12 November 2024
by Habib Salo
Polishing nails might seem like the simplest thing you can do as a nail enthusiast, but it’s actually an art. It is a skill that can only be refined over time and with practice after mastering the proper technique. Did you know that polishing nails well is actually all about balance? Learn how to expertly polish your nails with our guide below.
The Basics: Prep and Holding the Brush
To polish effectively, you want to take advantage of your brush’s width to cover the nail evenly in the least amount of strokes. Our nail polishing tips can be practiced on your own nails or on someone else, over and over until you master the way to hold the brush and apply the polish.
Before you even open your bottle of polish, you should buff the natural nail and wipe it down with Swipe to remove excess oils from the nail surface and prepare the surface for application of polish.
Cup the polish bottle in the non-dominant hand, and use the middle finger or ring finger of that same hand as a fulcrum to balance the finger of your dominant hand. Balance is the name of the game! With your finger extended, you can apply product with your dominant hand without shaking, skipping, or bouncing, which can mess up the manicure.
Applying Base Coat and Color
When gathering polish on your brush, don’t wipe both sides of the brush against the bottle, as you won’t have enough product on the brush to apply to the nail. Rather, wipe only one side and let the polish bead on the tip of the brush, which will leave enough polish to apply to the surface of the nail.
Don’t make the mistake of starting your brush right at the base of the nail! Set the brush down about a quarter of an inch away from the cuticle, press down to bow out the bristles, and use the rounded end of the bristles to push the polish back to the cuticle. Use the long edge of the bristles to brush the polish down the edges of the nail. Pull through to evenly apply the polish. It should take only three strokes to cover the entire nail.
With thumbs or larger nails, make sure that you start off with enough polish to adequately cover the nail. Use straight, quick strokes to avoid streaking. This will help even if you require more than three strokes to cover the nail. If polish touches the skin, don’t try to clean it up right away. Leave it until you have finished polishing all ten nails. Polish all ten fingers with the base coat, then choose a colored nail polish. You will polish the color the same way you did the base coat.
Detailing Nails and Applying Top Coat
Only after you have finished applying all your coats should you pour some acetone into a small dish and use a fine brush to detail, or clean up the skin around the nails. This is the time to neaten up your job if you got any polish outside the nail. Careful, steady hands will do the job best, and, again, this comes with practice. Using your fulcrum finger again and working your brush around the edge carefully will allow you to get a clean, tight appearance. Waiting until all the nails are painted should ensure that the nails are dry enough to not bleed or run.
If you have any nicks in the polish, you don’t need to remove the whole polish job. Take a small amount of acetone and smooth out the imperfection by lightly touching the surface with your brush to blot everything out. One thin coat of color will fix things up perfectly.
Once you are done with detailing, you apply your top coat. Work quickly to avoid streaking as many top coats dry faster than polish. Start at the sides with your brush, come down your middle, and you are done. Using a high-quality top coat will ensure that your manicure is flawless.
In conclusion, nail polishing like a pro comes down to mastering good technique. Once you have taught yourself the right way to polish nails, practice will ensure that you get great at doing it quickly and well. Polishing nails is a fundamental skill for DIY nail enthusiasts, and an invaluable tool for doing your own nails or anyone else’s at home.
