nails

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!

 

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October 19, 2012

Halloween Skull Nails 0

by Andrea • Nail Art • Tags: , , , ,

For this design I started with a white base using OPI Alpine Snow.  I sponged on a tiny bit of orange glitter polish, and then I drew on the black details with dotting tools using OPI Black Onyx.  Inspiration for this design came from Frippery Digits – her mani is much cooler than mine… check it out.

Halloween Skull Nail ArtHalloween Skull Nail Art

Halloween Skull Nail Art

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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

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September 23, 2012

Essie Shine of the Times 2

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

Uh oh… I think I have a new favorite polish.  This is Essie Shine of the Times – it’s actually a top coat with shimmery flakes in it.  I feel like this would look good on top of just about any color, so I can’t wait to try more combinations.  This actually started as a Gelish manicure with the color My Favorite Accessory, and then I layered Shine of the Times on top.  And then I also applied Essie Matte About You to give it a cool matte effect.  I can’t stop looking at my nails!

Essie Shine of the Times and Matte About You

Essie Shine of the Times and Matte About You

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August 18, 2012

Black French Manicure with Floral Lace Design 1

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

A quick post to show you my mani today. I applied a Cheeky stamp from plate CH6 on top of my base coat and then painted the tips black with OPI Black Onyx. I’m holding white polish just for contrast so you can see the tips better, and I’m purposely not showing my pointer finger… I didn’t let the stamp dry long enough and my top coat smudged the stamp a bit. :)

Chickettes.com: Black French Tips with Floral Lace Design

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June 28, 2012

Patriotic 4th of July Nail Art with Gelish 0

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

gelish patriotic nail art

This is my manicure for the 4th! The colors are Gelish Rose Garden and Gelish Caution with a white nail art striper. The stars were added with stamp plate SE21 and white Konad polish.

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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.

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June 25, 2012

Patriotic Stripes and Stars Nail Art 2

by Andrea • Nail Art • Tags: , , , ,

patriotic nail art stars stripes 4th of july

Today my daughter and I played with striping brushes and we did a patriotic design on her nails.  The stars were added with a Konad stamper.  I think they turned out cute. I’m going to keep playing with stripes for a little while…

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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 nails at home.

» View Our Gelish Swatch Gallery!

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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

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