7. Painting on Fake Nails (Press Ons)

Thanks once again to the internet, I found another idea. Pick up a set of "press on" fake/artificial nails, and paint them. Put them on when you want a quick change of nails. Then you can take them off whenever you are done. 

Here's the first set I got:

For more shape options, here are some others I've gotten:

- Stiletto shaped (clear)
- "Long, Pointy" (not clear)
- Almond shaped (clear)
- Coffin shaped (clear)

I don't usually prefer coffin shaped nails on my fingers, but some nail designs just need a certain shape! So it's fun to try a variety of styles. Also, if you put a black or white base coat on the clear nails, it will paint the next coat of color quite well. Think of it like a primer. Choose a dark or light primer color based on the polish color(s) you intend to go with.

I am using breathable nail adhesive tabs, like these:

If you want to glue them on, here's a link to the KDS glue that I like using. It lasts several days. You can make it last longer by keeping your nails out of water. Wear rubber gloves when doing dishes and cleaning. Don't let them hang out in your bath. Etc.

Here is a set of magnetic stands I got to use when working with them:

Use a bit of this Putty to hold the nail to the stand: 

Step 1. 

Find the nails that fit your nail bed the best and remove those to use. They should never be larger than your nail, if anything just a little bit smaller.

Step 2.

If you have the kind like I am using above, you will need to gently buff the end where you pulled it from the tabs, with a nail file. Sometimes the nails come in a box, already pulled off the tabs, but you may still need to look for a rough spot at the very tip on the end and buff it just a little if it's not smooth.

Step 3.

Apply a small blob of the tacky putty to each stand, and then put the nail onto the stand. 

Step 4.

From here it's pretty much like your own nails. Apply a base layer. 

Step 5. Stamp

Step 6. Apply a top coat. Done!

Step 7. Wear :)

I also picked up a roll of this double sided tape to help display them, when done:

And, I got this nail organizer to place them in for safe keeping! It works great.

By the way, they even sell fake TOE NAILS. Oh, what a time to be alive. Some of us don't have nails that grow right for pretty pedicures. I'm just saying.... this is a thing!!!

For my fingernails, I don't like having nail glue on my nails nor do I like to have them on long-term, so I am using the sticky adhesive tabs with mine. These are best for short term wear. 

But if you use glue, fake nails will stay on longer (1-2 weeks).  Soak the glue off (warm water, 10 minutes) when you are done using the nails instead of popping them off, as this can damage your nails.

Note some glues require soaking in acetone 10 minutes if it's not water soluble. 

See post 10 for more on adhesive. Or this post:

https://www.threegracesandco.com/blogs/nail-blog/nail-adhesives-everything-you-need-to-know