How to Apply Nail Polish Title
 
Let’s master the basics on how to apply nail polish nice and neatly like a professional!
 

What you need

  1. Nail Polish EquipmentSharp Cotton Stick
  2. Nail Polish Remover
  3. Pre-primer
  4. Base Coat
  5. Nail Polish
  6. Top Coat

 

Preparing a Sharp Cotton Stick for Professional Finish

Let’s make a sharp cotton stick using an orangewood stick and a file!

  1. File down the end of stick evenly on both sides.
  2. Check regularly to make the end sharp and flat. It should look like a canoe paddle. It doesn’t need to be a corn shape like a pen.

How to make a sharp Cotton Stick

  1. Pick a small fluff of cotton wool with the tip of the stick and roll it in between fingers. You can use this at the end of nail polish application to perfect your nails!

How to make a sharp Cotton Stick Step 2

 

Nail Polish Application

Step 1. Prepare Your Nails

  1. Wipe your nails with gauze and nail polish remover to clean.
  2. Apply pre-primer on entire nails. This will remove excess moisture and allow the nail polish to last longer.

How to Prepare Your Nails

Step 2. Base Coat

  1. Rotate brush in the bottle neck to remove excess base coat as well as make the brush skinny.
  2. Using the tip of the brush, apply on the free edge in one swiping motion.

How to Apply Base Coat Step 1

  1. Pick base coat for the Nail Plates by adjusting the amount in the bottle neck. Do this in a scraping motion to make the brush flat at the same time.

How to Apply Base Coat Step 3

  1. Place the brush close to the cuticle area and push it up to get as close to the cuticle line as you can. Ideally leaving a gap which is only the width of a hair. And then drag the brush towards the free edge.

How to Apply Base Coat Step 4

  1. Spread the base coat to the sides. Follow the yellow dotted line with a corner of the brush (blue corner) so that the brush will not touch the skin.

How to Apply Base Coat Step 5

Step 3. Nail Polish

  1. Rotate the nail polish bottle between your hands to mix. Don’t shake it.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 1

  1. Rotate brush in the bottle neck to apply on the free edge.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 2

  1. Stroke the brush in the bottle neck to make the brush flat, leaving a drop of nail polish on the end of the brush.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 3

  1. Place the brush close to the cuticle and push it up to the cuticle line, leaving a gap which is only the width of a hair. And then drag the brush towards the free edge.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 4

  1. Spread the polish to the sides. Follow the yellow dotted line with a corner of the brush (blue corner) so that the brush will not touch the skin. Stroke the surface a few times to even out.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 5

  1. Allow the polish to dry and then apply the second coat in the same way but with more polish and less pressure in the brush, so that the brush won’t dig into the first coat.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 6

  1. Wipe away polish smudges with nail polish remover and the Sharp Cotton Stick we made earlier.

How to Apply Nail Polish Step 7

Step 4. Top Coat

  1. Make the brush skinny by rotating the brush in the bottle neck. And then apply onto the free edge.

How to Apply Top Coat Step 1

  1. Pick a generous amount of top coat in the same way as nail polish.

How to Apply Top Coat Step 2

  1. Apply onto the nail plate very lightly to avoid digging into nail polish underneath.

How to Apply Top Coat Step 3

  1. The method is the same as base coat and nail polish application. Use the blue corner and yellow dotted lines as guides.

How to Apply Top Coat Step 4

  1. Allow them to dry completely.

How to Apply Top Coat Step 5

To avoid painting the skin

  • If you have a habit of painting the skin, let’s practice on this Practice Sheet (210kb pdf) first!
  • Please print out the sheet and use it on top of some old newspaper or a magazine so that the polish won’t stain your table.

Final Manicure Step – How to Remove Nail Polish