The secrets to a shiny, gorgeous Hollywood manicure aren’t inaccessible. You basically need two things to up your at-home nail game: technique and great products. If you want to learn how to apply nail polish like a pro, you’ve come to the right place.
The best way to apply nail polish is to practice your technique until you have it down to a science. Pros in a salon need to apply polish quickly because time is money, but there is value in learning to paint quickly and precisely as a DIY’er as well. Why? Well, polish dries quickly, and professional application is a matter of muscle memory.
Tips On How to Apply Nail Polish Smoothly
- Starting with your base coat, you want to support your nail so that it will not shake.
- Use an economy of strokes to apply the polish in an even layer.
- Depending on the size of the nail, two to three strokes of the brush should be all it takes.
- Start with gathering just a bead of base coat on your brush by using the side of the bottle to remove excess.
- When it comes time to apply the product, don’t make the mistake of starting right at the cuticle, but begin by pressing your brush onto the nail just in front of the cuticle and push back towards the cuticle, avoiding contact with the skin as much as possible, applying a gentle pressure so that your brush fans out and goes where you direct it.
- Begin by brushing one stroke down each side of the nail, and join them up with one stroke up the middle.
- At this point, don’t worry about any polish on the skin or other mistakes.
- Apply your base coat, two coats of polish, and, finally, top coat on all ten nails.
- Let each coat dry slightly between steps, and at the end, before you move on.
- Using a quick-drying polish will help to ensure your nails are set before the next coat is applied.
How to Perfect Your Nail Polish Application
The detailing step comes next and is a critical part of how to apply nail polish perfectly. A slender brush dipped in acetone and applied around the cuticle area with a steady, delicate hand will clean up any messes. If there are any imperfections in the polish surface, a light swipe with your acetone brush will even out nicks without removing and reapplying the whole polish job.
The other critical tip to applying polish like a pro is prepping properly and using the right products for the job. Before you can practice and perfect your polishing technique, you have to give yourself the right surface to work with. Spend the time necessary to buff and file your nails for a smooth surface, and use a high-quality swipe product to dehydrate your nails right before applying your base.
And, talking about that base… you may get away with just about any polish you choose if you invest in a fabulous base coat and top coat. Given the right top and bottom, you can achieve a long-lasting mani that will be bright and beautiful for just as long as a salon job!
The pros know that applying nail polish perfectly is a matter of technique and the right tools. Giving yourself at-home nails that A-listers would envy is attainable with plenty of practice. And, hey, in the meantime, your nails will look amazing! Sounds like a win-win situation.