STAR STRUCK!

A stylish and simple design using a bold colour. I'm using blue here but it can be alternated with any other dark colour.

Step 1:
Apply a base coat on your nails. Always use a transparent base before using a dark colour to protect your nails.

Step 2:

Apply a thick coat of opaque blue and let it dry properly. If you think necessary apply a second coat, only if its necessary!

Step 3:

Using a silver nail art tube, start making stars on your nails. It doesn't matter whether the whole star fits or not. Randomly make stars and let it dry.

Step 4: (Optional)

Once the stars are complete and dry, fill them using transparent polish with glitter, and once it dries apply a coat of transparent polish to seal your design and give it an extra shine. 

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

A simple and adorable nail art design that will express your moods through your nails.


Step 1:
Apply a transparent base coat on your nails.

Step 2:
Once the base coat is completely dry star making your smiley faces with a nail art tube.

Step 3:
Finish making the eyes first. There can be different ways of making eyes, the straight lines or simple dots or a ";" to give a wink expression.

Step 4:
Complete the design with whatever expression you want to give your nail and your design is complete.

You can use different expressions for each nail or the same one. Some of the most common designs that you can use are "=)", "=O", "=P", "=D", "=(", "^_^", "=/", "B)", ''=S" "XD"etc.

CHOOSE YOUR COLOR (OTHER)

General Advice

• Choose the color according to your preferences, also check which brands offer the best shades at the best price.
• Matching nail color with your outfit is alright once in a while but don't do it always. Go with neutral colors so you don't have to change everyday.
• Choose the colors that suit your mood and feel free to experiment.

On the basis of occasion : Occasion is an important factor to be taken into consideration before you choose your nail colour. For example, shades of bronze and gold are suitable for an evening party, but natural shades or French manicures are suggested for official occasions. Girls going to college can use any colour, be it bright red or peach, electric blue or a plain french manicure. Therefore, occasion is an important detriment for the colour you choose.

On the basis of wardrobe and accessories : If you choose to wear a particular outfit and want your nail color to match it exactly and carry the dress to the shop when you are purchasing the color. Similarly if you want to match your nail color to any accessory make sure you buy the exact same shade, same thing for lipstick or handbag.

  On the basis of trends and seasonal changes : If you want to keep up with the changing trends then invest smartly in your nail polish collections, for example pinks and purples never go out of fashion whereas, colours like blue and orange are colors that are not always considered "in". 

CHOOSE YOUR COLOR (BASED ON SKIN TONE)

It is a widespread belief that skin tone needs to be considered before deciding upon a nail color but that's not always necessary as long as you confidently carry the color you choose. However, if you are conscious of your complexion and want to choose the color accordingly, here are a few suggestions.   

For fair skin : Almost every color suits this skin tone, whether its a dark shade or light one, a conventional color or one that is not so common. Soft as well as bright shades of pink, red and purple are suggested. Shades of blue and silver also look amazing. For a pale skin tone, shades of peach, brown and violet are suggested since deeper shades will look too prominent. Black orange and green would be for a bold style statement.

  For dark skin : Rich and dark shades look best on ladies with a darker skin. Darker shades of brown, violet and maroon are most suitable. However, if the darker skin tone is due to excessive tanning then warm and light shades of pink and brown would go well with your skin. Pearly white and peach would be suitable to give a natural look to your nails and golden would look excellent. To be a little experimental, you could try dark and light shades of yellow.

 For medium skin : There are a number of choices for ladies with medium skin tone. There are a number of colors that can be used. Bright orange, pink, red, yellow. To give a tanned look to your hands, use glittery polish and avoid dark shades of violet, green and blue.

 

I look forward to your suggestions and feedback.

SHAPING NAILS

Now that your nails are long, they need to be shaped so they don't break, or worse don't hurt someone because of their sharp edges. The five most common shapes that are given to nails are:

• Oval

• Square 

• Squoval

• Round

• Pointy

Oval Nails

This is one of the most common nail shapes that go well with long as well as short fingers. Ovals can be longer to highlight a long nail bed, or they can be shorter to complement a shorter nail bed. The oval can add length to a nail while retaining the softer curves of the round shape. 

