doing my nails for the first time

[Guest rayne1995]

no one in my family knows that im a girl, and i dont think they would accept it either, so i do all of the girly stuff i like to do when they arent home . ive never done my nails before so i need tips on how i can do it to look really pretty and still have the polish off by the time my family gets home.

[Guest Krisina]

Putting the nail polish on, take your time, don't rush, make sure you stay on the nails only.

Taking it off quickly, what I use is Sally Hansen Kwik Off nail polish remover. I found mine at Walmart. All you do is take off the lid, stick your fingers one at a time into the centre opening of the sponge inside the container, do a couple twists of the finger clockwise, counter clockwise and pull your finger out. It should all be off practically. Stick your finger back in if you still see any more nail polish remaining. Just do a YouTube search to see it. It's probably on YouTube.

Krisina

[Guest MsGaby]

If I use traditional nail polish, the one with the brush and all, I start applying a polish base from the two sides of the nail and then the middle, always from the nail beds upwards. Then I use the polish, always being careful only putting on the nail so I don't have to remove the excess, possible doing damage to my hard work. I never reapply a new coat before it dried and never more than two coats, so I'm extra careful making it extra smooth and uniform so I don't have to redoing it, there is some post applying thing you may put after doing your nails over the polish so it dries faster and makes it shinier

That's it, that's how I do my nail by myself. Took me sometime doing my feet and my right hand since I'm right-handed and my left is completely useless to do some stuff lol.

Gaby

[JJ]

There are a lot of videos about it on places like YouTube too. I find sometimes there really is good information and help among all the stuff on there. Some nail sites probably also have good tips. I know some people buy sets of cheap press on nails and practice on them still on the forms. You get used to the strokes and coverage that way. It will be slightly different on yourself of course but still helps. It's also good if you have a friend who knows and can practice on each other

I had noticed in my past that the cheaper polishes come off easiest. Lacquers and dark reds can stain the nail and not always come off as completely. Just my experience.

Have fun with it.

Johnny

[Guest Saloni]

If your worried about time and are just trying this out for the first time I would recommend using a sally hansen hard as nails xtreme polish they are inexpensive, available, they dry quickly and don't need a base or top coat. I would avoid a top coat altogether until you get your technique down and know you have time to finish, enjoy the results, and remove it. Looking good is all about control and how smooth the polish dries. don't shake the bottle or turn it end over end before you apply it or you will end up with bubbles. Looking pretty is subjective and to me its about picking a color that makes you feel pretty.

One thing I had done in the past when I was living at home was I bought a canvas and acrylic paint and brushes if I had trouble getting all evidence to disappear I would paint before the parents got home and get some on my hands and fingers. I then had an excuse to use my mom's nail polish remover or my dads acetone in the garage any polish left over I had a cover for and would even remove it with them in the room, lol. My mom didn't have any idea until years later when I told her what I was up to.

Saloni

[VickySGV]

Use a clear matte polish, and you may not even have to take it off.

[Guest meagan]

I like Sally Hansen mainly for the wider brush. For beggining my quest into nail polish, i was given a few colors by a girl i know. They had the traditional thin brush and i was making a mess of things. The more strokes it took, the worse it was. Soon as i found the wide brush and gave it a try, I was doing better. I could do most of my nails in one stroke with thumbs needing two.

I wear color on my toes and only on my fingers when in a more private setting or with people who know about me. The rest of the time i use clear polish.I like the shine and no one ever seems to notice. Have had the clear on everyday now for almost half a year

[Reagen]

I love doing my nails. One of my favorite hobbies. One of my favorite brands is China Glaze.

I'm also at the nail salon twice a month. Finding a good place to get them shaped and buffed is awesome. I don't get them colored at the salon yet just shaping and buffed to a shine. This teeny tiny Vietnamese girl that I go to does a wonderful job.

The first time I went to see her she said that my hand were very famine. Ahh made me feel so girly.

[~Nova~]

Getting my nails done and getting pretty colors is the epitome of why I love being a girl.

I love purple and sparkles so I get purple sparkle for my toes. Nothing cuter than Rocket Dogs and purple sparkle toes. Yes, I'm a little old for sparkle toes, but I love it and that is all that matters.

To get the polish off, use a cotton ball and a lot of remover. Saturate the cotton ball and just wipe the polish off. Nothing says you can't have nail polish remover. It cleans everything and is cheap.

Have lots and lots of fun.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

I use acrylic now - nail salon. But when I was myself at home and yet male drab at work, it was a prob.

Use clear nail polish first. It gets down into those crevasses and keeps the colored polish - which you apply next - from staining. Allow a minimum of 30 minutes between, so they don't merge.

