How to: apply nail strips

I know my blog posts are getting few and far between... But with finishing school, graduating, and almost immediately starting a full time job I've kinda had my hands full lately!
Speaking of hands tho... I have rekindled my love of nail art! After being almost bombarded by those Sally Hansen nail strip ads on the subway I finally gave in and picked one up in a pattern I had been admiring. In case any of you have been wanting to try them too, I'll walk you through the process, it was easier than I thought!

What you'll need:
- clean hands
- nail strips
- a nail file
- base coat (optional)
- top coat (optional)

Nail strips can be purchased anywhere in various patterns. As I said earlier, I got the Sally Hansen kind. You can find them at your local Shopper's Drugmart and they cost about $10. They had really good, clear instructions and came with a cuticle stick and a nail file/buffer which I liked. The package included 16 strips (as do most I've seen) so you can choose the ones that best fit your nails.

Step 1: Prep your nail by pushing back your cuticles and making sure your nails are clean and dry. (If you have the Sally Hansen kit, you can also use the white side of the nail file to buff your nails to make them nice and smooth.)

Step 2: This step is optional, but I applied a base coat just because I don't like putting things directly on my nails. I like to use OPI's ridge filler.

Step 3: Rip off the perforated end of the strip, and choose the end that best fits the shape of your nail.

Step 4: Peel off the plastic top layer from the nail strip.

Step 5: Peel off the backing, and stick the strip onto your nail.

Step 6: Fold the excess over the edge of your nail.

 

Step 7: Using the light pink side of the file, file away the excess. (Tip- to get better use of your nail strips, try using the excess end on another one of your nails, you'll get 2 uses of the strips instead of one!)

Step 8: Repeat steps 3-7 for the rest of your nails.

Step 9: This is another optional step but one that I would highly recommend for a longer-lasting manicure. Apply one coat of your favorite top coat to seal in the strips. My favorite is Seche Vite quick drying top coat- it will make your nails dry faster, last longer, and have that awesome high-patent shine that we all love. Et voila!

Not too shabby for my first try, huh?! I was actually so happy with how they turned out that I went out and bought some more (this time from Sephora, they had some on sale for only $5, and bling ones for $7! Now that will be a fun time...)

I've actually got a whole list of new nail trends I have seen lately or older ones that I still haven't gotten around to trying yet, so more to come!

Lace mani/pedi how-to

When my toe-polish chipped recently I decided I was going to attempt to do a lace pedi for summer. Luckily, my experiment was successful! So I decided to share my experience with you all and write a lace mani/pedi how-to! I hope at least one of you tries it!

What you will need:

• Nail polish- preferably in a colour that constrasts your lace so that the lace pattern is nice and visible (I used OPI's "pearls of wisdom" which is a really pretty irredescent pearly light pink colour. I also always use a base-coat before applying any nail polish because it protects your nail and makes the colour last longer but I suppose it isn't necessary).
• Top coat (I like Seche Vite's dry fast top coat because like the name suggests, it dries fast and provides a really nice protective coat to your nails. For this particular manicure, it is necessary because it seals in the lace).
• Lace trim- you can use any colour you like (I used black). The thinner the lace the better it will work.
• Scissors- preferably smaller than the ones I used to be able to get nice and close to the nail when trimming excess lace.

The process:
Step 1- Cut 10 small pieces of lace, 1 to fit each nail (at this stage it's ok if they're a little long, you can always trim the excess! It's more important to get the width right). Set these aside for later.
Step 2- Paint 1-2 coats (as preferred) of your colour onto your nails (if you are planning to use base coat, do so before applying colour).
Step 3- While your nails are still wet, carefully place each piece of lace onto the nail it was sized for. Press it into the nail polish with your finger to make sure it sticks, trimming any excess with your scissors.
Step 4- Apply top coat (I would suggest 2 coats to really seal in the lace).
Step 5- Let dry, admire your handy-work and wait for all the compliments you will surely receive!

Et voila! :)