Hello friends! Today’s post is all about nails! I’ve been getting my nails done in salons religiously for over 5 years. I just love the look of freshly painted nails, I always got compliments on them, and I’m a teacher, so I use my hands all the time and like them to look nice!
Well, recently, when I would go get my nails done, they just didn’t suit me. They were not what I asked for, or if I showed them a picture, I could have done a better job myself. PLUS, prices have gone up sooo much. The last few times I went, it was costing me $45 every 3 weeks or so! If you do the math, that’s around $810 a year on nails!š³
So I got to thinking, you know, I can probably do mine at home and them be what I want and I could be saving a lot of money. I did a little research and tried a few different things, but finally I found what works for me! The 2 main products you need, the tips and the gel nail kit, can be found on Amazon! I’m not a professional or never took any classes, so you can take it or leave it lol! So without further ado- here’s my at home nail routine!šš»
This post contains affiliate links.
What You Need
- Makartt full nail tips– I use the oval tips, but you can use whatever shape you want because you’ll trim them down anyway. Just make sure they are the FULL tip. I use these so my nails are strong and hard.
- Modelones gel nail kit– Comes with a light & 6 colors! Plus everything you’d need to give yourself an at home manicure!
Here’s a before picture!š±
What To Do
1. Buff off any excess glue from your nails, trim your nails, and file them down. Your real nails need to be short if you’re using the tip.
2. Rough up your nail bed with the nail file. Just rub the file across it a few times to give it some texture. This helps the fake nail adhere better with the glue!
3. Now you’re ready to glue the tips on! If this is your first time, you’ll have to find the right sized tip for your nail. If in doubt, always go for the smaller nail, it looks more natural. I sit them out on the table, place a dot of the glue in the center of the nail, and press the tip on until secure. Tip: do your thumbs last. It’s easier to apply the opposite hand if your thumbs aren’t done yet. They’ll look like this… I know it looks scary, but stick with me lol!
4. Next, clip the nails to a length you’re comfortable with, file them to your preferred shape, and take the nail buffer and buff the ends of your nails to get rid of any excess nail that’s just kinda hanging there. After all that, they will look like this.
5. Time to paint! This is the order of how you paint and how long you let them sit under the light.
1. Base coat 1 minute
2. 1 coat of color gel polish 1 minute
3. 2nd coat of color gel polish 2 minutes
4. Top coat 1 minute
You’ll do the above steps on each hand! Once finished, they will be dry for the most part, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. Here’s the final product!
Everything you need to recreate this manicure at home is probably $50, if that! That seems like a lot, but one trip to the salon is $40-$45. You’ll get so many uses out of this kit! I don’t mind doing my nails at home because I find it to be therapeutic and I enjoy sitting down and doing them while listening to a book or podcast. š
FAQ
- The shape of my nails is coffin shape.
- They last me from 1-2 weeks. I know that’s kinda a big window, but it just depends. I don’t mind to do them every week because it is relaxing to me and I have time. If I see that they are lifting away from around the cuticle a lot, that’s when I know it’s time to do them.
- To remove, I usually just pop them off bc I can tell they’re loose and about ready to pop off any way. You can also soak them off in acetone, but I’m too impatient for that!
What is your nail routine like? Do you have one? If you end up ordering any of these products or trying this at home, let me know!
