How to paint nails with nail varnish?

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

I've given up having gel nails because it wrecked my natural nails. My question is how do you paint your nails with normal nail varnish? I'm hopeless. I either get it on the surrounding skin or if I do them right I smudge them because I'm too impatient to wait for them to harden properly. There must be a way! What are your recommendations?

I use a quick dry polish and if I get any on the skin I dip a cotton bud into nail polish remover and clean it off with that. If you like getting your nails done and can afford it you could go to have them manicured and painted with polish rather than gels.

1. First you're going to go in with the Sally Hansen cuticle remover gel, buff away that dead skin. I also have cuticle clippers to nip away any tricky bits of skin
2. Then you go in with a buffer to take the shine off your nails (this is important as you want your polish to adhere well)
3. Then I use the Essie strong start base coat, 1 layer
4. Once that's dry, go in with two thin coats of Essie Gel Couture polish (apply your second coat when your first is still tacky)
5. Then use the Essie Gel Couture top coat
6. NOW, apply 1-2 drops of Essie e-drops which are literally magic and somehow cure your nails immediately

You can remove with any polish remover! I get 1-2 weeks of good wear with this routine, with only minimal chipping towards the end

*I am in no way sponsored by Essie

Paint your harder hand first (right hand if you're right handed, left if you're left handed). Dpingbthe harder one first makes it easier when you switch.

Also as pp says have a cotton bud with remover to wipe off any that gets on your skin.

Also make sure you leave 5 mins between coats to ensure first one is fully dry.

I’ve got the Essie Gel Couture polish and top coat:

1. It says not to use a base coat. Presumably you know this but get better results with your base coat?
2. I find a get a bit of shrinkage at the tips after a day or two. Do you? Maybe your base coat prevents this??

Following with interest as I absolutely can’t do my right hand (I’m right handed) . I even struggle to file it. I wonder if it’s normal or I have some sort of motor issue.

The gel polishes ruin my nails, even those that don't require the UV lamp. I use OPI Nail Envy during the week and multiple daily applicationsof cuticle oil, keeps my nails strong, and then use a coloured varnish at the weekends...usually 2 coats of OPI Barefoot in Barcelona after a base coat (Sally Henson) and a final top coat, SH again. I get those extremely thin tipped cotton buds for tidy ups as I'm not steady of hand, they work a treat.

Practice lots and you’ll get better over time. Sounds weird but imagining doing it can help. Good lighting is essential.

Orange wood sticks help remove polish from skin and make a neat line at the bottom. I use them with the cuticle remover too. Also nail oil but clean this off before polish.

I love Essie too albeit the non gel ones. My nails never last more than 5 days as I’m not careful. I use any base coat, two or three thin coats of the coloured polish in quick succession and then a top coat - seche vite is great but can cause shrinkage while the Essie pink labelled top coat prevents this, mostly on metallic colours.

Do you not do basecoat on all 10 and then first coat on all 10 and then 2nd coat on all 10 and then topcoat on all?

Do you do the whole process on one hand and then the whole process on the other hand?

I tend to do all coats on the right hand and then left, maybe the base coat on all first. This means you can use the left thumb nail to clean any smudges and gives the right more time to dry. Being the dominant hand it’s more likely to be accidentally nudged before it’s dry. Obviously reverse if left handed.

My nail polish stays on my nails, unchipped, for pretty much a week.

I find that nail prep is really important. I cut and file my nail, soften and cut the cuticles, use an electric manicure file to remove dry patches around the cuticle, then buff and oil the nail and cuticles. After a little while I wash my hands and start with the actual painting. First a good base coat (I use Seche Vite), then two layers of nail polish - let the polish dry slightly, then add a very generous coat of top coat (also Seche Vite). My nails always come out looking like gel nails, and, as mentioned, they don't chip for almost a week.

As for smudging, you can try those latex polishes that creates a layer around the cuticle, and when you're done you can just strip off the latex. You can also use thin nail q-tips to remove the smudges with some nail polish

Seche Vite top coat will smooth out minor imperfections and will dry them really quickly.

Patience and practice.

Thank you all so much for your detailed replies and advice. I’m determined to have beautiful painted nails this summer.

I use nail wraps. Bought my first kit from holy gels now buy wraps from amazon. The kits contain a uv light, cuticle oil, file and 1 set which can stretch to 2 applications. They last around 2 weeks

There's a YouTube channel called The Salon Life, she has some brilliant tutorials.

Try with a paler or semi clear polish first, it's more forgiving!

The more you do it the better you’ll get at it. I only ever paint my own nails as I enjoy doing it. (Weird fun fact, I used to do hand modelling)! The best combination I’ve found is Rimmel nail rescue 7 in 1 as a base coat, 2 coats, let that dry and then apply 2 coats of either Essie or Barry M Jelly, and then another coat of the Rimmel. Lots of people think I have gel nails.

I use essie gel couture, I also use their base coat can't remember which one but it has a green label. I don't get shrinkage, and they don't really chip, they tend to grow out

My best tip is to be patient enough to make sure that each coat has a good five minutes or so to dry before applying the next coat.

Wow.. OK.

I guess I need to get a base coat then. I haven’t been using one up until now with the Essie Gel Couture because it specifically says to apply to bare nails..💅🏻

@PrimeSeason i don’t generally use a base coat with Essie gel either unless it’s a colour that will stain my nails - it says not to. I tend to redo mine twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday.

very thin layers. i do a max of two. if you get a sheer/iridescent polish that hides imperfections a lot more than solid colour.

I don't care at all about getting it on the skin, it just washes off the skin in the shower

This was actually advice sent to me by a friend. I’ve been following it almost to the letter (swapped the Sally Hanson cuticle for Essie and rarely bother to buff) and have managed to break my gel habit. My other tip is to paint your nails last thing at night to give them time to dry undisturbed and then to scrub off any excess polish on skin with a nail brush and soapy water in the morning.

I use Glaise It's a stick on nail varnish. Not to be confused with stick on false nails, though they do those as well.

I was happy with my first attempt, but six months later I'm even happier. It lasts a good two weeks and cannot chip.

I'd highly recommend getting the made to measure nails, but start with the general ones.