How To Do Acrylic Nails
This article was co-authored by . Marta Nagorska is a Nail Technician and Nail Art Blogger based in London, UK. She runs the blog, Furious Filer, where she gives tutorials on nail care and advanced nail art. She has been practicing nail art for over 5 years and graduated from Northampton College with distinction with a Nail Technician and Manicurist degree in 2017. She has been awarded the top spot in the OPI Nail Art Competition.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 53 testimonials and 88% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,648,735 times.
Doing nails at home can be done with practice. Read about the risks that goes with the work, both educated, and especially uneducated before you start. If you’re careful and don’t go too quickly you can be as good as anyone else.All you need are a few supplies from the drugstore and little bit of patience.
The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Nail Kit
Whether you have a preferred style of manicure or not, there are specific items youll need to do your own nails at home. Every style of manicure or faux nail has essential tools and additional products that are common among each other. Get yourself ready with the ultimate guide to building your nail kit below.
What Supplies Do I Need To Do My Own Gel Nails
You must have heard this a dozen of times that with patience, practice, and the right technique, you canmaster your gel nail manicure at home just like a salon. But if you are wonderinghow to make gel nails last at home and what supplies you need to have in your professional gel nail starter kit, here are the essential products and equipment you need to do your gel nails at home:
Recommended Reading: How To Make Nail Stickers At Home
Una Gella Acrylic Nail Starter Kit
The Una Gella Acrylic Kits beauty is that its packed with products to help you learn how to upgrade your manicure. Some highlights include three basic acrylic powders in clear, white, and pink, a liquid monomer, a full kit with no crease nail tips and no bubble nail glue, and a practice nail. You are also spoilt for color and design with a 37 piece nail art decoration option. The set contains 73 pieces in total and comes with a free travel storage bag for added convenience. What more could you want for your DIY manicure? The answer is not much.
Pro Acrylic Nail 24 In 1 Full Kit
The pro 24 in one acrylic nail kit is a full set of essentials that every beginner would need for acrylic nail application, that includes 3 acrylic powders including clear, pink and white color acrylic powder, nail cutter, liquid pump dispenser,12 acrylic nail powder. Adhesive nail stickers, wood sticks, nail brush for cleaning, toe fingers separator, silver rhinestones, practice finger, colored rhinestones, sandpaper, buffer, French white nail tips, tweezers, and nail pen brush.
All these essential in one places make sure beginners get what they need and will never need to look further for the perfect acrylic nails.
The essentials make sure the application and finishing is a breeze for the starters and will give a chance to improve their confidence in the application of the acrylic nails.
Recommended Reading: How Do I Get Nail Polish Out Of Clothes
Dipwell Dip Nail Starter Kit Dip Naturale Collection
Key selling points: You cant go wrong with a classic nude polish, and this powder set combines two of the brands most popular nude dip powder colors with everything else you need for a flawless at-home manicure. P.S.: All of Dipwells products are also vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA.
What customers say: I got tired of going to get my nails done and never being fully satisfied, so I decided to give this set a go and do my nails myself. It definitely takes some time, but with a little patience and following the steps, you cant go wrong! I feel like a pro! They really came out beautiful and have lasted me just like if I had gone to get them done! I definitely recommend this kit. You have everything you need to get a perfect manicure at home. Laura B, reviewer on dipwell.com
Nail Files And Buffers
Files for your nails and buffers are going to be especially important. Not only are they beneficial for the condition of your nails but theyre a necessary tool for the application process of most faux nails. You will need to file your nail surfaces and edges to help the adhesives and bonds work properly. You can use a wood board file on the edges of the nail to soften them. A buffer should also be included to make your nails shinier and softer.
Recommended Reading: Essie Gel At Home
Can You Do Gel Nail Extensions At Home
Yup, you definitely can. It takes a little practice but many kits come with everything you need to do your own poly gel nails.
I know it looks intimidating, but after watching a couple of good YouTube tutorials, you’ll see it’s not as hard as it seems. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to practice a couple on some swatch sticks before applying to your natural nails.
Apply Cuticle Oil To Your Nail Beds
Another important part of nail prep: cuticle oil. Itll soften your cuticles so youll be able to push them back gently. And please don’t forget to wash or soak your hands afterward! You need to make sure the oil is completely off your nails before you start the gel processany leftover oil could cause your gel nails to lift . To be extra safe, swipe your nails with a bit of acetone before washing your hands to remove any excess oil.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Nail Polish Off Without Remover
Cut And File Your Nails
Before you apply any polish, you need to make sure your nails are prepped and ready to go. Start by cutting your nailsyoull want them all equal lengthsand then file to smooth out any rough edges. Pro tip: Glass nail files are great for getting a smooth finish, since they’re a bit more gentle than traditional emery boards .
