how-to

October 20, 2012

Repair a Broken Nail with a Tea Bag 1

by Andrea • Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , ,

I was putting on a sock the other day and somehow the nail on my middle finger got caught and ripped really far down. I immediately ran for the nail glue and did a quickie patch job until I had time to do a full repair with the tea bag method. I’m sure many of you have heard of and/or used this method before, but I thought I’d show how it’s done just in case you haven’t. Below is a really good video that I found on YouTube that demonstrates exactly how this is done. I like this method because you cover the full nail with the tea bag so that there aren’t any ridges.

I even took this a couple steps further by adding strength with Gelish products. After repairing the nail with the teabag and nail glue, I applied a layer of Gelish Foundation to all of my nails, followed by a layer of Gelish Structure Gel, and finally a Gelish top coat.  (View my directions for how to apply Structure Gel here). Doing this helps build strength and it also evens out any little bumps or grooves that might be caused by the tea bag. The great thing about this is that I can now add regular nail lacquer right on top of this foundation, and if I remove it with a non-acetone remover the base will stay in place. I will still be able to change polish daily or as often as I like until I soak off the Gelish base with acetone.

 

I didn’t document every step with pictures because the video above does a great job of explaining. The first step was to cut a piece of a tea bag to fit my nail. I applied a layer of nail glue directly to the nail, laid the tea bag on top and smoothed it out, and then added another layer of glue on top.  Below is a picture of what my nail looked like after I applied the tea bag.

Fix a broken nail with a tea bag and nail glue

I forgot to get a pic of the rip before applying the tea bag, but here is a little closeup where you can kind of see the tear.

Fix a broken nail with a tea bag and nail glue

I cut off the excess tea bag and filed the edges down with a buffer.  Then I began my application of Gelish products.  I applied 1 coat of foundation, one coat of Structure Gel, and one coat of Top It Off.  And the final result…

Fix a broken nail with a tea bag and nail glue

Update: 10/22 – A big “DUH!” to me.  I applied a glitter polish on top of this gel base and of course had to SOAK it off, which also damaged my gel base.  When using the gel base, just apply a couple coats of regular lacquer and wipe it off with non-acetone remover – don’t soak unless you’re ready to re-do all of the steps above!

 

You Might Also Be Interested In:

October 12, 2012

Easy Snakeskin Nail Art 0

by Andrea • Nail Art • Tags: , , , , , , ,

I’ve seen lots of snakeskin manicures on Pinterest over time and always thought it would be extremely complicated to do. Today I ran across the video at the bottom of this post over on YouTube, and it looked really easy. I thought I would give it a try, but didn’t have very high expectations. My attempt doesn’t look as the video, but for a first try I think this mani turned out really cute. Thank you very much Raquel @ LOVE4NAILS for this tutorial!

This manicure requires some mesh or tulle fabric. I’ve heard of some people using bath loofahs. I actually cut up a bridesmaids dress that’s been hanging in my closet forever… I’ll never wear it again, why not! I used OPI Did You ‘Ear About Van Gogh as the base, and then sponged on Sally Hansen Golden, OPI Chocolate Moose, China Glaze Ingrid, and OPI Black Onyx. (Most of the same colors from my recent fall manicure).

Easy Snakeskin ManicureEasy Snakeskin ManicureEasy Snakeskin Manicure

You Might Also Be Interested In:

September 27, 2012

How to Apply Harmony Gelish Structure Gel 8

by Andrea • Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , ,

Chickettes.com: Instructions on How to Apply Gelish Structure

Gelish Structure is intended for use on natural nails and just adds a bit of extra strength. It’s great for people with brittle nails that chip easily, and I especially recommend using it after removing acrylic nails. It is applied just like a polish, and also soaks off easily just like all other soak off gel (SOG) products. I personally like to use it in the winter time because my nails tend to be a little more brittle in the colder months.  The picture above shows my nails with two coats of Structure.  It’s just a clear gel that you could top off with the Gelish Top coat, or you can apply color on top of it.  Either way, it doesn’t make your nails look or feel thick.  They are harder and stronger, but they still feel natural.

Gelish StructureGelish Structure comes in a small pot, and it’s important to note that it DOES NOT come with a brush so you will have to supply your own. I have a set of Bundle Monster brushes and these work just fine for this use, however a professional gel brush is ideal.

