Apply Color

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Instructions

Apply Color

1. Now it's time to color! Make sure your nails are dry from their previous soak. (You might get an infection if you seal off a wet nail.) Take a moment to let your hands air dry, or blast them for a few seconds with a hair dryer. When they are dry, make sure they are not covered in lint from your brand-new towels. (You wouldn't want to ruin your nails with a bumpy piece of sealed-in lint!) Professional manicurists use special lint-free towels, but you can just wipe off the nail with your finger or your cotton pads.
   
   Buff
   
   Before you apply any polish to your nails, check out the ridges on them. Whatever the state of your nails, you should lightly buff them with a white block buffer or an extra-fine emery board. This will not only decrease your ridges, but will remove any oil on the top of the nail plate (the hard layer of keratin that covers the nail bed). And by gently roughing up the surface of the nail plate, you will help the polish to stick to the nails
   
   Base coat
   
   Once you have buffed, you can now apply the base coat. If you still feel your nails have too many ridges, you can apply a ridge filler as your base. The base coat should be a matte, dull and quick to dry. It should be a bit tacky as well, so the polish has a better surface to stick to. Apply a thin coat and allow it to dry just until your nails are tacky. Remember that, after every coat of polish, you must let your nails dry thoroughly and not touch anything to avoid scuffing the polish.
   
   Pick a color and polish up
   
   Now it's time to apply your colored polish. Most manicurists (unless they're trying to sell you something) will tell you that there is no difference between expensive and cheap nail polish. You should choose your polish for its color and luminosity only (that is, if you want pretty nails). Of course, different colors look better on different individuals. Generally speaking, deeper reads are considered to be sleek, subtle and professional, while bright reds are considered to be fun and flashy. Please don't use black nail polish. That's so 1997, Gothgirl.
   
   Take the wand out of the bottle and apply a very thin layer of polish. To avoid getting polish on your skin, place the end of the loaded brush on the nail 1/8 of an inch away from the cuticle. Then push it in gently until the brush is just touching the nail before the cuticle. Next, sweep the brush down along the nail to the free edge. Repeat this until the nail is fully colored. If your nickname in high school was "butterfingers," or if this sounds way too surgical for you, don't worry: You can always remove polish from your skin with a cotton pad dipped in nail-polish remover. If you don't want to put polish remover on your skin (it will dry it out), there is another solution: Do your manicure at night and take a hot shower the next morning. The steam will soften up the polish on your skin, and you should be able to pick it off.
   
   Don't overwork your brushstrokes. It should only take three or four strokes to fill the nail. And here's something many people fail to understand: Don't worry about visible brush marks on the nail. When you let the nail dry, the polish should settle into an even coat. Let the polish dry completely and begin with another coat. You should only need about two to three coats. It is very important to keep the coats thin, as this will make it easier for the polish to settle. If your polish is too thick, you can always thin it by adding nail solvent (or nail-polish thinner, as it might be called. Don't use remover, as it contains acetone and will break down your polish). Don't thin your polish too much or too frequently, or you'll screw up the concentration of the polish. To keep your polish from getting too thick in the first place, store it in your refrigerator. (The cooler and darker the storage environment, the less quickly the moisture in the polish will evaporate.)
   
   Once the color has dried (again, let your nails air-dry, or blast them with a hair dryer if you are in a hurry), it's time to add your topcoat or sealant. This is a glossy, glass-like clear polish that is shiny and slow-drying. Its purpose is to protect your nails from chipping or cracking. Apply the polish in one thin coat, being especially careful not to overwork your brushstrokes. Once the polish is on, allow it to settle, and be very careful not to touch anything while they dry. With other coats, you can quick-dry them with a hair dryer; with the topcoat, it is best to leave it alone, as you don't want to risk damaging the top layer of your beautiful work. For longer-lasting results (we sound just like a commercial, don't we?), renew this topcoat every two to three days.

Next: Get Fancy

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Resources

• Nails Magazine
• Urban Decay: Beauty with an Edge