rhinestones, foil leaves and pearls, etc.
- In addition, different styles of nail design require some specialist equipment and materials. Check out “Nail products” section on our blog for further information about it.
Styles of Nail Design
· Acrylic Nail
- Acrylic Nail is once made with acrylic powder and liquid to build up the perfect shape. It can be applied to nature nails, nail tips or nail forms to extend the nail.
· Gel Nail
- Gel Nail, similar to Acrylic Nail to make a perfect shape, is once made with a dental porcelain gel powder with a mylar form to sculpt your nail, then allow the gel nail to set under an ultraviolet light.
· 3D design Nail
- 3D design Nail applies 3D effects by acrylic power on your nails. It looks more third dimension and real.
· Freehand design
- Freehand design uses a fine paintbrush to dip in a pot of the chosen color on your nails.
Add a comment November 18, 2008
Nail Repair
You may notice that your nail polish tips are easy to get damaged whether by catching it on something, or not allowing coats to dry enough, specially the edge of nail. How do you keep your nails a fresh and nice look? Here, we share some repairing methods of the cracks or damages.
For the damage of smear nails:
Dip a cotton bud in nail polish-remover, so that is moist, but not soaking wet. Gently smooth over the smear. If the damages are very great, apply the colored polish once to cover the whole nail.
For other damages:
Like the image shows, nail efforts always be damaged on the edge of nail, but other parts still look good. In this case, you don’t need to remover all the efforts to build up the new one. There is a easy way to fix it.
Find a sparkle polish to apply on the free edge, it will cover all the damages. Then 2 coat of top coat applied makes sure your nail get a fresh look. Or you can choose other colored polish like white, we can do some new efforts for your nails. Remember last week we talked about the French Nail, apply the white polish on your free edges, your nails will have a new design intantly.
Add a comment November 13, 2008
Make your own French Nail
A French Nail is a clean and natural polish application that is very popular in summer months and for weddings. It is also a great base for nail art. You can create endless artistic designs with pearls, rhinestones, and silver striping tapes. Here we introduce two easy ways to make your own French Nail.
Method One:
1. Apply base coat. The base coat can be applied under the free edge as well and wait it dry. Then apply white polish to the free edge by starting at one side (usually left side of nail) and sweeping across toward the center of the free edge on a diagonal line.
2. Repeat this on the right side of the nail. This will form a “V” sharp.
3.Fill the open top of the “V”, so that you have an even line across the free edge. White may be applied under the free edge. If you like you can apply sheer pink, natural, or peach polish from the base to the free edge. Be careful not to get any on the cuticle. Finally, apply a top coat over the entire nail plate.
Method Two:
1.Apply a base coat. Followed by two coats of pale-colored polish. Having made sure that your polish is totally dry, place the French-tip guide tape ( or you can buy some labels instead ) under the smile lines of the nails on either your left or right hand. It is best to work on one hand at a time.
2. Carefully apply a coat of white polish, taking it from one side of the free edge to the other. Wait for about ten minutes to allow the first coat to dry before applying a second using the same method.
3. For a softer French polish, you could now apply pale enamel to your entire nail. If you do this, however, make sure that the white enamel is completely dry, otherwise you will smudge or drag it. Your finished nails will have a truly professional look.
Add a comment November 6, 2008
Do you know how to apply polish?
Maybe you don’t even think about this is a question. Applying polish looks like an easy job that everyone can do, but it isn’t that easy. Do you know how does the nail salon normally do? Do you know how to do it by yourself that will give your nails a shinny and glossy look. If you want to make a difference, there are some tips you may need to know.
Tip 1: Base coat and Top coat
The base coat and the top coat are both colorless polish. The base coat is applied to the natural nail before the application of colored polish. It contains more resin than colored polish to maintain a tacky surface so the colored polish will adhere better. The top coat is applied over colored polish to prevent chipping and add a shine to the finished nail.
Tip 2: the step of applying polish
Forget what you do before, please remember that polish is applied in four or five coats. The first, the base coat, is followed by two coats of color not only once. This is important and makes the nail more brightly. Finally, one or two applications of top coat. Here is another tip that applying the colored polish on the free edge once before you apply it on the surface because the free edge is easy to get damage.
The way of apply polish; please follow the steps that show on the picture.
Give a try and you will see how shinny your nails are!
Add a comment October 30, 2008
Say something about the Nail Art.
Of course, beauty is human nature. Today, more and more people concern about the nail art even men. It is easy to find some nail beauty salons around you. Why does the nail art so absorb people’s eyes？ Let’s find out together! 
Beauty Nail is not only a personal adornment, but also is a kind of art. It becomes popular all over the world in the past 10 years. The Nail Art involves nail care, such as manicure and pedicure, and nail design. Now, French nail is still a classic style of nail design, in addition, Gel nail and 3D nail are acceptable by women as the new fashion. A few years ago, I had a opportunity to learn about the nail art and after that I am very interested in it, so that is why I choose this topic for my blog. I hope this blog will become a platform to share, learn, and communicate.
We will take more about it in next week.
Add a comment October 21, 2008
