How to Paint on Full Cover Nail Tips

Tend to your full cover nail tips, to keep them looking beautiful.

Maintain your full cover nail tips by keeping them beautifully polished. Nail tips, like real nails, need to be cared for to keep their appearance looking natural. Recreate a professional polish on your nails by giving yourself an at-home manicure, once your nail polish starts to chip or rub off. Once your nails are polished, keep them looking fabulous longer by wearing gloves when working with water, or cleaning chemicals, suggests Jennifer Schonbrunn Hinkle from "Real Simple."

Things You'll Need

• Nail polish remover
• Cotton balls
• Cotton swabs
• Manicure stick
• Base nail polish coat
• Nail polish
• Top nail polish coat
• Hairdryer (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove old nail polish using nail polish remover and cotton balls. Polish that will not come off with the cotton balls can be removed using a manicure stick or cotton swab.

2. Apply a base coat to the nail tip prior to the polish. The base coat will help to keep the colored polish on the nail, reduce chipping and protect the tip from staining, if you plan to use a dark shade. Darker polishes tend to chip faster because of the high levels of iron oxide and titanium dioxide, says Hinkle.

3. Apply the first coat of polish from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. To accurately coat the tip of the nail, turn your palm towards you and position your hand into a claw. Use the tip of the polish brush to carefully apply the polish to the fronts of the tips of the nails. Allow your nails to dry between applications of the first and second coat.

4. Coat the nails again with the polish: This time, you do not need to apply polish to the fronts of the tips. The second coat should reveal a solid color, if the polish looks too sheer or streaky then apply one more coat.

5. Wait for the colored polish to dry before applying a top coat. You can help speed up the process using a hairdryer to apply medium heat to the nails. The top coat will help to keep the nails shiny and help to prevent chipping.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove nail tips once they start to lift from your natural nail.

• Apply decorative accents to the nails using rhinestones or stick-on art.

• Work in a well ventilated area when using nail polish remover.

References

• "Glamour"; Nail Polish Tips: How to Get Model Perfect Nails
• "Real Simple"; Long Lasting Beauty Solutions; Jennifer Schonbrunn Hinkle

Resources

• "InStyle": 3 Must Have Manicures