The Nail in the Coffin
Bel Says:
For the last decade or so I’ve loved decorating my nails. I found it rather calming before a gig to sit and paint them fire engine red and add a few coats of glitter varnish over the top, and it’s one of the best ways to avoid chewing on one’s nails. Especially when there are 3 to 4 coats of your favourite coloured polish in the way.
Anyways, I don’t want you all heading out looking glamorous with your clothing, hair and makeup all perfect, and not have any tips on nails. I’ll quickly run through what I do to my nails and then give you some ideas on fun little extras.
Drink water and eat jelly. The gelatin will help keep your nails strong, whereas the water will stop them from drying out.
Use rubber gloves. Washing the dishes will murder your nails. Wear rubber gloves to help keep them strong.
Manicure regularly. You don’t have to spend $30 a pop at the salon. Use a moisturizer and an orange stick to gently push back the cuticles. Shape the tips and then use a buffer to shine the top. This process will bring blood flow to the nail bed and a healthy nail bed means better nails. I do this once a week.
Try using products like Healthy Hoof and Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener if you are a chronic nail biter like I was. There is nothing quite like the feeling of success when you first see the tip of your nail over the top of your finger.
ALWAYS use a coat of clear nail polish or a base coat under coloured nail polishes or your nails will end up yellowed. (This discolouration can be removed by buffing it out, but too much buffing can weaken the nail; it’s just easier to go clear). Right, with all that 
out of the way let’s have some fun!
I am a HUGE fan of water slide decals. They’re not as popular as they were in the 90s, which is a shame, though you can still find them on eBay . They’re easy to place with some water, a pair of tweezers and a fine paint brush.
I bought a cool set from Purplenail on eBay at the end of last year and they are the best I’ve ever used. Lately I’ve been painting the tips of my nails with colour and leaving the rest of the nail with a clear backdrop for the decal. Not perfect, but enough to make me happy.
You can go more manicured with the use of nail guides (small stickers to stop the polish going where it’s not meant to go) and you can use a skewer with a small amount of cotton ball wrapped around it dipped in nail polish remover, to get any of the over spill off your fingers. I usually just wait until they’re completely dry, head to the shower and gently rub the excess off. It should come off in the right places if your nails are completely dry.
You can freehand paint your nails and there are some incredible products on the market that will allow for a nicer finish. However, when I was starting out, I was using acrylic paints and extremely fine paint brushes. You can also try going freehand with the brush supplied in the nail polish bottle.
Cutepolish has gone fangirl with her art… httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3FgpqzBf8I
Awww!
You can buy diamantes and piercings for nails as well. But a tip with the piercings, or ‘dangles’ as they’re now more commonly called: please never pierce your natural nail as it may split the nail up into the nail bed leaving you susceptible to infections.
Use an artificial nail for the piercing and glue it to your natural nail with strong nail glue like the one made by Kiss .
Whatever you decide to do, coat it all in a layer of clear polish to add a little extra shine, and be sure to give yourself plenty of time for them to dry properly. Each extra layer of polish can take up to half an hour to dry depending on how thickly you made the coat and how many layers are underneath.
Have a little fun and if you do anything you’re proud of, send us a picture. We’d love to see what you can do.
See you around!