Do Your Own Diy Professional
You can create beautiful & professional French manicure nails in a second now! Simply stick the nail tips with glue. Then press it to your real nails or gel nails to create flawless French nails.
The nail tips are made of high-quality acrylic, which is thick and sturdy enough to last up to 3 weeks. You can add jewel, glitter or stickers on the nail tips! Let’s create your own gorgeous nails now! Don’t hesitate. You deserve the best glue-on French nails kit! Grab yours now!
FEATURES:
- Easy to Apply: Simply stick the nail tips with glue. Then press it to your real nails or gel nails to create flawless French nails in seconds!
- Long-Lasting: Made of high-quality acrylic, which is thick and sturdy enough to last up to 3 weeks.
- DIY Nail Art: You can add jewel, glitter or stickers on the nail tips! Let’s create your own gorgeous nails now!
- Instant Nail Extension: No need to wait for a month for your natural nails to grow up! This product helps extend your natural nail immediately.
- Various Size: With 10 different sizes to choose from, it’s suitable for all finger sizes.
- Multi-Purpose: It can be used on polymer clay, playdough, fondant, natural nails, false nails, acrylic nails and even more!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Read Also: How Do U Get Nail Polish Off Carpet
Acrylic Nail Kit By Tp Nail Care
A starter or a beginner needs a simple solution to perform the acrylic nail application. This kit is the perfect gift for beginners who need to apply the acrylic nails with a professional touch so that they never have to go to a salon for getting the professionally applied acrylic nails.
The acrylic nail powder kit requires no extra effort and it offers a formula that never discolors the nails after application and removal.
The superior adhesion and consistency offered by the nails make sure you will always get a professional result no matter if you never have done it before. The products come from the Us and offer 100 percent money back guarantee so that you always get the perfect professional touch with the shine and strength you always look for.
It includes the acrylic powder, the acrylic liquid, bond primer, buffer, nail file and nail brush for an easier and smoother application like a pro.
Here’s How To Give Yourself A Dip Powder Manicure At
This is how the at-home process typically works. First, youll want to apply a base coat onto clean, freshly buffed nails . Next, instead of painting the nail color on with a brush, as with a traditional or gel manicure, youll dip your nail into a pot of pigmented powder. Then, simply tap or brush off any excess powder and repeat the process one more time to ensure an even coat. After two go-rounds of dipping, youll paint on a clear activator polish. This activator turns the colored powder into a glossy lacquer and essentially bonds it onto the nail itself. Once thats dry, youll apply a clear coat of polish as a top coat, and voila! Your DIY dip powder manicure is done, and it should last at least a few weeks . Of course, these are general guidelinesalways follow the instructions of the specific kit youre using, as each one may differ slightly.
You May Like: How To Put Canvas On Wall Without Nails
Moisturizing Cream Or Oil
You absolutely want to make sure you have moisturizing cream or oil for your cuticles. When you give your nails any kind manicure, your nails and cuticles will get dried out from multiple steps in the process. Your cuticles need a cream or oil to rehydrate and keep them healthy. Foregoing this can cause them to crack or breakdown, which can start to affect your nails.
Nail Art Deco 21 In 1 Misaky Professional Acrylic Nail Set
This acrylic nail system is the complete kit including the white and pink acrylic nail powder, clear UV nail gel and all the essential tool you may need for your acrylic nail finish. Rhinestones, cleaning brush, buffer, acrylic nail tips, sanding file, dappen dish, French tips, acrylic nail liquid and curved trimmer for the nails are there for you to groom the nails even if you are not familiar with the process as well the essentials. You can still get [perfectly finish acrylic nails in an effortless manner.
Don’t Miss: How To Remove Impress Nails
Size & Apply Your Acrylic Nails Using Acrylic Nail Glue
Depending on the kit you get, youll have a variety of different acrylic tip sizes, widths, and lengths to choose fromjust as you would with press-on nails. Because of this, you need to go through the sizes to find the ones that best fit your tips. If there are no perfect fits, use your nail file to gently file them to the correct width.
According to nail expert Evelyn Lim, tips used for acrylic application have an indent on the inside of the tipwhich is approximately 2-3 mm at most and the free edge of your natural nail should fit right underneath. “It is best to trim the natural nail short prior to application,” she advises. Once youve selected your acrylic tips, apply them one at a time with a dot of acrylic nail glue. You want the bottom edge of the acrylic tip to be centered about one-third of the way down your nail so that it will remain sturdy as your nails begin to grow out. Apply pressure to the nail for five to 10 seconds to ensure that its secure and move on to the next tip until all 10 are complete.
