Time to update another one of my big FAQ posts, this time about nails and nail art. As always, this is just from my personal experience, your milage may vary, bla bla bla disclaimer…
About My Nails
Are your nails natural?
Yes, they are now. Previously I used stick ons and acrylic nails because I used to bite my nails. These days I have developed more self control and have learned to grow out my nails. They are still fairly weak and flexible naturally but I am hoping to improve my overall health which might help that.
How on earth do you do *insert menial household task like dishwashing/cooking/scrubbing the toilet*?!
The same way the rest of you do… with my hands. Long nails do not make you an invalid.
What’s the hardest thing to do with long nails?
Picking up small change from a table top.
Do you wear fancy nail art all the time?
If I had time to do it I would but life unfortunately doesn’t allow me that at the moment. One day though!
What happened to your nail art shop? Can I commission you?
I don’t have the time to make them anymore 🙁
Do false nails damage your natural nails?
To a point but it really depends on how you wear them. If you wear false nails all the time for several months straight it can make your nails soft and yucky. This is because nails need air to breathe so when you cover them for ages you deprive them of air. It’s like when you have a bandaid on for a really long time and then take it off and the new skin is all white and smooshy. This is why most nail artists will recommend you take a 1 week break from nails every 3 months. Also you should never peel your false nails off!
That’s not to say that you can’t wear them without damaging your nails. If you properly remove them, take care of them and take appropriate breaks in between you can safely wear nails with no problems. My naturals nails are still the same as they have always been.
Why is your hand skin always so dry and cracked?
Because I work with my hands making things constantly and taking care of them has so far been fairly low on my to do list. I do want to change this though.
What’s the longest your nails have ever been?
  
About Stick On NailsWhat is the process of sticking the nails on with glue? Here is a video which shows my process: How long do stick-ons last? If you use good glue they can last a few weeks but most people use them for shorter times or events. What are the options for attaching stick on nails? Depending on how long you want them to stay on you can use nail glue, nail stickers or double sided nail tape. Are stick on nails as hardy as acrylics/gels? No but it depends how gentle you are and the glue you use to attach them. The nails themselves are not as hard a acrylics but they are more flexible so you are less likely to chip a nail. Because they are more flexible than the glue used to attach them they can easily pop off though. How do I remove stick ons? If you used nail tape/double sided tape then soak the nails in warm water, after 10 min gently peel the nails off. If you have used nail glue you will need to to soak your nails in nail polish remover and melt the nails off. Do not peel the nails off or you could damage your natural nails. Can I re-use stick on nails? Yes… but it depends how gentle you are at removing them. If you remove them with nail polish remover you will most likely melt the nails and they will be unusable. What do you hold the nails on when you paint them? I’ve tried quite a few things for this but what I’ve settled on is a block of wood with several hooks screwed in. I then blue tac the nails to the hooks. Like this:
About Acrylic NailsHow long do acrylics last? Depending on whether they are professionally done etc they tend to last maybe 3-4 weeks then you will need to get an in-fill or a new set. This obviously doesn’t include chips or breakages.
About Crazy Nail ArtDo the diamantes and 3d parts really stay on? How long do they last? Yes. One or two might occasionally fall off and need re-gluing but if you stick them on well to begin with and make sure to top coat any damage should me minimal. To stick them on you can either use clear nail polish, nail glue or stick them directly into gel or acrylic. What is the easiest way to make french tips? Take a look at my tutorial here. How can I reuse ceramic flowers and charms? This only works for ceramic parts not acrylic parts… If you don’t mind wrecking the false nail they were previously attached to, the easiest way is to dissolve the nail in polish remover. If you can pull the flowers off your nails then just soak them in some polish remover until you remove any polish or dirt, rinse them in water then they will be as good as new. How do you paint all the small details? With a very small paint brush and a lot of patience. Why don’t my nails look as good/shiny/awesome as the nails I see in Japanese magazines? Most of those nails tend to have gel overlays. This makes them super shiny and bright, you can’t really get that effect without gel overlays. What do I do if one of the charms falls off my nail? If you have kept the charm you can easily re-attach it with clear nail polish or nail polish glue. Once it is dry you should be able to do a top coat which will protect it.
About Gel Nail Polish
What is gel polish? It’s a hybrid between traditional gel nails and nail polish.
Why is everyone obsessed with it? It’s easy to apply like regular nail polish while giving benefits of gel nails eg. strengthening and no chipping. It lasts longer than regular nail polish too. To be honest a lot of it is hype but it definitely is a worthwhile product if you can learn how to use it. What are the downsides? Price. You require a gel lamp. It can be a bit of a learning curve to get the gel/lamp combination right unless you buy a pack with both of them which can be expensive. Gel polishes can be up to $25 a bottle and the selection of colours is much smaller because it’s still slightly new technology. Can you use it with nail art? Yep you can base coat then do your nail polish and use a gel top coat to keep everything in place.  So hopefully that answers some questions! Let me know if you have any others for me to add to this!
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