If you feel like your DIY manicures never look as perfect as your professional ones, listen up. According to both Bamber and Tucker, not tidying up is the number one mistake they spot among clients who have attempted an at-home manicure. “It’s also one of the easiest to avoid, but believe it or not it still happens,” says Bamber. “Leaving specks of polish on the surrounding areas of your nails will make them look messy and if you’re using gel, will most likely make them lift.”
When applying polish to your nails, Bamber recommends doing a single swipe down the centre of your nail to start, followed by a swipe on either side (overlapping if needed) and avoiding getting too close to the edge of your nails. “It’s always better to leave a tiny gap than to get polish on your skin,” she says. “You could even use a fine brush to go around the cuticle and side walls if you struggle with this,” she adds. And if you do get polish on your skin? “Always make sure to clean your nails up with nail polish remover on a cotton bud as quickly as possible.”
In addition, Tucker advises that overexposing gel and polish to skin can cause skin reactions. “I learned this the hard way and now live with the irony of being a nail artist who’s allergic to gel polish,” she says. “It’s usually only a problem if product is left uncured on the skin as the compound changes when it cures in the lamp, so be super careful with your application and if you do get any on your skin, wipe it off immediately.”
Tagged: nails