DIY Acrylic Nails

I LOVE the look of acrylic nails, they elongate the hands, strengthen the nails, make me feel more girly and sassy as well as make my hands look pretty too. What I don't love is the cost of having and maintaining them.

If you're no stranger to the nail salon you'll know that getting your nails done regularly can be expensive. Having to spend money every two weeks to get a fill isn't something we can all afford to do or even want to do.

Acrylics are something I've debated on getting for a while now but never did because I don't have that kind of time and money. Instead what I did was researched ways to get the look on a budget. During my research I stumbled across this video by Tina Halada and it inspired me to try it out for myself.

I ordered the items needed and after receiving them I sat down, did my nails and they turned out awesome (IMO). After my successful experience I decided to share with you all how I did it.

I've listed the supplies needed along with links (text in pink) to make it easy for you to shop the tools and I've included the steps to achieve these nails!

SUPPLIES
Nail Clippers // Nail File // Cuticle Nippers (optional) // Acrylic Nails // Nail Glue // Nail Polish

If you want to give your acrylic nails a shellac manicure like I did, you'll need:
UV LED Lamp // Shellac Base Coat // Shellac Polish (color I used CND Satin Pajamas) // Shellac Top Coat // Rubbing alcohol // Cotton pads

Applying shellac polish to your acrylics is of course optional but it does make the nails stronger and the polish lasts longer.

STEPS
Step 1 - Trim your fingernails and cuticles. If you're going to trim your cuticles make sure to soak your nails in lukewarm water for 1-2 minutes to soften the skin and make it easier to trim the cuticles.

Step 2 - Gently file your nail beds so the glue can adhere to your nails better. You do not have to file a lot!

Step 3 - Take your acrylic nails and measure each one to your nail beds to find the right fit then lay them out in order to make it easy for when you begin to glue them on.

Step 4 - Now that you've found the right fit for each nail and have them laid out in front of you, grab your nail glue and begin to apply a generous amount of glue to your natural nail then take the acrylic and press it on. Press and hold for a couple of seconds to allow the glue to dry. Do this step one nail at at time until you've done this to all of your nails.

Tip: Try to apply the acrylic nails as straight as possible onto your natural nails.

Step 5 - Once all of your acrylics are glued on you can begin to style them to your liking using your nail clippers and nail file. You can make them shorter, keep them long, change their shape and so on.

Tip: To shorten them I recommend using the nail clippers. First cutting the right side then the left side or vice versa because if you try and cut it all at once it could break the nail.

Step 6 - When you've completed shaping your nails I recommend to wash and dry your hands before applying polish to wash away any dirt and dust from filing.

Tip: Dry your hands using a paper towel instead of a drying towel because the towel can leave small strings of cotton that will cling onto your polish.

Step 7 - Apply your nail polish and you're done!

If like me, you chose to do a shellac manicure these are the steps you'll take after you've completed shaping your acrylics and washed your hands.

Step 7 - Apply the shellac base coat to your nails and curate the polish under the UV lamp for two minutes.

Step 8 - Apply your shellac polish of choice starting with a thin layer then curate for two minutes then apply a second coat and curate for another two minutes.

Step 9 - Apply the shellac top coat to your nails and curate for a final two minutes.

Step 10 - Grab a cotton pad and soak it with rubbing alcohol then wipe it over the polished nails to seal the deal and remove any residue. Repeat steps 7-10 to your other hand and you're done!

I sent my sister these snaps after I finished my nail, she was impressed and surprisingly I was too.
I'm not going to lie this is very time consuming and requires patience but if you're like me and want the look of acrylics but are on a budget, this is a great option.

I hope you enjoy today's DIY post and found this money saving technique to be helpful.

Until next time friends, take care!

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