When to Apply:

Structure should be applied AFTER you have applied the Gelish Foundation and cured it.  For the best application, wipe the tacky layer off of your foundation with a lint-free alcohol wipe prior to applying Structure.

How to Apply:

Applying Structure is much like applying any polish except it’s a bit thicker.  To apply Structure, dip your brush into the pot and pick up just a small round ball of the gel, and apply a thin coat to the nail just as you would a polish.  Cure under a UV light for 2 minutes, or 30 seconds with a LED light.

Repeat this process with a second thin coat if desired.

After your Structure is cured, proceed with the regular Gelish polish application.

Tips:

  • When you are curing your nails in the light, remember to cover your pot of Structure and the brush, or move them away from the light because they could harden!
  • To clean your brush after applying Structure, just wipe it off with a lint-free wipe and some alcohol.  Always store your brush in a dark place so it doesn’t harden in the sun light.
  • Be sure to avoid getting Structure or gel polish on the cuticle area.  If you do get some of the product on your cuticles, clean it off with a brush and acetone (or alcohol) prior to curing under the light.  Curing with the product on your cuticles can cause premature peeling/lifting of your manicure.  If applied cleanly, your gel manicure should last at least 2 weeks.

Other Helpful Links:

You Might Also Be Interested In:

September 3, 2012

Dare to Wear Colorful French Tips with Stickers 0

by Andrea • Nail Art, Nail Lacquer Swatches • Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Today I tried out a couple of new Dare to Wear polishes that I recently purchased.  They are a bright yellow called Yellow Twist, and a bright blue called Pillow Talk.

I started with three coats of Yellow Twist to get a nice solid yellow base.  Normally I would only apply two coats, but I just didn’t get the coverage that I wanted with two.  I also applied one coat of China Glaze top coat.

Dare to Wear Yellow Twist

After letting this dry for several minutes, I applied a French manicure tip guide to each of my fingers (purchased at this ebay store).  Since the stickers can sometimes be extra sticky and peel off your base coat, I first stuck it to my hand a few times to get rid of some of the stickiness before applying it to my nail.  I also like to clip off the ends of the sticker after I apply it… not really necessary, but I do it anyway.  Then I applied Pillow Talk to the tips, and then carefully removed the stickers.  After letting them dry for several minutes, I applied another layer of top coat.

French tip sticker guide how-to step by step instructions

Chickettes.com: Dare to Wear polish with French tip sticker guides

You Might Also Be Interested In:

August 29, 2012

Gelish Chevron Nail Art 1

by Andrea • Nail Art • Tags: , , , ,

Chickettes.com: Gelish Chevron Nail ArtChickettes.com: Gelish Chevron Nail ArtChickettes.com: Gelish Chevron Nail Art

I experimented today with this Chevron style design using some new nail stickers that I bought at this eBay store.  This is a bit tricky with gel polish, but after a few attempts I finally figured out a method that seemed to work.  Next time I’ll have to take step-by-step pictures.

How I achieved this look:

After prepping my nails and applying a base coat, I applied two coats of Gelish Night Shimmer (silver) and a thin coat of Gelish Top It Off (curing after each coat).  Then I wiped off the tacky layer with a lint-free alcohol wipe.  This gave me a good solid base to apply the sticker to without it slipping around.  I applied it right in the center of the nail where you see the silver color, leaving the two ends of my nail exposed.

When applying the sticker I found that the edges wanted to lift up no matter how hard I pressed the sticker down, so I clipped off the edges with scissors so that the sticker just barely stuck out over each side of my nail and pressed the sticker down real good.  This prevented any polish from leaking under those edges.

Next, I applied two thin coats of colored polish on the two exposed ends of my nails.  Here I used My Favorite Accessory (blue) and Gossip Girl (pink).  Again, I cured between each coat.  After curing the second coat I very carefully pulled off the stickers.  I used my cuticle trimmers to grab each edge of the sticker and pull it toward the center of the nail and gently pulled it off.

And finally, I applied another layer of Top It Off, cured it in my light and wiped off the tackiness again.  Whew, that was a process!

