Why can't I ever paint my nails properly?! What's wrong with me?

[Peterbishopssarcasticsmile]

Asked for colour recs on style and beauty and got all excited. Thought I'd paint my nails anyway while waiting for my new colour but then soon remembered, like physics and space travel, I SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT

Base coat, polish, top coat, quick drying drops..whatever I use it doesn't matter. It smudges, I get it all round the edges and can't get it off, my nails are never look uniform when I try to shape them

I mean what fresh hell is this? They now look like I was drunk and blindfolded and I would take it all off but I've run out of bloody remover because I tipped half a bottle all over the deck (DH not impressed)

Instead of the lovely hour of peace and quiet in the garden I imagined I'm now all huffy and frustrated, the deck smells and my nails look like a toddler took to them with a colouring pen.
Am I alone in this?!

How do people get such neat and lovely nails at home?! HOW?

I'm a beauty therapist, some polishes are definitely easier to apply than others. You need to make sure you apply thin coats and leave plenty of time for them to dry at the end. Aim for a stripe down the middle of each nail, followed by a stripe either side, fanning the brush out to just above the cuticle and the side side the nail.
If you make a mistake a Q tip dipped in remover can beaten up the edges.
Not sure if that's any help at all!

Thank you! Any help is help
I have stupid tiny nail beds and nails which makes it awkward as often the brushes feel too big to keep neatly on the nail if that makes sense

Absolutely what @keepingbees says, friend of mine is a beautician and she taught me this technique, people still ask if they're done professionally

Though I haven't found a top coat that doesn't smudge so I don't bother anymore.

I have the same problem. When I try to paint my my nails they look like a 3 yo has done them for me. In fact a 3yo could probably do them better. I wish nail salons would hurry up and reopen.

I’m the same - I no longer even try - I’m happy with bare nails

I'm wondering if those nail wraps would be any better but I have such small nails I doubt it

Having neat nails makes me feel so much more put together, sounds silly but it's making me feel all unkempt