Having some freshly painted nails is a great way to feel feminine. Now unless you are living fulltime en femme, having your nails painted all the time may not be possible. It also may not be possible to go to a salon to get them done professionally. Some of us are left with a short amount of time to be dressed so it makes sense to know how to paint your own nails. Being able to grow your own nails and also choose from such a large variety of nail polish colors is a big part of helping us feel feminine. But for some of us it’s not easy to paint your own nails. It’s a great skill to be able to master so let Glamour Boutique’s experts give you our 8 best tips to nail painting. So If you’re asking “How do I paint my nails?” this is for you.
Prep your nails
Do this before you do anything else. Make sure they’re shaped to your preference using a nail file, you’ve pushed back your cuticles and your hands and under your nails are nice and clean. You can also purchase an inexpensive nail soaking kit to prep them similar to a salon as well.
Always use a base coat
Your natural nail has oils in it that prevent nail polish from adhering well. You need to seal out the oils first with a base coat before you apply a color. Whenever you’re applying a base coat, apply it the same way you would your polish. Do three strokes, and always be sure to seal the free edge. That’ll avoid the nail polish from chipping too soon. This will add longevity and will give the polish something better to stick to.
Two or three thin layers of polish is much better than one thick layer
It helps your nails dry and can build up the color to suit you. Two coats is pretty standard and three is good if your paint job looks uneven. Lower quality polishes almost always require three coats because they don’t contain enough pigment. Just keep in mind that three coats of color coupled with base and top coat take significantly longer to dry than two coats. Which leads us to our next tip…
Allow time to dry
The last thing you want to do is ruin your hard work by not giving the polish enough time to dry. Here’s a bonus tip: fill a bowl with ice cold water and dip your fingers in the water, it helps the polish to dry faster.
Use a drop of cuticle oil when your nails are dry
This hydrates your nails nicely and gives a salon finish. Applying cuticle oil can also increase the circulation around your nails, stimulating nail growth. It can also help to protect your nail and cuticle against trauma. Even better, moisturized cuticles will help prevent you from picking or biting any loose skin around your nails which is a nasty habit way too many of us have.
Remove paint on the skin around nails
Get a Q-tip and dip it in your nail polish remover. Go carefully around the edges of the nail where you may have a little polish on the skin to remove. If the polish is still wet, you won’t need the remover as you should be able to just get it off with the Q-tip.
Use a top coat
This seals the polish and helps your manicured nails last longer. Topcoats are thinner and contain more ingredients that create a durable surface on the nail. They are made to add strength, dry quickly and protect the polish from daily wear and tear. Bonus tip: don’t just paint the top of the nail, skim the brush along the edge of your nail to lock in the bottom and help stop chipping.
Store your polish properly
Keep away from sunlight at all costs, and keep in a cool place. Nail polish kept in the fridge lasts longer and doesn’t go all gloopy! Some experts say that storing polish in the fridge will slow down the discoloration that happens as polish gets older. They also suggest keeping the bottles upright, because if a bottle falls on its side it’s harder to shake the pigments back together.
We hope these tips will get you on your way to be independent and show you how to paint your own nails. If painting your nails isn’t for you or feels like too much effort, you can always look into falsies instead. Glamour Boutique has you covered when it comes to crossdresser nails. Check out our painted nails tips and adhesive options.
Let’s see some of your painted nails. Email us at glambmarketing@gmail.com. For more tips and advice, head over to our blog where you’ll find hundreds of articles for all your crossdressing needs.