5 life-changing hacks for making your nails perfectly okay

Nail that look like a pro and get rid of shaggy nail paintings.

Just follow these easy steps and you're on your way to becoming a slay queen.

playNail popping (Pulse)

1. Line your nails with petroleum jelly before painting them for an easy cleanup

Use a cotton swab to rub petroleum jelly on the skin around your nails first. This creates a barrier between the polish and your skin so that after you've painted your nails, you can wipe off the Vaseline and any polish mistakes along with it.

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2. To prevent the tips of your painted nails from chipping, paint two basecoat layers

playPaint two basecoat layers (illinecentreit.com)

 

Paint the first layer of your polish on the top half portion of your nails only. After your nails have dried, paint a second coat of polish, but this time cover the entire nail as you normally would.

This technique will help the polish on the tips of your nails last longer.

3. Use a white nail polish as your basecoat to make your nail pop

playUse a white nail polish as your basecoat (Instagram/Jessicaostudio)

 

Naturally, the tint of your fingers will change the colour of your polish. To get the paint's true colour, add a layer of white nail polish first, and then go over it with your coloured polish.

4. Use the tip of a pencil eyeliner to place tiny nail art accessories on your nails

When your fingers are too big to grab and place tiny jewels, use the tip of an eyeliner or lip pencil instead. The end of a pencil is tacky enough to grip the jewel from above and won't get in the way of your design.

5. Mix loose pigments with clear polish to make a custom nail shade

Mix a little bit of eyeshadow pigment with clear polish. Mix it all together with a cotton swab, grab a brush, and try out your new colour.