Show me your lovely short nails!

[FurryTurnipHead]

I need some nail inspiration. I have been a nail biter all my life, and have finally managed to grow them a little bit and stop biting the skin.

I am totally clueless about nail stuff. No idea what any of the terminology means. But I love seeing short painted nails, especially dark colours. Could I do anything with these or are they still too short? Photo shows my two best ones, so be kind, this is good for me!

I want them to look in good condition and maybe put something on them to strengthen and improve them and keep me from biting again. I'm happy to go to a beauty place, couldn't do it myself, but wouldn't know what to ask for.

For the record, I don't want them to grow any longer this, and I don't want false ones.

Any ideas or pictures of similar length appreciated!

Thanks everyone, you've given me inspiration and motivation to keep going. Neegan love that colour!

I keep mine short and squared off. I hate the feel of long nails catching on fabric, paper etc. It makes me shudder.
I have gels done sometimes, at the moment I have bright orange with grey chevrons at the cuticles.

I don't bite my nails but I always have them (by choice) at least as short as in your pic, OP. I really prefer not to have any "white bit" at the ends at all. If they get at all long, I fiddle with them and find them annoying. I won't take a pic right now as they're not painted but when they are, they are usually either wine red, a muted pinkish/taupeish colour or sometimes turquoise in summer. I just use normal nail varnish and a clear topcoat.

These are mine on day 8 (no Shellac, just regular polish!). Like others, I used to find that Shellac damaged the texture of my nails.

I now think I've found the holy grail combination which lasts me through washing up, tennis, gym, etc and it never chips under 7 days.

I start with a base coat of Sally Hansen Complete Care 7-in-1. Then two thin layers of L'Oréal 556 Grenat Irreverent (deep red/purple). Straight after painting the second layer I put on my top coat, Seche Vite. It has changed my life! It has to be put on while the colour coat is still wet - absolutely not dry as it peels off then. But it keeps me going for over a week and I get so many compliments.

Mine also need changing today but they fit your colour and length requirements. I do them once a week and they have a Revlon Gel Envy top coat which helps to keep them in reasonable condition.

Mine are gel. Not my usual but I wanted something a little different. I usually have very dark or grey

I love these short nails pics. I keep my nails short and don’t put anything on as they chip within hours, despite using a base coat and top coat when I can be bothered. I tried gel nails once and they looked good but my nails were awful afterwards. I couldn’t be bothered with the upkeep.

I like the sound of dark navy nails but the chips would look too obvious.

@nevth they look fantastic, can’t believe it’s a DIY job

Some fab colours here, love Nevth and ferrier nails. I am developing a long shopping list of colours, base coats and top coats!

@Violetrose123 Thanks so much! It took ages to learn how to do it myself... when I lived at home my mum had to do my right hand because I simply couldn't paint with my left! Then I moved abroad for university and had no one to do it for me

These are mine. They are acrylics a week in but I still prefer them short.

Nevth your nails are amazing. That pic looks like an advert. #nailgoals

Loving this thread. Any tips for filing shorter nails into a nice shape and / or applying polish neatly?

Mine are Gelish - can't stand long nails, these are too long tbh but I'm 2 weeks into my colour and I'll get another week out of them before soak off and clip down again

That's a lovely deep red @bananafish81. Mind sharing the brand and name? I am stuck with my current colour because it has the best brush I've ever used, and it's so long lasting!

@Nevth it's Gelish (like Shellac) so done in a salon, I'm not sure which shade it is, it might be called 'A touch of Sass', as that's one I often have (I rotate between a deep red and a proper vampy purple like with your gorgeous nails)

I am so with you on the brush issue - when doing my nails at home I use an OPI base and top coat (never got on with Seche Vite as I struggled with shrinkage) and have found the Rimmel 60 second polishes have a perfect brush for me - and actually nice shades that last surprisingly well!

Always have short nail. Mine look odd long and I can 'feel' them. Dh said I am crazy and no one can feel their nails so its so nice to see that other people have the same thing! I do have really dry cuticles and hangnails and after seeing all these lovely short nail pics I am going to do something about it!

Cut yesterday as getting a bit disgusting as too long

Inspired by this thread, mine were cut and filed this morning. Weren't very long anyway but I much prefer them just short of my fingertips. Which is complete contrast to pre-children when my nails were so long and perfect looking, people often thought they were fake (they weren't). Now I can't stand them long - I agree with a pp who said she could "feel" them.... I feel grubby and yuk with long nails now. I keep them bare too, or sometimes just a clear coat, as although I love colour on everyone else's nails, it doesn't feel right on me!

Thanks @bananafish81! Yes, shrinkage is definitely a problem with Seche Vite (I found OPI and some Essies particularly bad). My current £4.99 L'Oréal gets no shrinkage at all with Seche Vite, weirdly! And the brush is fabulous - so much control and non-streaky. I may have bought up the entire stock in my local Boots...

Bananafish81 what colour is that? Do you know the name. I love it I'd like mine that colour when I go back

@stardust18 really sorry but off the top of my head I can't remember what the name of the Gelish shade is. It might be called 'A touch of Sass', as that's one I often have. I'll be back for a soak off and repaint next weekend so I'll double check!

@Nevth ooh I'm totally checking that colour out! I used to stockpile the L'Oréal Color Riche polishes that came in the teeny little mini square bottles, the brush was incredible. They seem to have been discontinued, sob! But v much like the sound of the one you're recommending...

Shellac done yesterday after taking a few months off!

I am a shortish nail person, I like a squoval shape (squared off oval to the unititiated). I was. Seche Vite user but now much prefer the Nails Inc Kensington top coat. It does not cause shrinkage, nor does it thicken up like SV.

Base coat is more of a problem. I currently use Orly Bonder which is okay but Does one exist that does not cause nail stainage? I used a lovely red but it has been weeks after removal and they look reddened. (I have bathed!)

My nails need to be short at the moment in any case. The more I wear varnish, the worse my nails. Think it might be the polish re,over. Any tips for an effective remover which is not damaging?

Great to see a short nail thread. Long nails make me feel slightly ill - on other people as well as me. I was at work with someone with long acrylics with pointed triangle shaped tips in neon the other week and it put me on edge the whole meeting. Liking navy at the moment here but need to get neater !