Precision Nail Polishing

By Amber

A professional polish job can been seen a mile away compared to a DIY home done job. What sets them apart, and what makes the professional polish job stand out above the rest?

• There are no brush marks, streaks, snags or splodges.
• It’s glossy and shiny
• It lasts longer
• The perimeter lines are perfect and there are no unsightly splodges on the skin.

A professional looking polish job is achieved by using techniques that the average woman does not know about. Starting at the very beginning you will need a good quality polish that provides both good coverage and a smooth glossy finish. It is always necessary to firstly roll the bottle between your palms to loosen the polish. Do not shake the bottle as this will cause thousands of tiny air bubbles in the enamel, which may rise to the surface and cause a crater effect in your polished nails, which is never a good look!

The application of base coat, polish and top coat are all basically the same, and I find it easier to work from little finger to thumb on each hand. A base coat is important as it provides a nice smooth base for your polish and protects the nails from staining.

The easiest way to apply polish is in three steps:

• Place the brush in the middle of the nail, apply gentle pressure and push up to but not touching the eponychium (cuticle), then with light pressure pull quickly towards you all the way to the free edge of the nail.
• Next turn the finger and place your brush to the left slightly and repeat using exactly the same method, be careful not to touch the side of the finger with your brush.
• Now repeat this on the right side. The whole nail should now be covered with the polish. Gently pinching back the sides of the finger can help to avoid touching the surrounding skin with the brush.

You will need to firstly start off with the base coat, quickly followed by two coats of polish. Make sure all the edges are cover and the surface is smooth, do not keep stroking the brush over the surface as the solvent is evaporating and the polish will become tacky and streaky. Leave a tiny margin at the sides of the nail and at the cuticle, this will make the nails look sleeker, slimmer and much neater. If mistakes such as streaking or a missed area do occur, the second coat of polish will usually rectify this. Finally finish with a good top coat, using the same method and very light strokes. This will help to harden your polish and prevent it from chipping and flaking.