How Are Acrylic Nails Created
To create acrylic nails, you need to combine acrylic polymers and monomers. This causes a reaction that will harden to give your nails strength and thickness. You can also add length and shape them. Acrylics look feminine and can upgrade your manicure, but you have to do a bit of prep work before getting them done. For starters, your natural nails need to be in a decent shape so that they can handle the artificial extensions. It would be best to do your research to ensure you have picked the safest formula and application to avoid unnecessary complications. Despite looking great and lasting for weeks, acrylics do require some upkeep. This is all the more reason why being able to do them at home is beneficial because it can save you time and money. It is also advisable to have a break between manicures every three to six months.
Read Also: Is Miracle Gel Gel Nail Polish
Getting Your Nails Ready
The first thing that you need to do is clean your nails prepping your nails for acrylics is an essential first step. The acrylic application requires clean nails, so take off any old nail polish that you are wearing. It would help if you used an acetone-based and oil-free nail polish remover for this purpose.
If you have any gels on your nail, soak them thoroughly and remove the gel before applying acrylics to avoid causing unnecessary damage to your nails.
Even if you dont have any old polish or gels, it is good practice to apply some remover to clean away any existing dust particles. Plus, the acrylic nail will stick to your natural nail better, and stay on for longer when you have prepped your nails correctly.
Either way, when learning how to do acrylic nails at home, you want your nails to be short. That is because the acrylic tips are going to be attached to the nails themselves. But if you try to attach those same tips to longer nails, the natural nail can likely snap off. This, in turn, can cause your acrylic to snap off as well.
It is also good practice to buff your nails once you trim them. First, you should file and clip your nails as it makes them evenly free of any snags. After that, buff each nail so that your acrylic tips can find something they can easily grip. There is a wide variety of nail buffers available for purchase online, and heres a few options you can look at:
Creamoon 42 In 1 Nail Art Set
Creamoons 42 in 1 nail art set is perfect for your home manicure. You can create beautiful, long-lasting talons in a variety of colors, experiment with lengths by adding a little extra to elongate your fingers, and have fun with nail art. It is one of the cheaper kits on the market, which is especially helpful if you are on a budget. The low cost can also make this an excellent gift for family or friends interested in nail designs or for those simply not going to the salon because of restrictions or lockdowns.
Also Check: How To Take Out Contacts With Acrylic Nails
Lavender Violets Dip Powder Nail Color Kit
Key selling points: This three-free set of acrylic powders is beloved for the odor-free, cruelty-free formulaswhich, by the way, dont damage nail beds.
What customers say: Love this kit. The larger bottles are awesome. So much easier than gel or acrylic application. Very easy even for a beginner. I do recommend adding a little Vaseline around the threads of the bottles to help for future use in opening them. Also in between coats, after dipping into powder, I have a plain piece of paper to wipe the brush before moving on to the next nail. Helps to keep the brush from hardening from any possible dust left on the nail after wiping and adding a second coat. Overall great deal for the price. Sabrina C., amazon.com reviewer
Forming An Acrylic Bead With A Brush
Dip the tip of your acrylic brush inside the acrylic liquid dish. Push it down to make sure all the bubbles are gone. Then, to remove excess liquid, brush it against the side of the bowl.
Now, take the wet tip of your nail brush and gently dip it into the dish containing the acrylic powder. At this point, the powder will form a little moist ball at the tip of your nail brush usually referred to as a bead. Now, it is important to act quick before your perfect bead dries out and becomes hard to work with. Timing is crucial!
On a side note, check out our recommended nail brush options:
Read Also: How To Apply Essie Nail Polish
But First The Groundwork
Before you even think about picking a colour, take the time to trim, shape and buff your nails, as this will give you the best possible canvas for your DIY manicure. If you dont have nail clippers/scissors, a nail file or buffing block on hand, you can get them individually, or you can pick up an all-in-one manicure set, like the Manicare 5 Piece Grooming Kit .
If your cuticles need some taking care of, apply some Sally Hansen Problem Cuticle Remover around your cuticles and under your nails, leave for about five minutes, and then gently push back your cuticles with a pusher or manicure stick, and trim and tidy the dry skin.
Manicare 5 Piece Grooming Kit
Sally Hansen Problem Cuticle Remover
If you want salon-level results from your at-home manicure, then youre going to want to get your hands on the Finishing Touch Flawless Salon Nails . Not only does this cool little piece of kit come equipped with every kind of attachment youve seen a pro-level nail tech use, but it features intuitive innovations thatll turn even a complete rookie into a nail artist. Scared of filing away every last precious inch of your nails? This smart-guy automatically stops when too much pressure is applied, minimising the risk of damage. Plus, it has an in-built LED light, multiple speeds and six interchangeable heads. Phew, were almost wondering if we want to leave our house to get a manicure anymore .
Finishing Touch Flawless Salon Nails
