Monday, September 10, 2012

Manicures for Pennies



If your like me, having dingy, unpolished nails really makes me feel sloppy and unprofessional. Also, if you are like me, you can't afford to spend a fortune on going to the nail salon every few weeks to fill in your acrylics. Fortunately, I have discovered a way to satisfy my nail obsession without spending a fortune, in fact it only costs me about about $3!

Walmart, Target, and drugs stores such as Walgreen's usually all carry acrylic glue on nails which is an alternative to the acrylics you can get in a nail salon. Some may turn up their nose because they think that these are "cheap" and are prone to falling off. However, I tend to like the freedoms that I get with these glue on nails and have found a way to prevent them from falling off prematurely.

Reasons why I love glue on nails:
  1. I am able to paint them and  design them in whatever way I want
  2. Cheap and Affordable
  3. Look more natural than acrylics
  4. Able to change more frequently
  5. Gentler on nails 
You can find acrylic glue on nails pretty much anywhere now although Walmart and Target are probably the cheapest you can find in store for about $6-8 for about 100 nails. However, if you head on over to http://www.ebay.com/ you can find sellers from China selling sets of 500 nails for about $2.50-$3. Though you may have to wait a few weeks before they arrive at your door, the nails are of equal quality of those you can find at Target, Walmart, or Sally's Beauty Supply. The Nails come in 10 different sizes (50 of each size) so you are sure to find ones that fit your nails perfectly.

Steps for your perfect pedicure:

   Materials:
  1. Poster Putty
  2. 2 Pens
  3. Small Scissors
  4. Acrylic Nails
  5. Original Super-Glue
  6. Nail Polish
  • Once you pick out the sizes that fit your nails, trim them down to the desired length with a small precision scissors and clip the sharp edges off. 
  • Then take two pens or pencils and cover them with poster putty and press down one hand of nails into the putty on one pen and the other five onto the other. That way they will stay in place for you to paint them and make designs if you wish. (paint them as if they were your own nails with a color and make sure you use a clear topcoat on top)








  •  After you paint the nails and are waiting for them to dry, you can prep your nails by using an acetone   nail polish remover to clean off any old nail polish and natural oils off your nails (Doing this will help adhere the nails better) Also, push back your cuticles if needed.
  • Next take a nail file and rough up the entire nail bed (doing this will give the glue something to stick and grab onto)
  • Finally, when your nails are dried remove them from the putty and apply a thin layer of super-glue (yes, super-glue!) to the back of the acrylic nail and apply it to your nail being careful to get it in the right position and angle and press the nail down, holding for about 10 seconds or more.
    • Why I like using super-glue over traditional nail glue
      • Super-glue actually has the same active ingredient that "nail glues" have only at a higher amount making it have WAY more sticking power to your nails. You no longer have to worry about glue on nails falling off randomly! Yippie!

  • Repeat for all nails (don't be scared if a little glue gets on your skin, after a few hand washes or a shower, it will come off)
  • TADA!!! You are done and now have a fabulous, affordable manicure!
Practice Makes Perfect
-Your first set of nails may not be perfect, but keep at it and you will be asked where you are getting your nails done at!

Removing Your Glue on Nails
  • I personally wear my glue on nails until I want to switch them which ends up being about 2 weeks. However, if you would like to remove them I would recommend soaking the nails in an acetone nail polish remover in order to loosen up the glue that is binding them.
 Extras
  • if you end up loving your acrylic nails, Ebay has all sorts of nail gems and design tools for sale that can all be used on your acrylic nails to make your nails look even more high class, all for an affordable price!
  • Here are some examples of previous designs I have done on my nails. You can also see more of my nails designs on my Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/LLScarves/custom-nails-by-hkw-nails/
 Custom Nail by HKW NailsGlamor Girl CollectionCustom Nails by HKW Nails
Winter Wonderland CollectionGlitter Girl Collection

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