Who else paints their own nails?

[Globules]

I feel like I'm in a minority painting my own nails with a block colour.

Most of my friends pay £30+ every fortnight to get theirs done professionally.

I'm happy that it gives them a buzz, but I just don't understand the appeal myself.

Do you get your nails done regularly?

I pay to have my toes done, just a shape and polish every couple of months (£20) but I do my finger nails myself, usually on Sunday mornings. Just ordinary nail varnish + undercoat and topcoat.

Having said that, I'm having shellac done next week for a holiday where it will be impractical to be painting nails. My lovely beautician has promised it won't wreck my nails 🤞

@Globules I've used little stickers a couple of times and some have come off very quickly so a top coat once you've put them on is a really good idea.

I'm always fascinated by people who say they have gel on their toes every couple of months - all my nails, toes included, grow like weeds. The most I can push a DIY pedicure to last is 10 days, as my nails will have grown so much! I like changing the colour though, I'd be bored witless with the same colour for more than 7 days!

Weirdly my fingernails grow really fast but a pedicure lasts around weeks before the growth is too much. I don't understand it at all.

Thanks @MouseMinge

Did you use tweezers to put them on or just your fingers?

Just my fingers because I worry about the tweezers damaging the polish but my way might not be the best way so I'd see if anyone else has advice or try it out yourself and see what works best for you.

I'm very low maintenance, no manicures, pedicures, eyebrows/lashes, not even hair cut and colour! The beauty industry won't take a hit when I pop my clogs.

I do. I did used to get them done on occasion but it's expensive and I can't change the colour as often as I'd like.

I do my own. I used to get them done but I prefer to do them myself, I enjoy it. X

I love having mine done by a professional but I can't afford it these days, nor do I have time. So I do them myself when I get time, the rest of the time it's "au naturel".

This stuff is cheap as chips and really works!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0050NUCX2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Keep my nails natural no polish or nothing done professionally!! Just keep them trimmed and filed and I see a lot of people doing the same ! I hate done nails ! I’m not trying to offend anyone just my preference x x x

I paint my fingernails and toenails

Like choosing a new colour every now and then

Wouldn't occur to me to have them done in a nail bar etc would rather spend the money on something else!

Never had had them done.

IMO a total waste of money.

I file them and occasionally use a nude nail polish- Mavala - often Rose Shell, Velvet or some other pale shade.

I've never had my nails professionally done, couldn't really justify the cost.

I do my own gels and enjoy doing them. Toes last about 3 weeks and fingers 10-14.

Normal varnish never looks as good or lasts longer than a day.

Yes, normal nail polish chips straight away? And I hate chipped nail polish, it looks grubby 🙈😆

If you're doing them yourself you need a really good base and even better top coat. I use OPI and can easily get a couple of weeks out of them. I usually do them every week anyway as I like to change the colours.

Have never painted fingernails and get toe nails done professionally in the summer.

I tried OPI when my nail girl went on mat leave, and it chipped in a day or so. Maybe I'm just too rough on my nails! I don't think you can beat the shine you get from gel either.

I always do my own, and in my opinion they look much better than fake ones. I probably have about 50 nail polishes which I’ve accumulated over the years and I buy a bottle of nail varnish remover once every year. I spend hardly anything on my nails. In fairness, I have good, strong nails and I put strengthener on them regularly.

I do mine.

Black bottom layer (makes anything on top of it look deeper & 'richer'). Two coats of a colour - usually burgundy/purple/green/metallic.

I'm a magpie for cheap nail varnish!

Oddly - despite being dyspraxic & having the fine motor skills of a drunk hippo - I'm quite deft at it.

I use nail wraps

Do you need a lamp to cure them? How are they different to stick on nails?

I’ve only just started in the last few weeks after discovering essie gel couture. I tried gel nails again for holiday this year and hated them, one came right off, the others chipped and couldn’t remove them. Searched for nail polish recs and came across loads for essie GC, normal nail
polish, claims to last up to 15 days, I’ve had 6 days without chips which I’m delighted with. I do a nice nude colour which makes me feel very polished!

@LifeInAHamsterWheel the ones i use are made of normal polish and look like a sticker, i clean the nail, apply the wrap then use top coat, normal or gel. I also have some no cure gel wraps, same thing but made of cured flexible gel polish, same application but they are thicker, don't need curing.