This post may contain affiliate links. Mommies with Cents receives free products for review purposes and may sometimes be compensated for posts but all opinions expressed are 100% my own. See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.
Before I had babies, my nails were always painted. I sometimes painted them several times per week. After I had kids, I just didn’t have the time to keep up with it anymore! During my hiatus though, gel polish was invented which means manicures have the potential to last a lot longer and you can cut out the drying time by curing the polish under a light.
I’ve started enjoying giving myself manicures not that my kids are a little bit older and not as hands-on. This week I added a little rhinestone design and wanted to give you a few tips based on my experience.
To prepare for your design, paint on a clear top coat. Quickly set your rhinestone design before the polish begins to dry. I sprinkle out a few rhinestones onto a plate with a few drops of water off to the side. (*Note: You can get rhinestones super cheap on Amazon)
Then I use an orangewood stick dipped in the water to pick up the tiny rhinestones. Just touch the angled tip of the stick to the water then touch it onto a single rhinestone. It should pick it right up. (*Note: the photo shows an oversized orangewood stick but a regular sized one works much better).
I chose a straight diagonal line design on my ring finger fingernail. I like the way the pink looks against the turquoise polish and the design is simple to achieve. You can even move the rhinestones around slightly with your orangewood stick to get them in a straight line before curing your gel topcoat under the light. If you aren’t using a gel you’ll have to be patient while your polish dries and be very careful your design doesn’t slide around!
A second coat of polish of the top of your design will really secure it. I didn’t use a second coat and lost a few rhinestones because they weren’t secured well enough.
You can see how I get a long lasting manicure at home, see more simple nail art designs and get other manicure tips by checking out the rest of the posts in my Manicure Monday Series.
Judy Schechter says
I love that look! I have friends who get manicures all the time, but I can’t afford to do that, so it’s good to know you can create beautiful nail designs at home!