When removing color or glue-ons - I use one of those polish removal jars with the foam. You can keep adding removal fluid as it keeps getting used. It will start staining your hands though as it gets overused. Works quickly though. Then you can fine clean with cotton pads and removal fluid. The non-acetone removal fluid (necessary if you are changing colors on acrylic nails) is 10 times slower, so use the acetone when you can. Acetone is also much cheaper bought at Home Depot (guy thinking - sigh), it just lacks the perfume added. but remember - all removal fluids can make you sick if you breathe too much in. I use it in the bathroom where there is an exhaust fan, or outside. It is also flammable I think.

Also, if you have dainty nails - women's press-on nails work. Again these use 'superglue' and are a female dog to get off - so use that clear polish again, first - makes it much easier.as the glue adheres to the polish - not your nails. You can also pre-polish them. Make a 'jig' to hold them - I used a triangular architects ruler (we call it a scale) and double stick tape. Make sure they are dry before handling them. Gives you PERFECT nails.

Lizzie

My nails are AWAYS long and polished - it's part of who I am now.

[Guest lairlane]

Rayne (or others who wish to use polish and cosmetics early in the game)

Begin subtly (delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile.).

* good hygiene. Wash Your Hands.(cuticles and under nail tips are clean)

* a thin layer of good base ... ( this is always easy to clean off if you feel the need and your nails will reward you for it)

* a thin layer of good quality clear satin will make your pedicure look healthy....

no need for color yet

lana

[Guest lairlane]

Sorry for the muff...

I was performing a pedicure while referring to the "manicure" tip

duh.

[Guest Sarah1967]

I love doing my toes in a pink or purple an I just leave it on till I decide to take it off. I think toe rings go great with painted toe nails too..

[Charlize]

As a remover try acetone. Its the base of all the removers you can use as much as you need its cheap. practice makes perfect.

Hugs, charlie

[Guest Robin Winter]

If you're worried about getting found out...I would not recommend using nail polish at all. The smell lingers, as does the smell of the nail polish remover. If secrecy is an absolute must, I say get some press ons to wear when you're alone.

[Guest otter-girl]

Hi,

I've been using Rimmel 10 Days Lycra Wear Nail Polish - 295 Fancy Fuchsia. Really love the colour and Sally Hansen regular nail polish remover to get it off. This is an acetone based remover and it gets it off very quickly. The only drawback with acetone is its a solvent which dries and de-oils the skin so I think a lot of use would trouble the skin. Good moisturizer afterward will help.

Rachel.

[Guest Krisina]

I liked Shilo's idea of the press on nails, I had thought about that at one point. I went out to buy a nail press on kit once but unfortunately the press on nails seemed to be for smaller girl hands. The press on nails don't give one the practice and experience of putting on nail polish though.

Any smell of the clear nail polish, or nail polish remover might be easier to hide if one were to wait until it dried and then take a nice bubble bath or a hot shower with lots of soap. Just a thought There must be tons of women who put on nail polish and take it off and have figured out how to minimize any smells of the chemicals.

Krisina

[Guest Elizabeth K]

To limit the smell - I applied and took off the polish while sitting in the shade of the porch. Now with three women living together, it's no big deal.

Lizzy

[Guest Kendra K]

Did my toes for the first time. Took the nail polish off and did them again a day later. Both times was a bright red. Reading about it, I read that a bright color could stain your nail. Is that right? That could be a problem for when I need to not have nail polish (swimming, on vacation, etc).

[Guest ladyinwaiting]

Well, you've already got a lot of great info from the other girls, but these are just some random tips I've gathered from my own experiences as a one-time beauty school student (and eventual drop-out lol)

-Don't shake the bottle, because as a previous poster said, it will create air bubbles and create a goopy finish. Instead, roll the bottle in between the palms of your hands as if you were lathering with soap. Then let it sit for a minute. This is supposed to minimize any air bubble situations. And after your nails are done, for heaven's sake don't blow on them! Air drying is best to achieve that smooth, glossy look.

-If you're going for something that's easy to remove, don't use a glitter polish as they are usually very stubborn and hard to remove. Try a soft pastel shade.

-Bright colors, dark colors, in short, any strong colors will stain the nails over time...usually the white crescent part of the nail will become tinted a light yellow. Cutting them obviously gets rid of this problem, but so does soaking them in lemon juice and warm water or a baking soda solution. This also helps negate any smell from the acetone after polish removal.

-If you do have a problem removing the nail color, try soaking a cotton ball with acetone and letting it soak on your nail for a few seconds, then wiping the polish off, this trick also works great on the aforementioned stubborn glitter polishes in case you ever feel like glitzing it up a bit.

Well, yeah...that's all I've got...hope it helps someone out there