Glitter your Nails for 2013

add glitter to your nails 

There’s something about glitter that makes us feel happy and extra girly! And if you love the sparkly substance but you’re not into wearing glitter in your makeup or clothes, polish is the perfect way to go so take a look at some excellent ways to add glitter to nails!

GLITTER TOP COAT

Wearing glitter as a top coat over your favorite solid color is a really fun and festive look. This is one of the easiest ways to add glitter to nails. You can jazz them up for an evening out or just add some sparkle to your look! Glitter can easily camouflage a not-so-perfect manicure or a few chips!

GLITTER GRADIENT

Gradient nails are subtle yet they look so pretty and feminine! To do your own gradient nails, all you need are a glitter polish, solid base color, tip color and top coat. There are many variants to this method and you can use a makeup sponge and use more than one color but this is the simplest way. 

REVERSE GLITTER OMBRE

A similar yet unique way to achieve this glitter gradient look is to do reverse glitter ombre nails. This way to add glitter to nails is to use the same techniques as the gradient nail but you apply the glitter at the bottom of the nail and not at the top. Simple is better with this technique so one solid base color and your favorite glitter will suffice!

GLITTER ACCENT NAILS

Accent nails are a fun and easy way to add some sparkle to your everyday look! Pick whatever nails or nails you want to be your accent nail, some people like to do the index and ring finger but you can choose wherever you want. Paint your nails a solid color then paint a glitter top coat or use an opaque glitter polish on the accent nails, add a top coat and you’re done!

GLITTER FRENCH TIP

French tip nails are very ladylike but if you want to amp up the glitz and glam, try some glitter on those tips! This way to add glitter to nails is very easy to do, even for shaky hands! Grab a base color, a glitter polish and tip guides or tape. Apply the tip guide or tape on your nail to create a straight line at the top of your nail, apply glitter polish, remove the tape and apply the solid base coat. You can also do the glitter tip after the base coat; just make sure you take off some of the glue on the tape so it doesn’t remove the base color after you remove it.

DIAGONAL GLITTER NAILS

Get creative doing your glitter nails and try making some fun shapes on your nails! Diagonal nails are simple and don’t require having to acquire any extra tools. You can leave your nails bare or use a solid color as the base. Then, tape off a diagonal section on your nail, paint the space with glitter polish and carefully remove the tape and apply a top coat. You can remove some of the glue on the tape by sticking it off and on your hand a few times. This will help prevent your base color from peeling off during the process.

DIY

What better way to add glitter to nails than to make your very own nail polish?! There are lots of DIY tutorials online on how to make your own polish but the easiest way is to add glitter to clear polish. All you have to do is buy some glitter, funnel it into your clear polish, mix it with a toothpick and voila! You can also add different colors and types of glitter to a glitter polish you already own!

shellac

We have a great variety of glitter addatives for Shellac. We can do all the above with some pretty unique glitter colors. Just call the salon and set up your appointment today and we will have you glitterfied in no time!

Improving your weak nails!

 TIPS FOR IMPROVING WEAK NAILS 

These tips for improving weak nails will be really useful if your nails are prone to breaking and splitting. Strengthening your nails isn't that hard, here are some techniques for improving weak nails!

HAND CREAM

Hand cream is an excellent way of improving weak nails. Ideally you should be massaging hand cream into your nails several times a day, especially after your hands have been in water. Use a richer cream during colder weather.

COVER UP

One of the most important tips for improving weak nails is to protect them. Always wear gloves when doing housework or when outside in cold weather. When you wash dishes, apply some cream first and then put on rubber gloves – the heat will help the cream be absorbed, and the gloves are essential to protect your hands.

NAILS, NOT TOOLS!

Scraping with your nails won’t help the condition, especially if your nails are prone to splitting. Never use your nails as tools – always use a suitable tool for the job, which will protect your nails from damage.

MANICURE TECHNIQUE

Using the correct manicure technique will take you a long way with your nails. Start with a good quality emery board (never use a metal file). Then file the nail from the outside to the center – avoid filing all the way across the nail.

AVOID EXCESS WASHING

Washing your hands frequently will not help with strengthening your nails. Wherever possible, avoid washing your hands excessively (and remember to apply hand cream afterwards). If your work involves having your hands in water, remember to use gloves to protect your hands and nails.

NAIL HARDENER

There are a number of products on out there that claim to help strengthen nails, so it may be worth trying these out. When you choose one, be sure to avoid products with formaldehyde which can actually make the conditions of your nails worse. 

SUPPLEMENts

Feeding your nails from the inside as well as the outside can help. As well as trying the other tips for improving weak nails, you may want to consider trying a supplement aimed at improving the condition of your nails. There are plenty available; one that is considered to be effective is biotin.

LIMIT POLISH REMOVER

Polish remover is pretty strong stuff, so it’s best not to use it too frequently. If you like to have polish on your nails all the time, try touching up the color when it chips, rather than removing it completely and putting on a new layer. This will help reduce the exposure of your nails to remover.