To achieve the oval shape, first begin by straightening your sidewalls and making sure they are even. Then begin filing from the side of the nail toward the top, using smooth, arching motions with the file. From there, work your angles on both sides and around the free edge to smooth into the oval shape you’re looking for. The finished oval should have a nice balance between the cuticle shape and the free edge.

Square Nails

The square nail is the classic acrylic shape — straight side walls and two sharp points on the tips.  It is the staple shape for the traditional French manicure and is used frequently for detailed nail art designs. A sharp square nail could make the nail appear shorter and stubbier. But for longer nail beds, the square can complement the nail and add length to the finger.

 To file into the classic square shape, straighten the free edge, noting that when looking at it the file should be perpendicular to the nail to achieve the hard square. File the side wall straight up and then change the angle to blend. Repeat this on the other side. Once both sides are finished, use angles to lightly feather and bevel the nail and to sharpen the corners.

Squoval Nails

The squoval is one of the most common shapes. It is essentially a conservative square with the length of a square nail but the softer edges of an oval. Squoval nails add versatility, enabling short, wide nail beds to carry the length without appearing oversized. 

To file the squoval, first begin with the square. Build it square so that the side walls are straight. Once the side walls are straight, tilt the file underneath the corners and file back and forth from the underneath up. This will gradually take the corners off. Keep in mind that you only want to round the tip that is past the free edge, this way you do not take anything away from the side walls.

Round Nails

The round shape is frequently used to create a softer, less noticeable look because the shape mirrors the natural contours of the nail. The rounded shape can make the hands look a bit thinner. Round nails can also soften hand features by providing a well-kept and subtle nail outline.

To get the round shape, it is best to file the side walls straight out, and then to just round out the edges into a nice curved shape. Be careful not to take too much off on each side or else it will look unbalanced. A good tip to remember is to visualize making a square, filing the side walls straight out, then simply round the corners with moderate angles to complete the shape.

Pointy Nails

The pointed nail is not seen as often as other shapes. A pointed shape is a little more adventurous than shapes like the oval, squoval, or even square, but given the right circumstances a pointed nail can create length and have a slendering effect on the hand. Smaller hands with smaller nail beds can use a pointed nail to create a subtle appearance of length, while long, slender nail beds take pointed nails to a more noticeable and extreme level.

 The technique to create pointy nails is based on the letter “I” where the center of the “I” shape is the upper arch that forms a line running down the nail bed. The top of the “I” is bending the cuticle flush with the natural nail, and the bottom of the “I” is looking down the barrel of the nail to make sure the C-curve is even. The pointed tip requires taking the top of the “I” to a point that meets at the center of the apex. Once the “I” is in formation, it is just a matter of blending everything in so you have perfect harmony in the nail shape.

GROWING NAILS

A well known fact, nails grow slowly, add to this the slow rate, splitting, breaking, chipping, poor nail care and poor diet and you can imagine how long it will take to grow long and beautiful nails! The most important factor contributing to the growth of nails is a healthy diet with a good supply of calcium. Understanding the growth of nails requires understanding the nail structure.

The following picture describes the different parts of the nail:

Along with this it is very important to pay attention to the diet that you take. If you want faster growing nails, be sure that your diet is rich in vitamins A, B-Complex, C, D, E and iron, calcium, zinc, sulfur and fatty acids. Adding a dietary supplement will provide important nutrients that help promote healthy, stronger nails.

Frequent manicures involving massages help stimulate growth, also pushing your cuticles gently can stimulate new growth but never cut them as it can result in the nail to all off and die.

GIVING UP THE HABIT OF BITING NAILS

 Nail biting as we all know leaves you with small, ugly and nasty nails and ladies who long for long beautiful and perfectly manicured nails need to give up on this habit. Also in the long run this habit leads to brittle and soft nails that break and chip very easily. So some of the easiest tips to get rid of the nasty habit:

1. Keep your nails short until you are sure you wont bite them off.
2. Keep your hands and mouth busy, keep typing on your phone or write something.
3. Bitter nail paints.
4. Keep your nails and hands clean and well maintained, this way you wont be tempted to destroy the beauty of your hands.
5. Keep a nail file handy, whenever you are tempted to bite your nails file them.
6. Moisturize your hands, this will leave a bitter taste on your fingers and end the temptation to bite.
7. Finally stay determined not to bite off your beautiful nails.