Nails - what equipment do you use?

[jshailes]

My 11yo niece is interested in stick-on nails - she tends to buy them from Claires Accessories and stick them on. For Christmas we were thinking of buying her some equipment/items related to this. I am however very lost when looking on Amazon at nail related kits..!

There seem to be lamps, files, base coats, top coats, unpainted stick on tips etc etc. I was wondering if anyone could advise what would items would be the most sensible to purchase for a budget of ~£50?

Sorry for the vagueness in what I'm looking for, it's a minefield out there and I've no idea what I'm looking at

Do not buy gel polish and lamps for her. It is not a good idea for children can lead to allergies which are very nasty. And gel polish is a faff to remove and will no doubt end up damaging her nails.
You could buy some normal polish maybe look for something like orly breathable which is free from main bad chemicals etc. Get some pretty plain colours and some glitters for signature nails. And then stickers to go on nails, if she is creative maybe a cheap nail art brush kit loads on amazon.

Thanks for the reply @Ffsseriously. I didn't realise there were any risks, thanks for the heads up!

Does that rule out using false nails or are they a separate thing? Maybe this is obvious but they come in a pack, made of plastic and then stick on somehow with glue. Is they're an option then I suppose she could paint them whilst they're off her hand and then stick them on - a cheaper/more creative option than buying pre-made ones from the highstreet.

I'd probably go with some good quality polish like a pp has said , possibly also a glass nail file and some nail oil. You can get pre glued false nails, my daughter really likes those, I like them too tbh as they're less messy.

Maybe have a look at nail wraps too (aka polish strips) , they're rather fun.

Also get a base coat and a quick dry top coat if your buying her some regular nail polish. A peel off base coat might go down well as that'll mean she won't need acetone based remover for her polish.

*you're

The long term effects of those UV lamps are unknown. I certainly wouldn't introduce any child to gel/ shellac style nails.

You could get little nail stickers, ive used those before and just made sure there was enough top coat on so they dont budge. Also nail striping tape might go down well if shes into making designs

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've got a few things ordered :)

She's too young. Semi permanent nails should be applied by a trained professional and most decent places won't work on under 16's