waningmoon.com
Application Tips
|  | Always wait for polish to dry fully before adding an additional coat. Otherwise you run the risk of ruining the previous application. |
| | Use a clear coat as a base before using color polish. This will help avoid nail stains and make for an easier and cleaner removal. |
| | Make sure your nails are clean before applying a coat of polish. This will help minimize bumps and peeling of the polish. |
| | For the totally clueless: polish should be applied in strokes from the base of the nail to the tip. Don't do the underside of the tip - that makes it look fake and will probably peel off anyway. (Actually, as will be seen under Design Tips, sometimes this can make a cool effect, if done right.) |
| | Stay still until your polish is dry! Watch TV or meditate. I don't know if this is a "guy thing" or just another of my neuroses, but I often ruin a perfect application because I cannot sit still after applying nail polish. I try to get dressed or shave or open my (snail) mail. |
| | Use a UV-protective topcoat if you will be in the sun a lot. (Probably not an issue with most goths!) UV rays can cause color in polish to fade and peel and can make the nails yellow and brittle. |
| | It is better to apply several thin coats of polish than a few thick coats. The thicker the coat, the longer it takes to dry. Many quick-drying polishes dry from the outside in, so if you apply a coat over a thick coat that is not dry underneath, you may get indents or smudges. Also, thick coats are more likely to peel at the tips. |
| | If you can't seem to polish your nails without also polishing the skin on the sides, let the polish completely dry and then soak your nails in water for a few minutes or take a shower/bath or do the dishes (better yet, you can do mine). This will soften the skin and loosen the polish. Gently scrape off the polish with a toothpick. Should the skin dry before you are done, simply re-soak the nails. Don't try to scrape off dry polish without soaking or you can damage the skin - I have a bad habit of doing that and it makes the skin rough. (Several companies sell correcting markers with polish remover but they tend to just make a mess when I use them.) |
| | Remove anything you will soon need (keys, bus fair, fake ID) out of your pockets or purse before you apply polish. On the same note, have your boots/shoes on and tied before doing your nails. I can't begin to count how many times I ruined a perfect application because I had to get something out of my pocket or finish dressing before my nails were completely dry. |
| | To avoid getting polish on the cuticle, instead of painting right from the cuticle, place the brush on the nail bed about 1/8th of an inch away from the cuticle and push backwards towards it, stopping just before the skin. Then make the usual stroke up to the tip. |
