The finishing touches to any woman's attire should be her nails. But most of us tend to forget and neglect this area. With nail art on the up and up there is no excuse. You can choose to do them yourself at home or be pampered and go to a salon.Long nails always make a girl feel more elegant and creative nail art completes the look. With nail art you can experiment with designs and colours. You may feel that it's expensive but there are plenty of products on the market, all at an affordable cost. It just takes time to perfect the art which is the highest cost you will have to pay.
There are a few different applications now in artificial nails which all have their own benefits. Gel nails are probably the most expensive but give a natural, high gloss finish. This type allows your natural nail to grow underneath and if anything helps to strength them.
A less expensive option and therefore more popular type are Acrylics. These are less natural looking than the gel type and do not allow your own nails to grow underneath because they are much thicker.
There is a relatively new type of artificial nail now called the Stiletto nail. These are long and very pointed transforming short, dumpy fingers into long, elegant ones. These were originally popular in Russia, but are now generally available everywhere.
You will only get the best results with your nail art if you use the best equipment.
Preparation is always the key to good nails. You must first apply a nourishing cream to help soften cuticles and keep the nail in good condition. Then with a cuticle remover you must gently push back the cuticle.
Orange sticks are also useful for pushing back cuticles, if you are careful, as this has a flat edge at one end. The other end is pointed so this can be used for cleaning underneath the nails, but for hygiene it's best to throw them away after each use.
One of the most important pieces of equipment is a good nail file. Now these come in many different materials. Most people use an emery board which is made from sandpaper but the grit wears quickly or falls off, so these don't last that long.
The glass nail file is a relatively new type that is now on the market. This type has been guaranteed never to wear out. This type has a bonus too. Research shows that with regular, correct use your own nails will actually strengthen and it also helps reduce chipping and splitting.
The most popular in salons is the electric file but you can also get many home electric files at affordable prices. This type comes with a selection of attachments to aid in perfect filing, shaping, sanding and polishing.
The best brushes you can get are made of sable fur and these are probably the most important tool you will need to achieve your intricate nail art designs. You can either buy these separately or in sets with all you need.
The five most popular brushes are:
Long brush - This is a precision tool with excellent control to achieve intricate designs.
Sector brush - This is used to achieve different textures with its fan shape.
Flat brush - This is the most popular brush as it is very versatile. It is used mainly for flat, solid colours but because of its shape allow you to use two colours together without mixing. This gives great effects and ideal for flowers.
Angled flat brush - This is a flat brush but cut at an angle on the bottom - great for a slightly different effect.
Last but not least, the Dotter - If you want dots this is the tool to have. As the paint gets less so do the dots but it still gives a great effect.
So there you go, simple equipment for dazzling nails!