You Might Also Be Interested In:

August 18, 2012

How to Remove Sparkle / Glitter Polish 1

by Andrea • Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , ,

Chickettes.com: How to Remove Sparkle Polish

The first time I tried removing sparkle polish the traditional way it took almost 30 minutes and I was extremely frustrated. It was like rubbing a wet cotton ball on coarse sandpaper… not very effective.  I previously wrote an article on how to remove gel nail polish, and wondered if this concept would also work with sparkle polish.  Sure enough, it worked like a charm.  After soaking for just 3-5 minutes the polish and sparkles wiped right off.

Supplies Needed:
- Acetone or Polish Remover (pure acetone is most effective)
- Cotton balls
- Aluminum foil strips

Instructions:
Soak a cotton ball in acetone remover and stick it on your fingernail.  Wrap it with aluminum foil to hold it on the nail, and repeat for each finger.  Let your nails soak for about 5 minutes, and then pull the foil off your fingers.  The polish (and sparkles) should come right off, leaving no mess.  If it doesn’t come off clean, let them soak a couple minutes longer.

Pictures:

Here are a few quick pics to show you what this looks like… the pic above with the sparkle polish is the before pic.

Remove Sparkle Polish in Just 5 Minutes

This is what my fingers look like when they’re all wrapped in foil. Wrap them nice and tight so the cotton ball stays in contact with the nail.

Remove Sparkle Polish

This is what my nail looked like after I pulled the foil off… not a spot of polish or sparkle left.

Remove Sparkle Polish

And this is what my cotton ball looked like when I opened up the foil.

UPDATE: Pretty Purple Polish posted about a recent discovery… using PVA glue as a peel off base coat for glitter polish! Amazing… this will save a lot of time and energy and make wearing glitter polish much less of a hassle!  I plan to try this out soon.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

August 10, 2012

Gelish French Manicure 11

by Andrea • Nail Art, Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , , , ,

This is the easiest way I have found to achieve a nice French Manicure with Gelish.  I do skip a few steps in my instructions below such as the prep so be sure to read my full guide on how to apply Gelish polish if you’re new to gel polish manicures.

Gelish French Manicure - Step 1

Step 1: (After applying your foundation of course…) Freehand paint the tips of your nails with a white polish. I used Gelish Sleek White here.  Paint from one side to the other and don’t be afraid of getting polish on your fingers – we’ll clean that up next.

Chickettes.com: Gelish French Manicure Step 2

Step 2: Dip a brush in alcohol or acetone and use it to clean up your lines and to remove any excess polish that got onto your fingers. Once the tips are nice and clean, cure the polish in your UV light. (Remember to do the clean up BEFORE you cure!)

Chickettes.com: Gelish French Manicure Step 3

Step 3: This is what they look like after curing. If you like you can now apply a coat of sheer polish over top of your french tips, or you can simply apply your Gelish Top It Off and cure them in the UV light again.

Chickettes.com: Gelish French Manicure

Ta da! I added a layer of Champagne which has a nice light shimmer, and then completed the manicure with my top coat.

Chickettes.com: Gelish French Manicure

Chickettes.com: Gelish French Manicure with Lace Stamp

And a bonus! I added a lacy stamp to the tips.  (This pic was taken in natural light the following day)

Polishes and tools used for this manicure:

Gelish Sleek White polish
Gelish Champagne polish
Konad stamp plate M57
Konad stamper
Konad black polish

You Might Also Be Interested In:

June 27, 2012

Gelish Gradient Tutorial 1

by Janie • Nail Art • Tags: , ,

Before attempting this technique I will assume you have read Andrea’s Gelish how to tutorial.

And for supplies I would recommenced that you have read Andrea’s Supply list (What You Need To Get Started) for gel nails.

If you have not, you will need to. :)

Now for this look there are a few extra things you will need. (You can use 2 gel colors as well.) I used 3 because I wanted to use different shapes and types of glitter.

What you will need:

For this look I used 3 Gelish colors:

Last on the list is a small cosmetic sponge, I’ve used one that came in a colored gel set/kit that I purchased way back in the old days when I was first learning how to apply gel nails, but any cosmetic sponge would do.

For extra creative results, you can play with effects depending on the texture of your sponge. Do not be afraid to get crafty, this is supposed to be fun!

