20 Tips That Will Give You Beautiful Nails

Patience.. that’s one of my finest traits, even when it’s about my make-up. Strangely enough, the same cannot be said while waiting for my nail polish to dry. As soon as I am done with painting my nails, I tend to remember every chore — one with the potential to ruin my fresh manicure — that needs to be completed.

After a lot of R&D, I have chanced upon some of the best tips that are bound to keep my nails in shipshape and to make my manicure last long, REALLY long!

1. File don’t cut

Cutting your nails usually puts a lot of stress on the nail bed, which is why they become weak and peel. Always file your nails down to size.

2. One direction

When filing nails, don’t go at it wildly. Try and file only in one direction. Going back and forth will make your nail peel in layers thus making it susceptible to breakage.

 

Heathcote & Ivory Hand Cream and Nail File (Rs 505)

3. Glass nail files

Metal nail files do more harm than good. Switch to ceramic or glass nail files to work with on your nails. They prevent the keratin in your nails from separating at the nail bed thus averting your nails from splitting, and strengthening them in the process.

4. Organise

You know how difficult it gets to identify the colours when your nail polish collection gets out of hand? Well, the easiest way to go about this is to paint the top of the bottle with a drop of the same hue. This way, you can see all the colours at a glance.

5. Roll, don’t shake

When you shake a nail polish bottle you only end up creating bubbles in it. This, in turn, hampers smooth application. What you need to do is roll the bottle between your palms to warm up the product.

6. Unscrew tight bottles

You know how nail polish dries off at the edges, making it difficult to open the bottle the next time you want to use it? Here’s a tactic that can be of help. Tie a rubber band around the handle and then open the bottle. A rubber band offers better grip while trying to pry open the bottle.

 

 

7. Use vinegar

Wonder why your polish turns wonky despite you being pretty careful? Maybe your nail beds are coated with oils. Before you paint your nails, clean each nail with a swipe of white vinegar. Nail polish adheres better on clean, dry nails.

8. White base coat

Want your nail polish colour to pop? Try this simple trick for the same.

9. Clean up

You inevitably get little blobs of polish on the sides of your fingers when painting your own nails. Leaving it like that is sacrilege. For a polished look use an ear bud dipped in nail polish remover to clean it up.

10. Use Vaseline

Can’t be bothered about cleaning messed up nail paint later? Prevent polish from getting on your skin by rubbing a little Vaseline on the sides of your nails like you are actually creating a boundary for your polish. Make sure to get none of it on your nails though, as this will result in uneven polish application. After your nail polish has dried up, massage your fingers with Vaseline so as to soften your cuticles.

11. Customise your colours

Let’s just accept that you are never going to use up an entire vial of loose eyeshadow pigment. Why not use a little to customise your nail paint? Create your own matte nail colour by mixing loose eyeshadow pigment with clear nail polish. Yes! It’s that simple. Rad innit?

 

12. DIY Matte Coat

There’s something irresistibly chic about matte nails. Make your own matte top coat by mixing some corn starch in a bottle of clear polish.

13. Rubber bands for French tips

So you don’t have nail tapes but desperately want a French manicure? Simple! Just hold a rubber band taut on your nail where you want to paint the tips. Using the rubber band as your guide, paint the tips white and voila! You have your very own French manicure.

14. Dry polish faster

Is it just me or does everyone else find staying put with freshly-polished nails really difficult? To avoid any nail mishaps, dip your nails in a bowl of ice water for about three seconds. This helps to speed up the drying process.

15. Fix a Blooper

It’s quite normal to have fingerprints or some other marks on newly-painted nails. Instead of taking it all off and starting over again, dip the index finger of the other hand in nail polish remover. Then gently dab over the ruined manicure to smoothen out the smudges. Complete the process using a top coat.

 

 

16. Chipped nail polish

Quickly turn chipped nail polish into a festive manicure by coating the tips with some glittery nail paint. This is especially helpful when you are in a rush but can’t stand going out with tardy nails.

17. Foil to the rescue

You know how some polishes are way too stubborn and refuse to come off without drying out your nail bed. Soak cotton pads in nail polish remover and wrap it around each nail. Then use a piece of aluminium foil to secure each cotton ball wrapped finger. Leave it on for five minutes and then pull out the foil and cotton at the same time while applying a little pressure on the nail bed. Your polish will come off easily.

18. Mend broken nails

Ever been in a situation when all your nails are of a perfect length but suddenly one truant nail decides to spoil the party by breaking right at the root. Gah! It’s so painful to file all the others to maintain a uniform length. Turns out you don’t have to do that anymore. All you need is a tea bag. Watch this tutorial to know how.

19. Whiten nails

Constant nail polish application is not good for your nails. Besides not letting your nail beds breathe, it casts a yellowish appearance. Whiten your nails by applying a mixture of a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and 2 ½ tablespoons of baking soda. Brush your nails after they soak in this mixture for a few minutes and wash off.

 

Bare Essentials Nail Brush (Rs 150)

20. Clean stained nails

I’ve always noticed how my nails turn pink after taking off red polish. Even though I’m tempted to cover the ugly tint with a fresh coat of nail paint, I know that letting my nails breathe every now and then is essential for healthy nails. The easiest way to get rid of the tinge is to soak your nails in a bowl of warm water for five minutes and then slap a layer of tooth whitener on it. Leave your nails like that for another five minutes and then scrub with a buffer brush before washing it.