Your Nails Perfectly Paint

During the summer, we all want to  look bright and cheerful. Maybe during the fall and winter, the French manicure is the standby. But during the summer months, we all want to see a  little color, especially peeping out of those adorable leather sandals or wrapped around your beach towel as you head for another glorious day of sunshine. I personally cannot stand not having painted nails in the summer, especially on my toes!

 

As soon as the toes are done, I want to have the perfect painted fingernails to match. Toes are easier—you can use your dominant hand the entire time, and your toes are normally farther away from friends, family, and co-workers, so any little smudges or mistakes are not something to sweat over.

But your fingernails—that’s a first impression! Well done fingernails are a great touch to a firm business handshake or to wrap around your latest beau’s hand.

Here are some tips and tricks to give you the perfect painted fingernails from home! Check it out.

1. Start with nail polish remover. Take a cotton ball swab and swipe over all your fingernails, even if you don’t have nailpolish residue on. It removes grease and dirt and helps your nailpolish to hold on!

2. Apply a base layer strengthening coat, starting with your little finger, with a few light strokes. A base layer keeps your nails from staining from a strong color, like red or black!

3. Take some time; let your nails dry with the base layer, or else it will get all smudgy!

4. Next is your color nail polish, the main event!  Apply in light strokes, first stroke straight down the center of the nail, and then one down each side. Take your time to make sure the brush isn’t super overloaded with nailpolish, and that you apply the nailpolish slowly and firmly. You can do two coats of your main color if you need to, but if it’s a very strong color, it’s not necessary. Make sure the first coat is completely dry before you add another. TIP: Leave a little gap at each side of the nail: don’t go all the way onto the cuticles because that looks messy! And don’t try to go all the way to the edge of your nails on the right and left, because that can look super messy really quick too. Leaving a little gap gives the illusion that your nails are longer, too!

6. Finally, the top coat! Top coats are clear polishes that seals in the polish and protects it from chipping. You don’t need to apply much- just one stroke down the middle is all that’s necessary, but a little stroke down the side if you want a super glossy finish!

7. Once every step is done, take a little Q-tip and dip it into the polish to remove any stains on your fingers or mistakes.