So now that you have everything you need, let’s proceed.

Instructions:


So how did I do it?! OK! It is actually very easy!

First step is to apply a thin coat of June Bride then cure, do not wipe. If you want more glitter, apply a second thin coat, if you want more, add a third!

I used 2 thin coats of June Bride for this look.

If you look below the sponge picture you will see what the 2 coats should look like alone. Cure the gel, do not wipe! I will be saying “do not wipe” a lot, just as a friendly reminder. :)

Next, using the cute pink Gelish Tutti Frutti color, apply a few strokes of gel onto the edge of your sponge then apply one coat on the free edge of the nail about 2/3 of the way up. Make sure to clean up around the nail and try not to get any onto the sidewall of the nail or under the nail.

Cure, do not wipe.

Apply a second coat of Tutti Frutti using the sponge onto the free edge this time about 1/3 of the way up and then cure that layer, do not wipe.

Last, ditch the sponge, you don’t need it anymore.

Apply a thin coat of Silver Sand and cure, do not wipe.

If there is not enough glitter or “bling”, apply a second or even third coat of Silver Sand and then cure.

I used 2 coats on this application.

Now you can wipe! You are done, hope your nails came out lovely! I did this set on my daughter, so props to her for being my model as my nails are too short and would look weird with this look.

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

May 13, 2012

Gelish Supply List – What You Need to Get Started 10

by Andrea • Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , , ,

Andrea's Gelish Supplies

My Gelish supplies

A lot of people ask me what supplies they need to purchase in order to do their own Gelish manicures from home, so here is a quick breakdown of what you’ll need to get started.

Application Supplies:

nail supplies

A peek inside my supply box.

Removal Supplies:

* These items can be purchased individually or in the Gelish Basix Kit (there’s also a full size version here). I bought the full size bottles, but a little goes a long way with Gelish so the kit is a good value.

If you were to purchase all of the items above, your total should come to about $150 (more if you purchase several color polishes up front). If you think about it, that’s the equivalent of 4 manicures at the salon! You can get dozens of manicures at that price by doing your own nails at home.

» View Our Gelish Swatch Gallery!

You Might Also Be Interested In:

May 10, 2012

How to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home – DIY 5

by Andrea • Nail Care Tips & Tricks • Tags: , , ,

DIY Remove Gel Polish From HomeIf your gel polish is applied correctly, it should last at least two weeks without chipping or peeling.  By this point you will visibly see the growth at the base of the nail, and it may be tempting to start to pick at your polish.  You should NOT remove gel polish by peeling it off with your nails or teeth!  Picking gel polish off will damage your nails and make them brittle because the top layer of your nail often peels off along with the polish.

Below is a step-by-step guide to removing your gel polish without damaging your nails.

You will need:

Steps:

  1. Roughen the surface of the nails using a coarse nail file.  This helps break through the top coat to allow the remover to penetrate the layers of polish below.
  2. Soak a cotton ball with the acetone remover and place it on one of the fingernails.
  3. Wrap the finger with the cotton ball in foil, and squeeze it nice and tight so that the cotton ball stays in contact with the nail.  Repeat steps 2 & 3 for each nail.
  4. Wait about 10-15 minutes.  Maybe chase your kids around with your foil wrapped fingers and tell them that you’re an alien.
  5. Remove the foil from one finger.  (You should be able to visibly see the polish coming loose from the edges of the nail.)  Scrape the polish off of the nail using your orange stick or cuticle pusher.  Don’t use anything too sharp or you could remove the top layer of your nail.  Repeat this step for each nail.
  6. Use your buffing block to smooth the surface of each nail and remove any remaining little bits of polish.
  7. Wash and moisturize your hands and nails.

Tips:

  • One cotton ball can go a long way.  I like to rip a regular sized cotton ball into five pieces so that I only use one cotton ball per hand.
  • If the polish doesn’t scrape off easily in step #5 above, continue soaking until it does.  You shouldn’t have to chisel the polish off!
  • Be very careful not to let pure acetone drip or spill as it will damage the finish of many surfaces, particularly wood.

Other helpful Gelish information from Chickettes:


how to remove gelish nail polish with foil and acetone

You Might Also Be Interested In:

1 2