How to start painting your own nails
Image Courtesy: Instagram
As college students, we do not always have the luxury of being able to pay to get our nails done at a salon or by a technician unless we know them personally. I find that it is getting more and more common to at least attempt to do one's own nails now that accessible sites like Amazon and Etsy have kits that make it fairly simple to do so. This is especially due to the fact that during the pandemic, people had a lot more time on their hands to delve into their hobbies and interests. Another factor was nail salons not being open or nail technicians having low to no availability during that time.
Amidst the quarantine, nails were something that I wanted to pick up again since I’d dropped them. With my newfound time and energy, I spent a lot of time trying to practice doing my nails. When quarantine ended, I went back to just keeping my nails clean and healthy–without painting them. Being in college, it can be hard to make time for your hobbies but I force myself to relieve my stress. It gives me the space and time to do something for myself, like self-care. It’s especially satisfying to see my work when it’s done.
Painting your nails isn’t hard at all! There are different approaches you can take to doing your nails depending on how you like them. Online sites like Amazon that have a plethora of nail tips that come in different shapes and sizes/lengths are always available. I recommend brands like Apres Nails and Una Gella if you want to start using nail tips. I’d also recommend watching YouTube videos to see how to apply them as the directions that come with them aren’t always helpful and it may be better to have a visual to go off of.
When it comes to colors I use Beetles gel colors and base and top gel. I’ve also used the Gaoy brand of gel nail polish for a more jelly look. With curing, there are many UV lights that are good but it is always best to just read the reviews. These are the basics but there are also a plethora of tools you can get to help you with the process. A nail file and cutter, a cuticle cutter, cuticle oil, and tweezers, to name a few, will make the job much easier. Tweezers are mostly useful if you decide to use things like rhinestones, gems, pearls, etc.
One of the biggest struggles is painting with your non-dominant hand. It was something I struggled with for a while but as I practiced more, I got the hang of it and can confidently do both hands without much struggle now. I’ve had my own nails for a few months now since the semester started and have gotten significantly better each time I do them. It is definitely something that you have to have a little bit of patience for but it is worth it in the end.
Strike Out,
Writer: Chanel Thorpe
Editor: Kaninika Dey
Boston
